I realize this is a somewhat taboo topic amongst divers but nonetheless is it is something a number of divers do (or are seriously considering doing) and therefore should be addressed. I realize I don’t have a tremendous amount of dives under my weight belt, but a bulk of my dives are from solo diving so I feel at least somewhat qualified to write this post. If you are planning to solo dive, overall your best bet is to actually take a solo-diving course; but this isn’t offered by many certifying agencies (in fact I only know of 1), nor is it offered in many areas-so taking the course simply may not be an option. My purpose in writing this post isn’t to encourage people to solo dive but simply to provide some helpful information to those seriously considering doing it.
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So how many dives should you have before you solo dive? Simply put, there is no definitive answer. Although 50 is a good answer (and 100 is probably a better answer) it really all comes down to when you genuinely feel confident/comfortable enough to do it. Note that I said “confident” as opposed to “arrogant”. Confidence is something genuine that is founded on actual abilities/attributes whereas arrogance is founded on, well, nothing...except egotism. Don’t “cook the books” so to speak. That is, don’t justify a predetermined desirable conclusion--assess yourself honestly and accurately and take into account the opinion of other divers who are familiar with you as a diver. Before getting too caught up in your number of dives, realize that not all divers are created equal, as some divers are fitter than others, more intelligent, less prone to panic etc. Thus “diver A” after 50 dives may be better than “diver B” after 100. Realize also that accruing 100 dives over the course of 10 years is completely different from accruing 50 dives over the course of a year. It is probably the case that some divers, no matter how many dives they’ve amassed, are so absent-minded/unfit that they shouldn’t even be diving at all-let alone by themselves. So again, there is no “magic” number that means you’re ready; only you can decide when/if it is something you feel you can safely do.
I should point out that, even if you have reached a point where you are highly adept, there is always the possibility of passing out, having a heart attack, an embolism, a strong surge slamming your head against a rock, being shocked/bitten/stung etc. While being a good diver greatly decreases the likelihood of ending up in one of these situations, should you find yourself in one of them it may difficult/impossible to get out.
Starting Solo Diving
So lets say you feel you are at that point, now what? Although there is no way to make solo diving devoid of danger, there are nonetheless a number of precautions you can to take to minimize the possibility of disaster. Solo diving isn’t radically different from buddy diving, but there are extra precautions which need to be taken since, should trouble arise, there’s nobody (or nobuddy, rather) to help you out.
Mental Preparation
You should be of sound mind when solo diving. This means if you’re feeling paranoid about the dive, or highly depressed/stressed because of something going on in your life then it’s best not to dive. How relaxed/calm you are has a huge impact on all facets of diving; from underwater decision-making to air consumption—so again, if you are feeling cognitively bad (or recovering from an illness) it’s best to avoid the dive. To help with relaxation during the dive, you should be completely familiar with your equipment and hone your basic scuba skills such as replacing a spit-out regulator, switching to your octo, clearing your reg via blowing into it and using the purge button, getting a bc on/off on the surface and underwater etc. The more second-nature these tasks become the more confident you will feel and the less likely it will be that catastrophe will occur. During the dive, you will need to keep constant track of your air, depth, surroundings etc.
Situational preparation
Only solo dive when conditions are favorable. Although aborting a dive due to conditions definitely sucks, it sucks way less than ending up injured or dead. A solo dive is not the time to push your limits—if you don’t feel comfortable getting into the water, then don’t. Only solo dive where you have dove before (or at least thoroughly snorkeled). It’s very important to be familiar with the conditions/terrain of a site you are diving alone—the last thing you want is to end up in a current you didn’t know existed, or stranded on rocks you didn’t know were there. Even if you’re at a site you’ve dove before, talk to other divers/life guards as they may have important information about the site that you’re unaware of. So again, know the site well before attempting it by yourself. When you are preparing to start your dive, it’s a good idea to give a friend/family member a call and let them know you are headed to the water and that if they don’t hear from you in an hour (or hour and ½, or 2 hours or however long your dive ought to last) that something is wrong and you need help. I would also say that, until you have become VERY adept at solo diving you shouldn’t attempt wreck dives, deep dives, or night dives.
Equipmental preparation
You should have these items even if you’re buddy diving, but they are a definite must-have when solo-diving: a whistle, surface signaling device such as a sausage and a reel with a dive flag-float attachment. Aside from these items there are a number of redundant items you need to have as well. I, for example, carry 2 cutting tools (a knife and a pair of cutting shears). You should have both because some situations are better rectified with a knife, others with shears...plus there’s always the possibility that one of you cutting tools could break, be lost, dropped in a state of panic, etc. Two compasses. While in some areas a compass isn’t of the utmost importance, here in SoCal where vis is often 5-15ft, I find myself using it often. In the event that a compass jams, cracks, gets dropped etc., you will want a spare. Carry a spare mask and spare fin strap. I would advise upgrading to spring straps as they are much more convenient and stronger than conventional straps; but even a spring strap could break, so have a spare just in case. A back-up independent air supply is an absolute must! Realize that an octo does not constitute a back-up air source! An octo is fine in the event of second stage failure, but will do you absolutely no good if your first-stage fails or you run out of air. SpareAir is one option but they offer a paltry 3cuft of air. If your at say, 50 ft (and haven’t been there for too long), this will be adequate to get you to the surface. But if you are down deep and/or are in need of safety stop, 3cuft ain’t gonna cut it. Your better bet would be a pony bottle of some sort; preferably 10cuft or bigger. Note also, that spare air retails for $300. I was able to get a 10cuft pony, aqualung calypso 1st/2nd stage reg and the Pony Tamer for $310—a pony really is overall the better way to go.
In short, buddy diving is the ideal way to go. But it’s not always possible to find one, find a qualified one, match-up schedules etc. Again, buddy diving is best, but if you are going to solo dive, take the precautions prescribed above as well as any others that I may have missed that will no doubt be posted.
