SOLO Diving Practice Skills

[r4e]

A loose inflator elbow that is trailing a stream of bubbles is a HUGE RED FLAG, but since you don't have eyes in the back of your head, you will most likely miss it.

My Solo Dive Intsructor gave very simple advice for this: just turn on your back and watch for any extra bubbles above you. This is my bubble check at the beginning of a solo dive, and, if suspicious of anything, I perform this check later in the dive as well.

 

[DevonDiver]

Quite simply.... practice to safely complete every dive, regardless of what may occur.

Open Water skills. Scuba 101. Make sure they are immediate and instinctive. Make sure you can apply every single one of them whilst otherwise heavily task-loaded.

Add to that... self-rescue skills and effective use of whatever redundant air source you choose to equip yourself with.

So..basically... 20 OW skills, plus 6 Rescue Diver skills, plus using redundant air.

Keep it simple... but aim for excellence.

 

[Dive-aholic]

My Solo Dive Intsructor gave very simple advice for this: just turn on your back and watch for any extra bubbles above you. This is my bubble check at the beginning of a solo dive, and, if suspicious of anything, I perform this check later in the dive as well.

Or carry a compact mirror. It's what I used to do when I was backmount and what I teach my solo students. Turning upside down will work for larger leaks, but you won't find the pin hole leaks that way.