Solo diving for or against

[solodiver]

How many people here do Solo diving? and why? or why not?

I do a lot of solo diving. almost a third of my 350 dives are solo. I enjoy the solitude. and enjoy not having to look after someone else.

don't get me wrong, when I dive with a buddy I dive with my buddy.

let me know your thoughts on this subject.

 

[trymixdiver]

i have in the past, but i havnet done a solo dive in the last 3 or 4 yrs.

i would say solo diving isnt for everyone but can be done providing we are not talking tech dives. This is all depending upon the experience of the diver, an OW or AOW diver with very little experience shouldnt even think about it, there skills are not refined and they are unfamilar with there equipment. i feel a diver with alot of in water experience and the proper training could solo.

I think this Question is a loaded gun, and i may take some flak for my opinion, but i am interested in this boards attitude on this subject.

TMD

 

[DiverG]

I've done one solo dive and it was an awesome experience!! As you mentioned the solitude of only you and the ocean unbelievable. That being said I don't think I would do it again until I've got more training.

DiverG

 

[solodiver]

Ok let me just say that before i started doing any solo diving I had completed my PADI rescue diver course. and had at least 100 logged dives. None of my solo dives were tech dives but a few of them were deep. but as a rule I don't go deeper then 60 ft.:mean:

 

[trymixdiver]

Given your experience of 100 dives and your limiting of your depth to 60' i see no reason why you cant solo dive. When i mentioned tech dives i ment no penatration, no deco, ect...

TMD

when i mentioned OW and AOW i was refer to those who take the classes back to back and basically dont take OW cert and dive to gain experience, they jump right into AOW with the minimun required dives. 100 dives on the other hand shows both training up to rescue and in water experience.

 

[SDAnderson]

Given that SOB diving is solo diving, there are a lot of solo divers out there that don't even realize it.

Solo diving is not for the inexperienced, but for those with substantial experience (and recent experience) and their own familiar gear in familiar waters with good conditions...well, I've been known to indulge.

What counts as experienced? Rescue rating or above, certainly. 100 dives is probably a good place to start - but maybe even more.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Most divers are solo divers....
A few realize this because they intentionally go solo....
The rest won't know they are solo until they need their *buddy*....

True buddy skills are harder to learn that just about anything else in diving...
It is a skill level that most divers are unaware of much less proficient in...

 

[solodiver]

:yellow: SELF is the first word in SCUBA .
All divers are solo divers. You are responssible for your self and your actions.

True Solo Diving is not for everyone. you can't be panicy, afraid to be alone, timid. You must be confodent,( self + training ) practice gas/time management, be redundent in air supply + bottom timer and mask. Plan your dive, dive your plan.

practice practice practice free flow drills, lost mask drills,

I dive twined 120 cf tanks configed hogarthian for a 30 ft dive i have enough air for 4 hours. :yellow:

 

[trymixdiver]

240 cubic feet at 30' ? damn i hope you take a laminated copy of War and Peace with you.

 

[VTWarrenG]

I have done solo diving only for one reason:

Because I needed to practice something, like buoyancy with a new wing, or line drills, or mask off line-following, or helicopter turns, or propulsion techniques. No one I know is willing to dive with me when all I want to do is rip my mask off and follow a piece of nylon back and forth. They get rather bored of it after the fourth or fifth time.

So I use a local cove called Breakwater, which often is akin to a deep swimming pool in terms of waves, current, and surge. It's shallow (40' near shore), and has a rock wall that makes it almost as good as genuine confined water.

Now, there have been a NUMBER of rescues and resuscitations at Breakwater, which has made me think carefully about solo diving. I would obviously MUCH RATHER have a buddy... but when I need to practice specific skills, and can't find someone to practice with me, I have dived solo. Can't say I'm "proud of it," though.

- Warren