Boogie711:
Divers who operate solo in an overhead environment are similar to free-style rock climbers. They are suicidal risk takers who put the lives of the search and recovery teams at risk for no discernable reward, other than to beat their chest, look down and say "Ha - I did that."
I have been solo wreck diving for the last 19 years, with 2000+ under my belt. Most of my diving is decompression diving with penetration, mostly all up here in the NE off the shore of Long Island and NewJersey. I'm not beating my chest as you claim, I just want to demonstrate that I at least am speaking from experience, not just opinion.
I am not a suicidal risk taker, rather, after weighing the risks I face between diving with a buddy and diving solo, I have made the decision to dive alone most of the time. When you make the decision to enter any overhead environment, you are crossing over into the realm of the technical. You are exposed to greater risk, and a lower tolerance for error or problem. Having a buddy does nothing to change that. You need to be adequately prepared, physicall, mentally, and gear-wise for anything that can happen. In this state, which is what we continuously strive towards, you are a totally independant diver, even if you are with a buddy.
Nobody would argue that in the absence of any problems, a buddy is not NEEDED. Desirable perhaps for various reasons, but not essential. It is the case when a problem occurs that the buddy becomes a usefull tool for the dive. The problem we face as wreck divers, is that having a buddy, in addition to providing amd additional level of backup, is also at the same time a libility underwater. You are at the mercy of the buddy, in terms of their skills and abilities. If they silt out the wreck, you have to find your way back out. If they run out of air, you need to donate yours. If they follow you in and don't know how to get back out, you have to lead them. In a buddy team, each is more likely to rely on each other, and are thus more likely to overextend their own capabilities. In an envirnonment where effective communication is difficult, the possibility of miscommunication , ("I thought you knew where we were going....) is much greater, and introduces additional risk.
When I dive alone, I remain fully aware that the only one there is me. I can rely on nothing that I don't have with me, and only my own knowledge and abilities. I am not subject to the goals and intentions of another, who might do things differently, I can do them the way that works for me the best. I am not subject to the errors, mistakes, or pequipment problems of anyone else, just my own. I have nothing to prove to anyone but myself, and I am not responsible for anyone else's life, just my own.
I don't say that my way is safer or better. I'm not trying to convince you that wreck diving is better accomplished alone than as a part of a buddy team. What I am saying is that there are risks and benefits to both ways, ones that every diver needs to asses and acknowledge for themselves. Only then can you make the decision which way is most appropriate for you. I teach wreck diving in this style. My students learn to be prepared as if they were solo, yet operate as part of a team. They learn a wide variety of techniques, and several different wreck penetration methodologies. They learn to identify risk, evaluate it, and then minimize it. Most of all, they learn to trust in their own abilities, and never, ever attempt to exceed them.
There is always more than one way to view a practice you disagree with. One way is to condemn it without ever understanding it. The other is to invite discussion, to better understand it, and then make a decision for yourself based on the whole picture. As divers, we should keep in mind that we can always learn something from different ideas, even if what we are learning is that the idea is not right for us.
Dive Safe,
Adam
