Solo-Friendly Charters?

[farsidefan1]

On the Palau Aggressor I was assigned a buddy but he informed me he was an avid photographer and said as long as we were in the same ocean and went down and came up on the same day /night he would consider me the ideal buddy. I'd say I pretty much solo dove the entire week but I didn't go off on my own wandering around. Perhaps if I had done so they would have restricted me.

 

[Wookie]

With one of the operators we have a secret protocol where he gives me a 15 minute advance warning before reaching destination. Consequently I splash into water just as he lowers the anchor. This gives me 20-30 minutes of solitude before the other divers have kitted and catch up. Plus, I can enjoy a longer dive as well.

I would be smoking hot pissed off if I had paid to go on a boat and the operator gave one of his buddies a half-hour to scare away all the fish before I had a chance to see them.

 

[r4e]

I would be smoking hot pissed off if I had paid to go on a boat and the operator gave one of his buddies a half-hour to scare away all the fish before I had a chance to see them.

In this case it is quite the opposite. I am a videographer and move quite stealthily with a proper trim and controlled frog kicks and glide. My main target is to capture wreck scenery. With the silt on wrecks and clay on the bottom, one can see the sand/silt cloud approaching as ten PADI finners uncaringly stir the bottom. Visibility drops from the original 10-20 meters to less than half in just a few minutes. As a Cave diver I do not stir the silt. I simply would not continue to bring repeat business to this or any other operator if I was forced to dive amidst a sand cloud.

 

[vladimir]

I would be smoking hot pissed off if I had paid to go on a boat and the operator gave one of his buddies a half-hour to scare away all the fish before I had a chance to see them.

A divemaster in Phuket used to do the same thing for me. She knew my dive would be 20-minutes longer than everybody else's, so she let me get in early. I do see your point though.

 

[Akimbo]

Just found another one:

Explorer Ventures
Liveaboard
Maldives | Bahamas | Galapagos | Saba/St. Kitts/St. Maarten | Turks & Caicos | Silver Bank
Explorer Ventures Liveaboard Diving: Solo Diving

 

[Stealth Mode]

Megaladon Charters Venice Fl does everything else others DONT,you are encouraged to dive solo,they track you by your flag.They also want you to touch everything.Average depth of dive is 30 feet.Sharks teeth and fossils are the prize.

 

[KevinG58]

Truth Aquatics out of Santa Barbara, day trips and extended, 2-4 days. A couple or three times a year a 5 day (usually those are to San Clemente island). If you have the coin you can run your charter for longer. They don't mind a bit. The Captains and crew members solo occasionally.

Monterey Express out of Monterey, day trips only. Last I dove with them a year ago they were OK with solo. Not my favorite boat though, the folks above have spoiled me, and the Express consistently anchors in the midst of heavy kelp; I prefer to drop and then swim into the kelp. Maybe that's just me.

 

[Akimbo]

Thanks, the Express was covered in Post #3 in a little more detail.

... Not my favorite boat though, the folks above have spoiled me, and the Express consistently anchors in the midst of heavy kelp; I prefer to drop and then swim into the kelp. Maybe that's just me.

I think it depends a lot on the time of year and location. Monterey’s submarine topography has a lot of tall reefs and pinnacles. All the boats try to set anchors near the shallow/top so divers can use it to find the sweet spots. Otherwise divers tend to wander off into the sand and get too deep. The kelp canopy in late summer and into fall can make it an “in the kelp” or “miss the pinnacle” option. The Channel Islands tend to have broader and shorter reefs plus less dense kelp. Nobody prefers to anchor inside a kelp bed without a good reason.

Funny you should make this comment. I was in Monterey about 2 weeks ago and we were “brain-storming” on ways to get an independent down-line close to the stern. The main objective was for a disabled diver program we are working on, but the anchor line makes a lousy downline anyway. It jerks hard with the boat in sloppy seas and is a PITA to swim to against the current, especially lugging a large camera.

The logistics of setting and recovering a downline with buoy and drift line is bad enough. Keeping the stern anywhere close to it with the California’s Central Coast’s schizophrenic winds and currents makes it pretty challenging.

---------- Post Merged on October 2nd, 2012 at 08:54 AM ---------- Previous Post was on October 1st, 2012 at 09:15 AM ----------

I received this by E-mail from Aquacat Cruises this morning:

“We don’t require you to dive with a buddy if you are solo certified.”

www.aquacatcruises.com

 

[KevinG58]

Oh yes, I understand trying to land on the prime spot. I just don't recall consistently landing in such ung~dly mats of kelp with anyone else in Montery. But I haven't gone out with anyone else (in Monterey) since a couple of years before Cypress Sea closed up shop. Maybe old-timers setting in.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Just about every boat in So Cal I have been in has been solo friendly. They provide a taxi service, a briefing and assistance boarding after the dive. Great Escape, Sundiver, Magician, Spectre to name a few. I believe the practice extended to most other boats there. They will state you can solo if qualified, but don't ask for a card.