horsenail
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well said!
Solo dives
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As I am sure you know, there are Cave Diving circles which are plagued with fatal accidents..deaths....and there are circles in Cave diving where deaths are extremely rare....the buddy diving circles like WKPP don't experience the rampant deaths, because of the buddy policies, and team based training.
People who solo dive like to say they like the lack of distraction, and the simplicity of a solo dive......if the skills are well learned, and ingrained, looking over at your buddy is an involontary reflex, and the entire buddy protocol is as natural and non-stressful as breathing....
If it is a pain, then something is wrong in one or the other of the buddies--their behavior or skills will be causing the stress. That is not a problem in the idea of buddy diving..this is a problem in "choice" of buddies or the training of the buddies.
Regards,
DanV
jwr1008
New
Unless completeley qualified, competent and confident you shouldn't do it.
Harvey Shepherd
Registered
I have been diving 47 years with god know how many dives. 25% of those have been solo. If you are experienced I dont see the problem there is always risk whenever you dive. My diving has morphed into all photography. If Im shooting macro I might not move 10 feet during the whole dive who wants to be my buddy? Personally I think buddy diving is over-rated and leads to too many double downings.
Not really, kind of boring actually.
Yep, it is OK, you are OK, I am OK, solo diving is OK.
If you need a "competent" partner you are not ready for solo.
Sounds good.
Sure it is an accepted practice by all of us who regularly solo dive, those who don't accept it don't and mostly know nothing about it but the urban legends they heard whispered down dark alleyways.
You are welcome.
N
1611kjb
Registered
Unfortunately, this question doesn't have an easy answer. Any one that tells you it is perfectly safe, jump on in and enjoy yourself is a dead man walking. Solo diving is very risky business. The very nature of diving leaves you dead space around you where you have sensory input and cannot evaluate your environment as you do on land. There's blind spots where you cannot see. Hearing is muffled, different and non-directional. It hard to perceive light, thermal movement etc. Hundreds of clues you are used to on land that don't apply under water. Additionally, like flying an airplane, there's no pulling over to the side of the road to recollect your thoughts. Once you're in the soup, you're there until you get yourself out.
All that aside, anyone who simply says it's dangerous and you shouldn't do it is also speaking out of one side of their mouth. How many people would tell you not to go into a swimming pool alone? Not a lot, but some. However, to be perfectly safe, you should not be in a swimming pool alone. How about snorkling, should you ever do that alone - even in your own swimming pool? Ask the question and a few more will join the "no" group and the rest will say it's pretty safe. How about wreck diving in the Mississippi right after a rainstorm? If you find anyone beside Jack Kevorkian that says that's OK I'd be sirprised. What you choose for a solo dive will determine the risk. Your experience level, the equipment you use and the choices you make will determine your chances of successfully staying on the right side of that curve. If you are in warm, still, clear water and never go deeper than 10-15' (I dive solo in a quarry a lot), you are in the 90-95% survival group. If you go deep enough or long enough to require a "stop" coming up and you dive solo, you are approaching the group in 60-70% chance. If you add a few factors like cold water, darkness, medium current or obstacles like wrecks, trees and kelp, you could well be in the 50-50 group. Your training and experience will help mitigate some of these hazards so you recognize and avoid them on a dive instead of figuring out how to get out of them.
You can dive anywhere, anytime and anyplace solo, but your chances of returning unscathed change dramatically from seemingly small things. I was diving solo in a quarry once and choose to swim around an old car at the bottom. I thought I was doing the sage thing. As I swam around the car, my body and my attention were turned towards the car so I could watch it as I went by and not get near it. That may sound paranoid, but I recognized while solo diving, I shouldn't be getting near anything. Unfortunately, I was passing between the quarry wall and the car where a tree had fallen. As I was skirting the car, my tank got caught on a tree branch and I couldn't get loose. Fortunately, I was able to get out of vest, extricate my tank and get up the 25 ft without too much trouble, but it could have ended much worse had I added even a small amount more to my risk.
Solo diving is not safe, but no diving is. Having a practical knowledge of just how much risk you are taking and a realistic view your chances can minimize the danger level. race car driving, parachuting, bungy jumping, motorcycles, airplanes, etc are all fraught with theior own kind of danger. How you evaluate that danger, mitigate the hazards and execute your plan will determine how safe it is.
I think if you have decided to take up diving, you've already decided to take more risks than the average person. There's a saying in aviation that seems apropos to diving: There are old divers and their are bold divers, but there are no old, bold divers.
On the other hand, I have never worn a bicycle helmet (and I'm 57) and never regretted it and will never wear one. Is that risky? Sure is! How risky depends on how I ride.
All that aside, anyone who simply says it's dangerous and you shouldn't do it is also speaking out of one side of their mouth. How many people would tell you not to go into a swimming pool alone? Not a lot, but some. However, to be perfectly safe, you should not be in a swimming pool alone. How about snorkling, should you ever do that alone - even in your own swimming pool? Ask the question and a few more will join the "no" group and the rest will say it's pretty safe. How about wreck diving in the Mississippi right after a rainstorm? If you find anyone beside Jack Kevorkian that says that's OK I'd be sirprised. What you choose for a solo dive will determine the risk. Your experience level, the equipment you use and the choices you make will determine your chances of successfully staying on the right side of that curve. If you are in warm, still, clear water and never go deeper than 10-15' (I dive solo in a quarry a lot), you are in the 90-95% survival group. If you go deep enough or long enough to require a "stop" coming up and you dive solo, you are approaching the group in 60-70% chance. If you add a few factors like cold water, darkness, medium current or obstacles like wrecks, trees and kelp, you could well be in the 50-50 group. Your training and experience will help mitigate some of these hazards so you recognize and avoid them on a dive instead of figuring out how to get out of them.
You can dive anywhere, anytime and anyplace solo, but your chances of returning unscathed change dramatically from seemingly small things. I was diving solo in a quarry once and choose to swim around an old car at the bottom. I thought I was doing the sage thing. As I swam around the car, my body and my attention were turned towards the car so I could watch it as I went by and not get near it. That may sound paranoid, but I recognized while solo diving, I shouldn't be getting near anything. Unfortunately, I was passing between the quarry wall and the car where a tree had fallen. As I was skirting the car, my tank got caught on a tree branch and I couldn't get loose. Fortunately, I was able to get out of vest, extricate my tank and get up the 25 ft without too much trouble, but it could have ended much worse had I added even a small amount more to my risk.
Solo diving is not safe, but no diving is. Having a practical knowledge of just how much risk you are taking and a realistic view your chances can minimize the danger level. race car driving, parachuting, bungy jumping, motorcycles, airplanes, etc are all fraught with theior own kind of danger. How you evaluate that danger, mitigate the hazards and execute your plan will determine how safe it is.
I think if you have decided to take up diving, you've already decided to take more risks than the average person. There's a saying in aviation that seems apropos to diving: There are old divers and their are bold divers, but there are no old, bold divers.
On the other hand, I have never worn a bicycle helmet (and I'm 57) and never regretted it and will never wear one. Is that risky? Sure is! How risky depends on how I ride.
Lots of posts etc recommending pony cylinders etc without going into details.
One thing that is missing from here as usual is *gas planning*. There is NO point just saying "take a pony" or whatever. The diver needs to know his air consumptions and needs proper gas planning to KNOW (not guess or assume) the maximum depth he can dive to which will allow his independent air source to get him out of trouble. If you dont do that you're going in with a false sense of security and nothing else.
Every dive should be treated as a solo dive. If you going into the water expecting or at worse relying on a 3rd party (who is human and no matter who they are can make mistakes when stressed) to get you out of trouble you are already making a potentially fatal mistake.
Dive with the gear to get yourself out of trouble. If someone else is with you and they help then fine but dont ever rely on that!
One thing that is missing from here as usual is *gas planning*. There is NO point just saying "take a pony" or whatever. The diver needs to know his air consumptions and needs proper gas planning to KNOW (not guess or assume) the maximum depth he can dive to which will allow his independent air source to get him out of trouble. If you dont do that you're going in with a false sense of security and nothing else.
Every dive should be treated as a solo dive. If you going into the water expecting or at worse relying on a 3rd party (who is human and no matter who they are can make mistakes when stressed) to get you out of trouble you are already making a potentially fatal mistake.
Dive with the gear to get yourself out of trouble. If someone else is with you and they help then fine but dont ever rely on that!
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kasdeva
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I have too few dives to venture an opinion on solo diving, but I have strong opinions about solo living.
I live alone, by choice. If I get ill or injured alone and I can't get to a phone, I will die alone in my house. I am happy to accept that risk. I ride motorcycles. I ride them often and have been for many years. I ride motorcycles solo. The chances of death is significant for even a small mistake. I accept the risk for the pleasure motorcycling brings. I swim alone, hike alone, go to dinner alone and travel alone. I enjoy being alone and miss nothing if I experience something that I cannot share.
All this solo living may seem reckless, but I am actually quite risk averse. I weigh up every situation and calculate the risk reward ratio and if it is acceptable, I have no qualms continuing regardless of what the accepted norm is.
Riding motorcycles and surviving the 100,000 plus miles I have been riding takes vigilance and education. I have studied accident reports, causes and ways to mitigate risk. I am always aware when I ride motorcycles, I have to be. Motorists' will kill you if you don't anticipate every move.
Make sure that you understand the risk and are happy with the consequences. A mishap diving has a significant chance of ending at the coroner.
Still safer than motorcycling.
I solo life, not because I get a kick out of the risk it adds, but because I enjoy being by myself.
I live alone, by choice. If I get ill or injured alone and I can't get to a phone, I will die alone in my house. I am happy to accept that risk. I ride motorcycles. I ride them often and have been for many years. I ride motorcycles solo. The chances of death is significant for even a small mistake. I accept the risk for the pleasure motorcycling brings. I swim alone, hike alone, go to dinner alone and travel alone. I enjoy being alone and miss nothing if I experience something that I cannot share.
All this solo living may seem reckless, but I am actually quite risk averse. I weigh up every situation and calculate the risk reward ratio and if it is acceptable, I have no qualms continuing regardless of what the accepted norm is.
Riding motorcycles and surviving the 100,000 plus miles I have been riding takes vigilance and education. I have studied accident reports, causes and ways to mitigate risk. I am always aware when I ride motorcycles, I have to be. Motorists' will kill you if you don't anticipate every move.
Make sure that you understand the risk and are happy with the consequences. A mishap diving has a significant chance of ending at the coroner.
Still safer than motorcycling.
I solo life, not because I get a kick out of the risk it adds, but because I enjoy being by myself.
I solo dive some of the time. The freedom of not having to worry about someone else is great.
I have over 1000 dives logged and feel very comfortable diving alone. Solo diving isn't for everyone,
In reality you are responsible for your safety. I don't feel that a buddy is always going to be able to notice that you need help the instant you need it.
When an emergency occurs your buddy may be looking the other way, taking a picture or just chasing a fish. Just because you have a buddy is no guarantee he or she will be close enough to you to notice or help.
In an emergency you will revert to your training. Practice switching to your alternative air source, find, that knife and pull it out and return it to it's sleeve, deploy that safety sausage, feel for and find the weight release system and remove your mask and clear it once in a while.
Good basic skills will be your best buddy and make you a better buddy for others.
I have over 1000 dives logged and feel very comfortable diving alone. Solo diving isn't for everyone,
In reality you are responsible for your safety. I don't feel that a buddy is always going to be able to notice that you need help the instant you need it.
When an emergency occurs your buddy may be looking the other way, taking a picture or just chasing a fish. Just because you have a buddy is no guarantee he or she will be close enough to you to notice or help.
In an emergency you will revert to your training. Practice switching to your alternative air source, find, that knife and pull it out and return it to it's sleeve, deploy that safety sausage, feel for and find the weight release system and remove your mask and clear it once in a while.
Good basic skills will be your best buddy and make you a better buddy for others.
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