Solo in 20 ft dangerous?

[redacted]

You might want to add a backup cutting tool lika a pair of shears.

 

[biz_nate]

One thing I forgot to mention, in regards to the whole g/f thing- mine is a certified OW diver, and aware of the inherent risks. She also understands my current level of training, and the sorts of situations that I've been taught to handle. Armed with that knowledge, I know her decision is educated and her feelings justified. It doesn't sound as though your girlfriend is as well educated about scuba, so you may have some room to work with. If you can convince her (using truthful argmunents, not rhetoric) that she needn't worry, and give her some reading about the sport, she may come around. She likely won't, but it's worth a shot if this is something you really want to pursue.

Do you have any reason to dive solo besides not having a buddy?

 

[Tigerman]

One thing I forgot to mention, in regards to the whole g/f thing- mine is a certified OW diver, and aware of the inherent risks. She also understands my current level of training, and the sorts of situations that I've been taught to handle. Armed with that knowledge, I know her decision is educated and her feelings justified. It doesn't sound as though your girlfriend is as well educated about scuba, so you may have some room to work with. If you can convince her (using truthful argmunents, not rhetoric) that she needn't worry, and give her some reading about the sport, she may come around. She likely won't, but it's worth a shot if this is something you really want to pursue.

Do you have any reason to dive solo besides not having a buddy?

She is also a member of this forum IIRC?

The statement ive bolded out is also a very good and valid question.
Not having a buddy might be one reason, but do you have other reasons as well?
Personally, I had other reasons when I started diving solo than the fact that I dont really have anyone around that can go diving when I can (and few thats certified at all).

EDIT: Another thing to consider is if the increased risks are worth it to you and if you are willing to carry that risk, if push comes to shove..

 

[biz_nate]

...just because you dive with a buddy does not mean that you are being safer than those who dive solo. Some people do not recognize a dangerous sitation when they see it and some people are much more likely to create a crisis situation than others.

I hear this argument a lot. Particularly in the context of Instructors/DMs leading groups of students- in those situations, you're not only responsible for yourself, but those in your charge. While I can agree with that in part, it's still a good thing to have that extra tank and reg there with a friend when you need it. I'd much rather fin 15 ft to reach a delinquent buddy than do a 100 ft CESA in an OOA situation. And I think it'll be a comforting feeling to have that extra set of eyes when I think it's time to switch to my deco gas. More than one person has been killed by breathing the wrong gas at the wrong depth...

 

[Nemrod]

Radical as it may seem some of us don't agree with the idea that solo diving is by definition more dangerous--more dangerous than what?

That said, it never hurts to go slow, build experince and stay with a buddy system until you have a bit more diveing under your belt.

No, by itself, solo is not "more" dangerous--it is all that other stuff that determines danger, solo or not.

N

 

[biz_nate]

She is also a member of this forum IIRC?

The statement ive bolded out is also a very good and valid question.

She is not, unofrtunately. I wish she'd read more, but then again I'm sure she wishes I'd be more involved in some of her activities as well She enjoys scuba, but it's not as high a priority for her as it is to me.

I think the question above would be the defining issue for me. If it were just a matter of not having a buddy, I'd drop the issue with the g/f. I have others reasons for desiring to pursue the activity, but have decided to drop the issue anyway. At least for now. There's always room for minds to change in the future...

 

[Tigerman]

I hear this argument a lot. Particularly in the context of Instructors/DMs leading groups of students- in those situations, you're not only responsible for yourself, but those in your charge. While I can agree with that in part, it's still a good thing to have that extra tank and reg there with a friend when you need it. I'd much rather fin 15 ft to reach a delinquent buddy than do a 100 ft CESA in an OOA situation. And I think it'll be a comforting feeling to have that extra set of eyes when I think it's time to switch to my deco gas. More than one person has been killed by breathing the wrong gas at the wrong depth...

I dont think I would consider CESA a very probable thing to do from that deep, so yeah, Id much rather have an extra tank of air on me or a buddy there. Also, 100 feet is a long way to keep your ascent rate down and blow bubbles..
I dive very conservatively when solo and changing a plan during the dive is something I DONT DO, when solo...

 

[maskinut]

Great feedback all around. I have a penchant for sports considered dangerous and compared to things like car racing, Freestyle skiing and DH ski racing solo scuba as described above seems a managable risk, even it a catastrophic equip failure occurs. In the above sports an equipment failue is often more difficult to resolve. A mental failure is even more costly. The big truth in anything new is not knowing what you don't know. That is definately true in Scuba for me. In my head, diving in 20 feet of friendly water is a good way to solve an unknown issue in easy water. before you learn in deep water.

I'll check out the solo board. THNX
Thanks All

 

[PlayaCountryBoy]

I dove solo all the time. When I was DM in Florida, I had to dive down solo and atatch the anchor rope to the wreck or bridge rubble, in Indonesia, I had to dive down solo befoer each dive to check the conditions, personally. I would come up and then give the briefing. Keep in mind I had 45-75 year old divers aboard, and we had a 4+ current on each dive....so we HAD to check! Solo is no big deal so long as you know how to do a controlled swimming ascent. :14:

 

[diversteve]

fwiw, SDI issues a Solo diving certificate. The requirements are 100 dives, a Pony and some advanced certifications. (not sure which ones) It's likely they know what they're doing.

For me one of the big considerations is the effect it would have on other people. How much do you value your g/f's feelings? making her worry about you while you're doing this... And should the worst happen, although you won't care any longer, think of the guilt you're leaving your g/f and buddies with.

Plus realistically how would they even know you were in trouble. And if they did see your signal, in the 10mins. it took to get the boat, you could easily drown. Not to mention the fact that if you're caught on something (like your line has coiled around your legs and a rock) your buddies now have to risk their lives to freedive down to cut you loose.

And later the PD divers have to risk theirs to recover your body.

There was a funny post here awhile back about an incident that happened in a lake a while back. A solo diver was surfacing up alongside an old bouy when it somehow became entangled around him w/o his knowledge. As he continued up it tightened around him so he couldn't reach back down to get the knife strapped to his leg since the buoy was holding him up vertically. Fortunately he yanked hard on it and the rope broke. He said that was the closest he ever came to drowning in four feet of water. Things happen...

Logically if this was such a great idea, why don't you see more people doing it?

And I solo dive at least once per trip. I shoot u/w video so a lot of my dives become that inadvertenly anyway.

Somebody here has a tagline that reads (appropriately):

At 20 dives I thought I knew all there was to know about diving. At 100 dives I realized how little I actually knew.