Solo diving

[Rebelmarine62]

I now this a sore subject. But I have looked for people and posted on ny and pa forums on here but can not find a buddy. I have asked at dive shops but everyone wants money to dive with the shop. I love to dive and have all my gear. I'm comfortable in the water. So I'm gonna dive alone. I'm goin to start in shallow waters 20 to 30 ft of water until I can afford a bailout tank and reg. I live in nw pa so ill be diving in quarry's were there isn't current or rough water. I live close to erie so wants I get a lot of shallow dives in ill prob work my way to dive wrecks in erie eventually. Hopefully ill find some buddies as I start my career but I'm sick of not being able to dive because of money and no buddy. Just posting this to see if others have ran into this problem and get some thoughts maybe ideas

 

[bbarnett51]

I've dive solo 90% of the time. Redundant gear and comfort in the water are crucial. But quite frankly I dive to get away from the stesses of everyday life and I want to be alone and enjoy the water by myself.... crucify me.

 

[drrich2]

If your dive count is accurate, you're proceeding into dangerous waters with very limited experience.

If you proceed with this, I highly recommend you get a copy of the SDI Solo Diver manual. Reading it will confront you with some of the risk factors involved. Yes, a fully redundant air source (e.g.: pony bottle with separate reg.) is needful, but did you know if your mask strap breaks while you're diving deep & cold, that very cold water hitting your face could trigger a panic? And that it's recommended you always have a spare mask in your BCD pocket for just such an eventuality?

I did a solo dive at a local quarry in southwestern KY last week to test out some new gear and my temperature tolerance. 91 Feet max., hung out around that depth a little while, later found out it was 44 degrees. That would be some cold water if my mask sudden fell off my face.

Similarly, you need to remain cool heading & think through problems if your BCD bladder ruptures, or your reg. malfunctions, etc... People carry cutting tools in case they get tangled up in fishing line.

Richard.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I am going to start diving near Slippery Rock on a somewhat regular basis starting this weekend. That's about halfway down 79. In july I'll start hitting Ohio. You need to come to the DAN BBQ at Portage July 20 & 21 and hook up with some of the Ohio Dive Community. I live in SW Pa but am a member of the Ohio Council and can say with all certainty that the Ohio dive community dives. As you are finding out or will find out western pa tends to be cliquish when it comes to diving. Shops try to keep a tight rein on their students and not mingle or encourage them to mingle with others. The one exception I have found is Downey Diving in Baden Pa. Bill is a great guy, excellent instructor, and a good friend. I get invited to dive with his group all the time at Strawberry and on their trips that he runs. I have been with him and his wife a few hundred feet back in a flooded tunnel and trust him implicitly.

---------- Post added June 18th, 2013 at 05:54 PM ----------

Rich has point. Erie is not the place to dive solo at your level. The good wrecks are all off shore in 80 - 200 feet of water. I had to do a mask R&R at 80 feet in 38 degree water. Not fun but it is doable if you're totally comfortable in your gear and in the water. If not, stay away from anything in Erie deeper than 30 feet.

 

[tech_diver]

Solo Diving isn't the mortal sin it once was. There are a number of training courses available from a few agencies.

You can talk to a solo diving instructor but I suspect he/she will look very hard at your experience level before training you. Also, I believe that the agencies have a minimum number of logged dives before you can take solo training.

In any case, your first step is talk to an instructor but in the mean time, read books and log bottom time.

Being a safe, comfortable, confident solo diver is a worthwhile goal. It makes you the best species of dive buddy.

 

[TMHeimer]

Can't add much to what Rich says. Yes, I had the same problem that you have starting out. Still do. Location and Canadian gas prices makes 5 hour round trips to go with a buddy difficult. 90% of my shore dives are solo and I try to limit to 30-35 feet, as I practise a CESA from that depth almost every dive. I'm not at all recommending that for a beginner (though that was my situation on dive #1 (in Florida). It was at Vortex Spring, no current, shallow, couple of classes going on nearby. On the other hand, regardless of how much experience I get, I don't think I will ever go any deeper than that alone. But that's just me.

 

[flots am]

Have you tried this?: ScubaBoard - Scuba Diving Forum - Diving Social Network - Find a Dive Buddy

---------- Post added June 18th, 2013 at 06:17 PM ----------

Sorry for raining on your parade, but I am solo certified and I wouldn't dive in Lake Erie alone. One minute it looks like a postcard from Disney World and the next minute it looks like "The Perfect Storm".

The quarries would be better, but they (at least Dutch) won't let you dive solo without a solo card and a waiver and a transponder so they can recover you.

If you have a local dive shop, then you have local divers and if you work at it, can find people who will dive with you.

Also, check Google Maps. You seem to have local divable water: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Port...=Port+Allegany,+McKean,+Pennsylvania&t=h&z=10 including the Allegheny reservoir and Chautauqua lake (sp?).

flots

 

[Rebelmarine62]

Slippery rock ain't to far three hours away. Would like to tag along when u do go if ya don't mind. There are a couple of shops that dive a lot up here to but everyone wants money. U would think it would be easy to just hook up with someone and dive. But its easier said than done. Also I am not just gonna jump in 40 degree water at 80 feet that's askin for trouble for someone with little dives I said eventually i would work up to erie after I had a lot more experience.

 

[carlcz]

If anyone needs it, I have a copy of Solo Divivg Manual that I will sell shipped CONUS for $10.00, paypal OK.

The book that I have is a new edition (2002, second edition) of :
Solo Diving
"The Art of Underwater Self-Sufficiency", not the SDI manual.

Sorry for any misleading information.

 

[uncfnp]

Solo Diving isn't the mortal sin it once was. There are a number of training courses available from a few agencies.

You can talk to a solo diving instructor but I suspect he/she will look very hard at your experience level before training you. Also, I believe that the agencies have a minimum number of logged dives before you can take solo training.

In any case, your first step is talk to an instructor but in the mean time, read books and log bottom time.

Being a safe, comfortable, confident solo diver is a worthwhile goal. It makes you the best species of dive buddy.

Solo diving isn't taboo but its not for everyone and with that dive count you are no where near ready. SDI Solo Diver requires a minimum of 100 logged dives and there is a good reason for this. But just because you aren't ready now doesn't mean you can't start adopting the mindset and safety practices while working toward that level of independence.

In the mean time, get your AOW and Nitrox certifications. Who knows, you might meet some buddies along the way.