Solo quandary

[redacted]

Divers think of a buddy as a pack mule carrying all of their extra gear. Forget all of that, all you need is a swimsuit, flippers, mask, tank and regulator. Oh heck toss in a big knife and deco gauge if you want to be fancy. You are good to go.

N, simple is good

oh, so your wife dives too!

 

[craracer]

Thanks Tom: I'm working on making a tentative set of rules and procedures for myself (mental list) and your input is helpful.

I take this approach to all of my diving: I dive every dive as if I was the only person around for 100 nautical miles.

I appreciate everyone's help. I would prefer to learn from others mistakes/experiences, and take in all of the advice for the purposes of developing my own 'style'.

 

[Nemrod]

oh, so your wife dives too!

Nah, she don't dive:

Actually she is quite a capable diver, far better than most who think they are good, Y certified 1979. But, when she dives with me, I am the pack mule, lol. You actually think Nemrod would be married to a woman who cannot dive, fly and climb mountains, nah, wouldn't happen.

N

 

[BWDscott]

I started solo diving out of pure necessity. As a DM leading groups, I would be the first one off the boat, in order to set the float ball, on whatever site we were diving. Many times I would be at 60 - 80 ft waiting for the group to drop down on me. I would hover around the line... thoroughly enjoying the tranquility and pristine conditions. The first few times, I thought nothing of it. As it became more regular, I realized I didn't want to have to depend on help if I was going to have to wait for it to arrive from above. I added a redundant air supply (19cf pony) and sharpened my predive checklist to double check everything. My skills and confidence were never an issue. (serious self examination will tell you if you are ready). I dive solo on a regular basis now. When done properly, solo is some of the best diving possible.

 

[ZzzKing]

Nah, she don't dive:

That's a very colorful BC she's got there!

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

I too have not been impressed with any of the solo diver books. Most of it is obvious stuff that any experienced diver should be able to quickly figure out. It's just some guy trying to make money off his hobby by writting a book. Heck, not that I'm all that, but I even considered writing a solo diver book myself years ago. One rainy afternoon, I gave it serious thought (I even went as far as to create a chapter outline). Then, I realized that there really just isn't that much to write about. Most of it would just be an expansion of that which divers should already know. And, it just isn't necessary. Are there any books on solo hiking, solo mountain biking, solo flying, solo boating? No...

I too agree that if you're diving off a charter boat, that's not 'full' solo. If there are other divers in the water that can pull you out and evac you, then you're not fully on your own. Neither is Instructing a class. As little as you may think of divers in training, don't forget some of them are Doctors, Police Officers, Firefighters, Nurses and just Joe Plumber. Dispite being a neophytes to diving, anyone of them has a good shot at getting you to the surface if you have some unexpected health issue. (And, they all have octos from which you can share air.)

Just like OW, AOW, Rescue courses, there are varying degrees of solo. There's everything from same ocean diving off the back of a charter boat, the lowest level of solo, to being far from shore with no boats around and having the weather and sea conditions turn on you, conditions where if you can't make it back on your own, you aren't coming back. There's also 'cave' solo, etc. In that wide range, there's lots of room for people with different threasholds of risk tolerance.

As much as I enjoy solo diving, I will never get solo certified. First, it just isn't necessary. And, second (this may sound egotistical), but I absolutely refuse to take a solo diver course from an Instructor that in all likelyhood has less solo diving experience than I do. Their 'stamp of approval' would have no value to me and just as likely no one else either, including dive ops which is the only place you need it to begin with.

BTW, did I mention that all you solo divers are gonna die. Unless, you read my book of course...

 

[craracer]

Well, your book should be the first on my list for purchase

Thanks for the replies everyone

 

[jvevea]

...compared to the solo community.

Now there's an oxymoron made in heaven!

I find myself in the rare position of agreeing with Nemrod (who, in general, places way too little importance on redundancy, IMHO). If I felt constrained to limit myself to freediving depths, the rule of thirds, diving only in places with which I was thoroughly familiar, etc., I wouldn't do half the dives that I do.

At least here in the Monterey Bay area, the idea of needing a C card for solo diving is pretty laughable. If you are known on the boats, you can dive solo if you so choose.

 

[Nemrod]

That's a very colorful BC she's got there!

She has four BCs, a Dacor horsecollar, the old SeaTec she has there, an Extreme Elle which is custom modified with a metal mini backplate and she often can use one of my BP/wing units. For some reason, she likes that one best, neither of us are into black, we are from Louisiana, not New York. Once upon a time she had an outfit that matched it, long worn out.

N

 

[Darnold9999]

A couple of points.

The card is useful when diving from some charters/liveaboards. Probably its only utility but they want to cover themselves and I can't blame them. Yes you can separate yourself from your buddy after entering the water, but the card just makes it easy.

I don't get the "you can't solo from a charter". If I am in the water at 80 feet and the nearest diver can't be seen, how am I not diving solo??? Yes if I can manage to get to the surface I will have someone nearby to help but up until that point I am on my own.

How is that any different than me diving from my own boat with someone on board?