question about solo diving

[hedonist222]

Hello everyone
This is a long post but I find that complex topics are better discussed when I provide detail.

I've always considered diving solo but never needed to.
I've fortunately established rapport with many regular divers and all the dive masters at the center I go to.
I like to explore the bush for little critters - muck diving.
While a lot of divers prefer to "complete the dive circuit" and see everything in that planned route, I don't mind not "finishing". What I mean by this is, the dive plan is to drop in here and ascend there.
I don't mind not ascending "there" because I'll launch my SMB and promptly be collected.
Same with circling around a pinnacle. Others want to do complete a solid 360, while I would be ok with a 270. Because I'll hunt/explore a good ten minutes if I find a nice patch of dense coral.

So I usually end up pairing with one of the regulars who knows my dive style and I also be considerate by not lingering too long. Most-times I find that I would have liked to spend a bit more time exploring that patch but, to be considerate, I move on.
I don't want to be "that guy". More importantly, I understand that we both want to derive fun from our dive, so compromises are natural. And whats nice is that they realize it and appreciate it.
From what I've gathered they enjoy diving with me because I'm very attentive to them. A lot of eye contact, the occasional, everything going well hand-gesture?
If I see my partner struggle with something, I'll turn around and watch them set it right - my positive body-language is reassuring.
Symbiotic I suppose.

By background, I'm a good diver I think. Been through a lot of different scenarios. Have about 500 dives and a rescue diver.
One time my partner got badly gouged by a sea urchin (she denied bumping into it, instead it came at her lol - she was joking).
So I gestured to her that I'd take of it, I gestured that I'd deflate her BCD a little so that shes not too neutrally buoyant, and then started taking out the spines.
And of we went, five minutes later she gestured that she wasn't feeling well and wanted to ascend. So I launched my SMB for her and handed it to her. We were three divers, so she gestured for the two of to carry on.
Another time during a wall dive, we got caught in a massive current against us. I asked my buddy if we should retrace our steps and go back. He gestured no its fine and we carried on swimming against the current. I noticed he was struggling - and that means hes probably stressed, definitely going through more of his air than usual and may not end well. So I gestured we go with the current.
Would've been nice to ascend where we all planned to, but so be it.

My point with the little anecdotal stories is that I can assess a situation and try to handle it.
And other than a handful of regulars, most divers I dive with are good divers but I don' get the vibe that they're very aware.

To give an example of the handful that I know are aware.
One time we were diving the usual dive spot - a wreck at about 31 meters (100 feet), we entered from the starboard side, the end of it. Near the motors. There was a strong current that left us breathless till we got to the anchor line at the front. We decided to wait a few minutes and catch our breath. We did but not only was there a current but the surface was choppy.
Anyways we descend and reach the wreck, but even the descent was a struggle, there was a strong current. So strong we had to heave at the line to go down.
At the bottom, I wasn't my usual self. Rummaging through patches of soft coral or gleaming at what-appears-to-be-nothing with my magnifying glass. I was anxious but not enough to abort the dive. I did a bunch of math in my head, remembered important dates, thought about my schedule for next week. Yep, did them all. So no reason to abort. Decided to just dive neutral and wait it out.
Ten minutes into the dive and suddenly my partner is literally a meter away from me and appears adamant about keeping this new-found distance. Gestured to him if everything is okay? He said yes and asked me the same. Alright I thought. Maybe hes not super comfortable but comfortable enough to continue the dive. No reason for me to abort the dive. A little after that I was okay and carried on as I usually do. Peering and peeping. Like, a slightly less obsessive, Captain Ahab, trying to conquer my white whale. Abbreviating any obsession while having a white whale is healthy in my opinion.
Anyways, on the boat. He tells me he noticed I wasn't my usual self and decided he wanted to swim nearby to me. At least till I started diving as I conventionally do.
This to me is a perfect partner. Someone who not only understands you, but can detect deviations and act on them. What a great guy.

To clarify, I in no way depend on my partner or expect anything (much) out of my partner.
My policy is to remain aware, calm, and quickly assess any situation to make a good decision.
You could say I treat all my dives as solo dives - the dive partner is there for two things only (hopefully).
To supply me with air in the event that my regulator fails and I run out of air prematurely, and to drag me back to the surface in the event that I pass out.
So, just two things, give me air or return me to the surface if I've passed out. Both unlikely, but not impossible.

So, with solo diving, I have redundant air, one qualm is now remedied, what about if I pass out during a solo dive?
Please don't say its not going to happen. Yes, I know, it probably won't happen but it can happen.

Also, if I do decide to solo dive. It won't be somewhere I've never been or on an international trip. It would 100% be in the sites I've dived hundreds of times.
And the majority of these sites are no more than 300 meters away from the shore.

The argument that I can pass out during normal daily activities, such as while driving or even riding a motorbike true but not as fatal. I'm still in society - someone will eventually find me and help.
But passing out underwater is...

So how are you mitigating or handling this element?


I am genuinely curious and grateful for your thoughts.

 

[scubadada]

That's a very long post. Why do you think you are at risk for losing consciousness? If you had an episode of LOC in the US, you would be prohibited from driving, and I would think diving would be foolish.

 

[TMHeimer]

I handle the idea of passing out in a very simple way. I was 40 years old before I met my wife and most of that time involved living in an apartment by myself. Since meeting her in 1994, I have at times found myself in NYC for 7 weeks playing concerts living in our tiny one-person trailer, and each Fall 2+ weeks alone at our cabin in remote Northern Manitoba. You know where I'm going with this. It was (is still) far more likely I will die of a heart attack in all that time by myself than while diving maybe an hour plus weekly by myself in the summer. Perhaps while chopping wood at age 66 at the cabin. Unlike what you said about someone eventually finding and saving me, this will not happen in the trailer for many days, and for at least a week at the cabin. I'm dead and not underwater.
I do have my "rules" for solo diving. Like you, close to shore (in case of cramping, etc.). Usually no deeper than 30' (so CESA is easily doable in case of catastrophic failure)--I have broken this rules a few times, but if down to 50-60' it is only for 2-3 minutes then back up. I also bungee my primary in my mouth in case I go unconscious-- cheaper than a full face mask.

The biggest danger I see for myself diving solo is entanglement. I am super careful about anything suspect. I won't go even slightly into eel (sea) grass if it's like 3 feet tall. I do usually carry my knife, but not always-- there is nothing that I've ever seen that could trap me at my local sites. The unusual time that I dive a new site (local or say, Florida), I am even more careful of my surroundings, including currents and anything else.

 

[drrich2]

So, with solo diving, I have redundant air, one qualm is now remedied, what about if I pass out during a solo dive?
Please don't say its not going to happen. Yes, I know, it probably won't happen but it can happen.

Skimmed your post and my eyes settled on this, so it's what I'm responding to.

What if you pass out during a solo dive? You probably die. Low risk, but it can happen. So can heart attacks, stroke and a range of other things that' can kill you on a dive.

So how are you mitigating or handling this element?

Aim to be in right relationship with God. That's not snarky or sarcastic. When I solo dive (or dive, period), I splash knowing I may not crawl back out, so 'thinking ahead' includes consideration of the after-life. No joke.

If you want a means of risk mitigation, there is something. I've known a couple of people who used full face masks. They are 'different,' and can be expensive and bring some potential complications to the hobby, but if you want a setup that'll hold the air supply to your face and keep water out, giving you a little time to maybe wake back up...a FFM might do that.

 

[TMHeimer]

Skimmed your post and my eyes settled on this, so it's what I'm responding to.

What if you pass out during a solo dive? You probably die. Low risk, but it can happen. So can heart attacks, stroke and a range of other things that' can kill you on a dive.



Aim to be in right relationship with God. That's not snarky or sarcastic. When I solo dive (or dive, period), I splash knowing I may not crawl back out, so 'thinking ahead' includes consideration of the after-life. No joke.

If you want a means of risk mitigation, there is something. I've known a couple of people who used full face masks. They are 'different,' and can be expensive and bring some potential complications to the hobby, but if you want a setup that'll hold the air supply to your face and keep water out, giving you a little time to maybe wake back up...a FFM might do that.

Some excellent points.
Another point to consider is the old SB discussion of maybe diving with an "instabuddy" can be as risky as solo (a re-incarnated thread right here now in Advanced).
Yes we are both Rescue certified and should be capable of dealing with a panicked diver. But, that diver obviously puts us at SOME risk. I liken this to someone not using a seat belt because in case of fire or drowning, the seat belt can kill you. Still, for dives below 30' I do think you are playing the %s by diving with a buddy, simply because of the extra air source (yes, a pony bottle is another option and I have used that, with a buddy).

So for deep dives I never plan them solo. On my boat dives, I have soloed 3 times. Two of the 3 were in situations where my instabuddy opted out for the second dive. The DM knew I also was one and said I could go solo (to 80, 50 feet) or tag along with another duo. I chose solo so as to be not tied down to 2 others and asking them if they don't mind me stopping to pick up shells, possibly slowing them down. The other time was on an oil rig in TX. We were told buddies optional, but all stay within the "legs" of the rig and no deeper than 60', as the bottom was 100' and too dark. I went down a leg with my light to the bottom, for about 5 minutes, found a nice shell-- nobody the wiser.
But in these cases, I figure the total time down there something could happen to kill me was miniscule. I would not plan such solo dives on any regular basis. Many would-- everyone has their own risk assessment. Some would do it without any reserve after taking a solo course.

 

[hedonist222]

That's a very long post. Why do you think you are at risk for losing conscientiousness? If you had an episode of LOC in the US, you would be prohibited from driving, and I would think diving would be foolish.

Hi scubadada.
I always enjoy and appreciate your feedback on the forum. Thank you.

I'm not in the US and don't know what LOC of stands for.
Maybe Loss of Consciousness?

But I get that LOC refers to people who are prone to passing out.
I've never passed out in my life and I'm thirty nine years old.

But it could happen.
I'm a husband to a good lass and father to three delightful mongrels.

I always assess risk.

 

[hedonist222]

Thank you fellow divers.

The sole purpose of this topic was to hear your inner thoughts and for me and others reading this, to reflect on your thoughts and experiences.

 

[scubadada]

Hi scubadada.
I always enjoy and appreciate your feedback on the forum. Thank you.

I'm not in the US and don't know what LOC of stands for.
Maybe Loss of Consciousness?

But I get that LOC refers to people who are prone to passing out.
I've never passed out in my life and I'm thirty nine years old.

But it could happen.
I'm a husband to a good lass and father to three delightful mongrels.

I always assess risk.

Yes LOC is loss of consciousness. As a healthy, young man, I would not worry excessively about this. There are many more things to spend time thinking about and preparing for as a solo diver.

Best of diving to you.

 

[Jonn]

If you loose consciousness, have a heart attack, or suffer any other sort of debilitating medical emergency while under water you’re just dead. It’s sort of the price of admission to the hobby, even with an attentive buddy you’re just not coming back from that. It’s not the only situation like that, vehicle operation comes to mind, but it’s one of the more extreme ones where staying alive is a task to be continuously performed. Solo diving does increase the risk, takes your survival from ‘very unlikely’ to ‘even less likely’, but I don’t see that much difference. Just don’t pass out down there!

 

[uncfnp]

Agreed. Passing out underwater is likely fatal with or without a buddy, not only from the event but quite possibly from the precipitating cause.