Solo dive or not??

[Custer]

Allen42 once bubbled...
This is not meant to attack anyone, but haven't most of us dove solo at one time or another without having a chance to realize we were solo?

For me, it's setting the bouy for a class. Or running a line out, or hiding a recovery object. Often I go do these things without giving it much thought. *But I'm solo.* And not concerned.

However, I think If I were to go jump in the lake and swim around for 45-60 minutes, at some point, I'd get those nervous thoughts mentioned above.... "hey, this isn't right..."

I just think the psychology of it all is very interesting. Obviously, the longer down, the larger the risk, but aside from that, the risk hasn't changed at the platform, hiding the recovery object, etc.

Kinda like being in the dark... you know it's all exactly the same as it is when in the light, but you can't see it, so your mind is at unease.
Hmmm.

"A lot of divers need to remember that it's not about their gear or the risk - it's 100% about touching that other world down there. Statistics reveal that it's a safe sport and can be practiced by almost anybody once trained. So enjoy it and let others with differences of opinion or less skill enjoy it as well without bringing them down. Putting others down does not raise you, or the sport we all love so much. - MikeJacobs"



Good post, great sig.

I didn't even know I was solo diving until it was pointed out to me.

I thought everyone came up individually from a drift dive, as I had seen many do it.

After a while, though, it was SOBs, then true solo.

Now I primarily solo.

 

[budgy]

Solo diving is different. To be a solo diver you need to make yourself an independant diver. If your dependant on a buddy to put on or take off any of your equipment or to do the planning and navigating. Then its best you continue diving with a buddy while you first work out methods and practice how to manage without one. This might seem a little silly but I observe divers with good training qualifications even senior instructors with many hours of diving experience, whose usual methods and practices are buddy dependant. They are not lesser divers and their probably well able to cope alone, its just they don't demonstrate the methods developed for self sufficiency. Remember there is no one to help you with the zip of your suit, provide shoulder support to put on fins, or help you on with a cylinder. Needless to say without a buddy check you need to be very through about doing your own pre dive check including compass bearings. I have found non divers coming up to me a dangerous distraction, with no buddy to check you, I find it necessary to be fully focused on myself or its easy to forget something. You will probably find yourself changing your set up to suit solo diving. I took off the octopus and added a pony. I have had problems with boats coming close in shallow water so I fly a dive flag and use a surface marker buoy. Some boat owners don't pay much attention and some fisherman have fly hooked the buoy and myself on a number of occasions, so I carry a trauma shears and a traditional size dive knife.
I like diving in shallow water, no deco penalty or re-entry calculations necessary, there's good light penetration and no torch is required. A good shallow dive can last nearly 2 hours on one fill. Whilst diving with a good diver is a pleasure, solo diving has its advantages, the vis is always better and you won't be waiting or rushing to catch up or spending a dive chasing after some macho idiot who only wants to fin faster than you. Maybe we solo divers do have more buddy compatability problems than some and a greater tendency to be loners.

 

[liormic]

Just yes.
Without getting into what should be or shouldn't be with a solo diver and who would think he/she is ready to go solo, at this depth, there's allmost no real problem an expirienced diver wouldn't handle right.