Solo... novice training?

[Gary D.]

What I am looking for is confidence under water (which I lack but really want). The problem I have is that when I do go to practice skills (alone) I am almost always met with disapproving looks by "pairs" of divers going down the hill to enter the water. I get the impression that I am being irresponsible in some way by diving without a buddy. Honestly, I feel irresponsible if I DONT do this (practice)... being so close and having the opportunity. We are taught to ALWAYS dive with a buddy. Am I being irresponsible by not diving/ training with a buddy?

Relating this to what I do is JOB SECURITY.

Gary D.

 

[mudhole]

I can't agree with hardly any of that ... you're welcome to believe it if you like, but I don't. Then again, I enjoy solo diving ... had some of my best photo dives soloing.
On the other hand, I'm a dive instructor. And as an instructor I often dive with very inexperienced divers who require a considerable amount of my mental bandwidth while underwater. From a pure risk analysis perspective, I'm far more at risk of an accident when diving with those people than I am when I'm alone ... and able to devote my total attention to what I'm doing.... and I seriously doubt you have a good many friends with 50000 dives ... in order to achieve that level you'd need to log 1,000 dives a year for 50 years and I don't think that's even possible ... so perhaps that was a typo.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Yes, too many zero's, I have several friends that have logged over 5,000 dives. And 5,000 dives is not too hard to achieve when you've been diving since the '60's, and the only divers from that era that kept logs were the instructors that keep records for the insurance record.

I agree that for many of us, the greatest danger is working with new divers that can be very unpredictable. I also shoot pictures underwater, but to keep other divers from running off, I particularly focus on divers in my pictures. . . keeps them close just to see themselves.

Bob, you have been a source for your area for many years, and you are not in the same risk group, as new divers wanting to find a "card" to make them solo divers. When you complete a solo dive, I'm sure you know where you're at, where you've been, the conditions that fit in your "normal" dive. And , when those "normal" conditions change to dangerous conditions. The recent deaths of the football players, that went out in the morning with calm conditions then died when the conditions turned bad. Only with a lot of experience, could a new diver call the trip early and return to shore before facing changing conditions.

If my last post was too strong, I apologize, My experience has been that experience, lots of experience, count more than extra equipment, or an extra plastic cards.

 

[rstofer]

If my last post was too strong, I apologize, My experience has been that experience, lots of experience, count more than extra equipment, or an extra plastic cards.

I don't believe it was nearly strong enough! This is such a bad idea...

A beginner, with so little training, essentially zero experience and still trying to become comfortable in the water has absolutely no justification for solo diving. The very reason the OP is doing the dives is the reason for NOT doing them!

Is that blunt enough?

Richard

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I don't believe it was nearly strong enough! This is such a bad idea...

A beginner, with so little training, essentially zero experience and still trying to become comfortable in the water has absolutely no justification for solo diving. The very reason the OP is doing the dives is the reason for NOT doing them!

Is that blunt enough?

Richard

Well, yes ... but I believe most of us gave the same message without having to be blunt (and I also believe the OP heard us). I think almost all of us would agree that solo diving is a bad idea for someone with little experience, modest skills, and building self-confidence ... and that attempting solo under those conditions is risky behavior.

It's been my experience that people will tend to hear and pay attention more to advice that is delivered constructively and with rational reasoning than they will to "you're gonna die" messages. Took me a while to learn this, but "blunt" just doesn't translate very well on the Internet ... and sometimes does more harm than good ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[rstofer]

Well, yes ... but I believe most of us gave the same message without having to be blunt (and I also believe the OP heard us). I think almost all of us would agree that solo diving is a bad idea for someone with little experience, modest skills, and building self-confidence ... and that attempting solo under those conditions is risky behavior.

I don't like 'blunt' either! The only reason I posted such an adamant response is that there appeared to be a couple of posts that made it seem like it might be ok. In the context of a New Diver forum, I found that surprising.

I agree the vast majority of responses indicated it was a very bad idea. Surprisingly, not all...

Richard

 

[bigken462]

Lots of advice here bud. My advice as I've learned the hard way - can the e-diving and come dive with us, and save this stuff for stormy Mondays..... While BM2.0, myself and a few others do tend to do a few deeper dives than what may be considered safe for your experience right now, doesn't mean we can't take time for some fun recreational dives. Heck, most of my dives are w/i rec limits, but practicing for other complex dives. Normally I dive doubles, drysuit and such, so if you don't mind swimming a lil slower, i'm game to buddy up with you from time to time.

PM Rita or myself and we'll set something up. The water is cold right now, so plan on a 7 mill for a few short dives rather than long ones. No need to go solo bud. It's a great thing to do when the time is right, but you need a foundation of experience to fall upon if something goes sour - at some point something WILL go sour, I promise.

Our only requirement is: If your an engineer in anyway; shape, form or fashion. You are only allowed to tell us ONE time per day!!!!!And then only if it pertains to diving. lol.

 

[drdaddy]

Plan your dive and dive your plan.

I'd rather go solo than with an "instant" buddy.

If you go solo then yes, make sure that you have a full redundant air supply AND plan to be very conservative (shallow depth, not too far from shores, avoid entanglements, etc.).

It's not something to take lightly of but at the same time, it's not all doom and gloom either.

I generally agree with what you wrote.

However, back to the question - Carjack is NOT READY to solo dive.

And we have not heard from Carjack for some time. Carjack - are you listening?

drdaddy

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Actually, I heard from him just yesterday ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Diveral]

Our only requirement is: If your an engineer in anyway; shape, form or fashion. You are only allowed to tell us ONE time per day!!!!!And then only if it pertains to diving. lol.

Darn Ken you cut me, you cut me deep man!!! That's what you get when you dive with the Huntsville crowd. You can't swing a cat without hitting a dozen engineers. That's it, you are now off the U-boat divers list!!! Except for that last part I thought the rest of your advice was pretty good.

OK Carjack I count at least 4 divers that invited you to dive BW with them. So shoot us some PMs and lets go diving.

AL

 

[bamamedic]

Diveral, we aren't talking about you, but about this random engineer from Georgia (I think) who likes to announce every thirty seconds, "I'm an engineer"

It's all good, though...