question about solo diving

[hedonist222]

Tut tut, you should not donate blood on an empty stomach.

That aside, many of my dives are solo even when I have my regular buddy because like you both of us are looking for small critters to photograph, and we could be outside of each other's visibility.

I tend not to worry too much about it, we both carry redundant gas and all the necessary gear for solo diving. However, should either of us lose consciousness for some reason then not much we can do about it, so why worry!

Was an emergency to a dear one - may his soul rest in peace.
Because if I pass out when diving with a partner, theres a possibility I can be rescued.

It feels like I may have framed my narrative in a way that is making loss of consciousness as the main theme.

The main theme is, I suppose, what thought process have you gone through to decide to dive solo.

 

[Searcaigh]

what thought process have you gone through to decide to dive solo.

To avoid stabbing the idiots that mess up with my vis when I'm taking photographs and then getting arrested by the coast guard when I surface!

 

[arew+4]

Not a solo diver, have had a buddy/wife my entire diving life. Not living near my desired diving type this has not been an issue. We are contemplating relocating in retirement and then it could become an issue. With an every day option I may find my self having to go it alone occasionally. The low risk, shallow, familiar, no overhead, ideal weather rule would apply.

The most dangerous thing most folks do every day is drive back and forth to work. When the kids were young I put up the motorcycle, not because it's more likely to have an accident but because the of the excessive severity that often results. The risk outweighed the reward. Now that they are older I take the bike or once in a while, ideal conditions, low traffick times etc.

If you are diving with a competent buddy and they have a vested interest in your survival you are better off buddied up than solo, otherwise you are better off with a pony bottle.

 

[ontdiver]

The main theme is, I suppose, what thought process have you gone through to decide to dive solo.

For me it is having the knowledge, skills, experience, equipment and confidence to dive solo safely under a variety of conditions. I plan the dive and dive the plan; and get my gear serviced regularly.

I also have an annual physical and go into the water knowing that I am healthy and not knowingly creating a situation that may require others to place themselves at risk by looking for or retrieving me.

 

[Marie13]

The main theme is, I suppose, what thought process have you gone through to decide to dive solo.

Got solo cert so I can work on skills for an hour at local shallow quarry without boring buddy or not having to forgo diving if buddy cancels last minute. That’s it. No ocean stuff for me. Doubt I’d be diving the Great Lakes solo either.

 

[tarponchik]

There is just one kind of diving I like more than solo diving: solo night diving.

 

[divad]

To avoid stabbing the idiots that mess up with my vis when I'm taking photographs and then getting arrested by the coast guard when I surface!

Yes, stabbing BAD.........BAD.....

 

[Neilwood]

Not a solo diver so take this with the appropriate sized pinch of salt.

I learned years ago with life in general to only worry about the things you can change, the rest are out of your hands.

WRT solo diving, to me at least, this means big things like heart attacks, unexplained loss of consciousness etc are stuff you can't do anything about so no point worrying about them. What you can change are things like entanglements (make sure you have multiple cutters within reach and preferably 2 different types), gas (make sure you have sufficient reserve and multiple sources so if a reg fails you can still get gas), dive conservatively etc.

 

[Dan]

Because if I pass out when diving with a partner, theres a possibility I can be rescued.

You think so? Have there been a dive buddy who successfully rescued a pass out diver? I don’t know of any.

I won’t worry too much about this. It’s a risk that I’m willing to take.

I like taking underwater pictures & videos to a point of I got left behind by the group or instabuddy. So, I get used to watch my SPG and NDL and be prepared to ascent alone.

I carry my 3CF Spare Air just in case I need to clear a couple minute DECO obligation at safety stop or my instabuddy get OOA. It happened before.

 

[TMHeimer]

I did my first solo (shallow shore, as usual) dive after dive no. 75. I didn't pick that number, it just so happened my first (and only) regular dive buddy moved. I met him when we both basically had finished OW. In the mean time I had gotten Rescue cert. and showed him a couple of things to do should I ever need help.
When he moved, my problem was that we lived a fair ways out of the city and from the shop, and there were no other divers close by that I knew of. So I would have had to hook up with someone at the shop (or in the city), to go to the usual popular shore sites down there-- as opposed to my 10-15 minute or less drive trips to the sites near our house. Doing that meant a really long day. Thus my solo diving began.

I agree about the idea that other stuff is way more dangerous--like driving to the site, motorcycles, falling coconuts being more dangerous than 99% of sharks, driving way worse than flying, etc.
I don't pay attention to any of that. Most of us have to drive in today's world. None of us has to dive, dive solo, dive with sharks, etc. There is some risk doing a lot of things.