tiberiu:
Hello. I just got certified open water 60ft/
I don't have a buddy ... or at least I don't know anyone that want to go diving and I would like to go by myself . I purchase a 30cu pony tank w/regulator . I notice when I am by myself I pay more atention to what I am doing and check my air more often .
What you guys think about diving solo ?
Please let me know. thank you.
Divers dive. And although diving with a COMPENTANT buddy is usually safer, solo diving is in some way safer than partnering up with someone who 1>you don't know or 2> is an accident looking for a place to happen (see stroke).
Consider this. You do what almost all of us have done at one time or another. You go diving with someone you don't know as a diver well. You trust that they were certified and that the agency/instructor that certified them did a suitable job. You have a 3 minute conversation with them before you splash and in you go.
What happens when this guy/gal has a problem underwater and panics? What the certifying agencies don't mention often is that you should NOT attempt a rescue if it puts you at risk. They also fail to mention that you most likely WILL attempt a rescue, as it human nature. And a drowning person/panicked diver will kill you in an attempt to get just one more breath of air. If that were to happen, i would say you're better off solo. There is no way to tell when a person might panic, but a diver you dive with regularly will be less likely to suprise you.
Another case that most of us have experienced is "same day, same ocean" buddy diving. In this case you keep your buddy (in high viz water) in sight, but so far away he's pretty much useless in an emergency. I can hear the retorts to this already, but most of you have done it, so settle down
. If you're buddy is more than 15-30 finstrokes away, he's not going to be much good to you, especially if he's in front of you and doesn't see the incident happen. For those of us low viz types, you're buddy will be out of sight in 15-30 finstrokes.
That being said, you're new at diving. Being new, its probably best to dive with a partner. I reccomend you go to the regional part of the board and find your country/state and look for a buddy. BUT HAVE A REAL THOROUGH PRE DIVE BRIEFING WITH THEM. Either that or go to your LDS. Most of them run group dives several times a week and alot of them are free. At your stage in your diving career, a little extra help is beneficial.
Side note/rant: Many who rail against solo diving are parroting what PADI/NAUI have been saying for years. They aren't aware that the views on diving solo are changing. Please remember, NAUI and PADI for a long time claimed that NITROX would kill you and should never be used.....
