Solo diving
- Thread starter Mountainturtle
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Extremely difficult to estimate - there isn't even any accurate count of how many divers are "active" or what the "average" number of dives per diver, much less hours per diver or total hours diving there are... but there is one stat available that should be of interest to anyone who considers themselves an "old diver" [me, I'm still a robust 24 year old trapped in the same bod for three decades]. Estimates put the percentage of Scuba fatalities that involve some kind of cardiac problem at about one fourth to as high as one third of all the fatalities - and self rescue during a CVA is a low percentage bet indeed.
Still the "fatalities per diving hour" are extremely low - and your chances of dying while diving solo even if you're a very active solo diver are probably right down there with your chances of getting struck by lightning. But they are additive, and they are not absent.
Rick
Still the "fatalities per diving hour" are extremely low - and your chances of dying while diving solo even if you're a very active solo diver are probably right down there with your chances of getting struck by lightning. But they are additive, and they are not absent.
Rick
Heart attack, cancer, and stroke are the three leading causes of death. It's not surprising they occur while diving. It's not clear to me that diving solo significantly influences the chance that it will occur or the outcome.
People that sell dive insurance must have a good handle on probabilities. DAN probably has the numbers but a quick look didn't reveal them. Anyone care to lend a hand looking?
I still think traveling to the dive site has as much risk. A ton of steel hurtling down the road at 60mph just a few feet from other tons of steel hurtling in the opposite direction. Oh yeah, they are both filled with highly flammable liquids.
In 1997 there were 43,200 deaths from driving a car among the 181,700,000 american drivers. I think people drive about 12000 miles per year. Assuming an average speed of say 40mph that would be roughly 1.3 million hours of driving per death. An average Joe probably drives for about 50 years or 15,000 hours in a lifetime. About 1 in 84 people dies driving a car, according to these numbers.
(http://www.isis-online.org/publications/tab2.html)
Anybody care to take a stab at scuba diving?
People that sell dive insurance must have a good handle on probabilities. DAN probably has the numbers but a quick look didn't reveal them. Anyone care to lend a hand looking?
I still think traveling to the dive site has as much risk. A ton of steel hurtling down the road at 60mph just a few feet from other tons of steel hurtling in the opposite direction. Oh yeah, they are both filled with highly flammable liquids.
In 1997 there were 43,200 deaths from driving a car among the 181,700,000 american drivers. I think people drive about 12000 miles per year. Assuming an average speed of say 40mph that would be roughly 1.3 million hours of driving per death. An average Joe probably drives for about 50 years or 15,000 hours in a lifetime. About 1 in 84 people dies driving a car, according to these numbers.
(http://www.isis-online.org/publications/tab2.html)
Anybody care to take a stab at scuba diving?
Warhammer
Guest
I also occassionally dive solo. That is with other divers in the area. As others have mentioned, I only do so in areas that I know well. But I routinely dive solo with a group and like NetDoc, I perfer it that way if there is nobody on the dive that I'm familiar with.
On the gear removal skill. I still do it occassionally on dives where there isn't much else to do except practice skills. The most resent time being the last weekend I dove in the local quarry. Also practice no mask swims and finds, and alot of the other skills. Quarry diving tends to be good for that type stuff, cause once you've seen it, you've seen it.
On the gear removal skill. I still do it occassionally on dives where there isn't much else to do except practice skills. The most resent time being the last weekend I dove in the local quarry. Also practice no mask swims and finds, and alot of the other skills. Quarry diving tends to be good for that type stuff, cause once you've seen it, you've seen it.
Hiya.
Where I live, recreational diving without a buddy is fobidden by law. Anyway- I wouldn't want to go dive alone, if only for the reason that if I fall asleep I'll need someone to wake me
Where I live, recreational diving without a buddy is fobidden by law. Anyway- I wouldn't want to go dive alone, if only for the reason that if I fall asleep I'll need someone to wake me
Liquid, those are exactly the types of laws and restrictions we'd like to avoid. What are the consequences of getting caught 
Just my luck, I'd get arrested for diving! LOL
Just my luck, I'd get arrested for diving! LOLYou can have your certificate confescated...
(see my thread "recreational diving law" for a bit more details).
(see my thread "recreational diving law" for a bit more details).
So am I to assume that not only you are required to have your C-Card nearby, but they also contact the certifying agency as well? What's to stop you from saying you lost it and ordering a new one?
:mean: oh well.
It's a bit more complicated, and there are hardly ever cases of people getting caught doing it, but they will take the gear from you, contact the diving center where you hired/filled tank and confescate your certificate. Anyway- It is hardly a problem, becouse diving alone here is very unpopular.
It's a bit more complicated, and there are hardly ever cases of people getting caught doing it, but they will take the gear from you, contact the diving center where you hired/filled tank and confescate your certificate. Anyway- It is hardly a problem, becouse diving alone here is very unpopular.
terrydarc
Guest
Liquid,
Just curious, but where do you live that it's illegal?
I'm way, way too new to comment on the advisability of diving solo. I sure wouldn't do it now after 22 dives, but it seems to me it's kind of a twofold question. One is a) whether it's a good idea or not (and would have many answers) and II) is it morally, ethically ok to dive alone?
To part a) I would not hazard a guess except to think to myself that it's a pretty complicated question, depending on many conditions, personal, situational and environmental. To part II) it seems to me you get to do what you want with your own life. Like smoking is way, way stupider than diving alone (IMO) but I wouldn't make it illegal.
Terry
Just curious, but where do you live that it's illegal?
I'm way, way too new to comment on the advisability of diving solo. I sure wouldn't do it now after 22 dives, but it seems to me it's kind of a twofold question. One is a) whether it's a good idea or not (and would have many answers) and II) is it morally, ethically ok to dive alone?
To part a) I would not hazard a guess except to think to myself that it's a pretty complicated question, depending on many conditions, personal, situational and environmental. To part II) it seems to me you get to do what you want with your own life. Like smoking is way, way stupider than diving alone (IMO) but I wouldn't make it illegal.
Terry
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