Solo Diving- Absolute No-No?

[DennisW]

Solo diving is a personal decision that should only be made after much experience and even more soul searching and thought. Only you can decide if the rewards are worth the risks you will be taking. As someone said in this thread, most instructors and DM's make solo dives everytime they dive with students or people with very little experience. I agree with that statement. Sometimes you dive solo even with an experienced buddy, especially if you don't know the person very well.

I have made one purposely planned solo dive. There were many people diving in the general vicinity, but not many near enough that I would have had help if needed. I have made a couple that were not planned and became solo dives after my assigned buddy took off and never looked back. I never dove again with that person after that dive trip.

I would be comfortable to dive solo in a couple of very familiar locations after very carefully planning my dive. I would definately have the plan and any preplanned alternatives written down on my slate before I would go solo. I would also make sure the dive was shallow enough that a OOA ascent could be made fairly easily.

However, I must say, that my wife would be more of a problem than the dive if she ever found out I planned another solo dive and actually dove solo. Out of respect for my wife's feelings, I will most likely never make a planned solo dive again.

 

[DEEP SEA]

I hate to admit it but I solo dive often. It never starts out that way, but I usually come back to the boat alone. That is, when I dive with guys I have been diving with for years. Most of the time it is on Lobster dives or poor viability. It seems like when your looking in a hole for bugs, your buddy is looking somewhere else. Before you know it, alone!

On the other hand, if I am with a novice diver or someone I am not sure of, I will ensure I stay with them the entire dive.

I am not saying I approve of it, it just happens!

 

[Swamp Rat]

Well I Dove with Hauns more than once. Matter of fact in the Cooper River where I do 95% of my Diving its Solo like it or not. The Visibility is normaly the beam of your light. At time you cant see your fins with the light. Try to use a buddy line in this River and you be wrapped around pielings, logs, and trash be for you know it. I feel much safer without a partner here than with. I think the best buddy here is will be driving the boat.

 

[DeepSeaDan]

I do it. Criteria as follows:

* Must be an area I know well

* Limited depth ( max. 60' )

* Easy diving ( no fast water, good vis., easy access,
no penetration, etc., etc. )

* Full redundancy

I discuss this subject with my students. I admit my personal solo venturing & explain clearly why I choose to do it. Most importantly, I tell them the degree of comfortability in the water necessary to partake of solo diving only comes with years of experience for some, while for others, that level of confidence may never come.

I agree with the philosophy that in the final analysis, our personal safety is OUR RESPONSIBILITY. Always be prepared to save yourself ( a good part of that involves avoiding danger in the first place ). Know your limitations. Train regularly in all aspects of rescue & emergency procedures.

My dive...my choice...my responsibility. If I muck up, there is no one to blame but me. I accept that.

D.S.D.

 

[scubadoc]

Even the "old wise" divers should not be bold enough to dive alone. By alone, I mean really by your self - not as a DM. I've dived many times with buddies that I've totally trusted, found myself suddenly thinking that I was alone and finding him right there checking on me too. This is highly reassuring and surely is the cause of many divers being rescued from situations requiring some assistance.

This is similar to the question "why do you dive with a knife?" I've always had my knife available and have used it only once - to free a buddy from entanglement. Then there was the buccaneer diver that I found myself with on a dive some years ago who refused a buddy and in conversation when asked why he carried a knife - he said "to fight off another diver who is after my air"!

Hope that none of you ever have to dive with this character - and the story might be thought apocryphal but it really happened.

Finally, I'd like to emphacize what others have said, buddy diving is probably the one safeguard that has saved the most lives in scuba diving, other than possibly an auxiliary air source.

 

[SubMariner]

Veritas!

Turnerjd made a good point... one that I was planning on introducing myself.

As dive professionals (Instructors et al) the reality is that we are basically diving solo: first in, last out. So we tend to prepare ourselves accordingly.

And although I keep the same mindset when diving for pleasure, I never dive alone. Just too much fun not to share.

BTW, Swamprat... love the "diving with Hauns" In circumstances like that I frequently refer to my dive buddy as "Jacques Cousteau".

DSDO,

~SubMariner~

 

[DEEP SEA]

Scubadoc, have you ever heard of the Hawaiian buddy system? The way it goes, if you see a shark, you stab your buddy and swim like hell! (joke of course):nono:.

 

[uwsince79]

The opinion stressed by most is that of REDUNDANCY! Always have both a back up PLAN as well as equipment and when you have that in order have back up for the back up. Underwater is a very hostile place (hence Inner-Space) where it is easy to get into a jam. Alone or with a buddy. Solo diving is a very normal practice for me any many other divers. BUT! I have been diving for quite some time and have many dives under my belt so much so that I sometimes prefer a solo dive. Many of you will chastised me for this, but I have rescued 4 divers in the last 5 years one as deep as 208fsw. Where were their buddies. You should PLAN every dive as it were solo. This way as you dive and build experience you will gain comfort in your ability to be self-sufficient. If you think I am wrong answer me this, A diver in 60fsw looses his buddy and has an equipment failure what now??? Did you plan for this? You should have. More people get hurt or die in shallow water than in the deep abyss. Proper planning and you would be out of this with just an aborted dive, poor planning and you could be bent or worse. SO I FEEL You should not dive with out redundancy into you equipment setup period. Many experience divers have a least two sources of gas either through a pony bottle or "Spare Air". It just makes better sense. I recommend for reading, "The Technical Diving Handbook" by Gary Gentile. This book IS BY NO MEANS A SUBSTUTITE for training or experience but a great guide to go by and gives some very good advice even for a young diver. Hope I helped

 

[ages]

I personally think diving solo is a no-no...even though I do it but only in the duties with our underwater rescue/recovery team. And then we are tended by a shore tender. I have found myself alone on dives I am real familier with and when photography is my focus. On those dives, I know the plan, and catch up to the buddy as soon as the shot is done(same ocean, we are buddies kind of diving). I would never leave a new diver alone (I don't even take my camera if diving with a newer diver). In a new area, diving alone is a big no-no. I have seen the weather turn here to the point where divers cannot get back to the boat or shore. I saw my buddiy ripped away from me in a flash because he was in a current and I was in an eddy. It is frightening. Mostly, a buddy is there to save you from your own moments of stupidity....and the more you dive, you will have a moment or two occur!! Just my $.25!! ages

 

[Mario S Caner]

I'm halfway through, Bernie Chowhurdy's The Last Dive and it's an incredible book. For those of you whom haven't read it, it's a must read! A real eye opener in many ways. Solo diving, safety precautions and Bernie's personal opinions on many 'issues' is in black and white for your disection... I'll re-post once I'm done with it.