Solo

[Fishkiller]

I voted no option, as I think that as a diver gets more and more into "tech" diving the more and more individual it becomes, yes you do go with other people but on a whole egos get in the way and everyone ends up solo...

now that being said I have dove alone myself. was tied to the end of 50' rope...The rock wasn't heavy enough to hold me down

 

[TexasMike]

Fishkiller once bubbled...
now that being said I have dove alone myself. was tied to the end of 50' rope...The rock wasn't heavy enough to hold me down

I have always wondered where you stowed your shears.


For conversation sake, let's not forget our corps of divemasters out there in the world. In classes, they are often the ones who go set the floats out on the platforms. On dive boats, they are the ones who tie off on the wreck or mooring line so the rest of us can get down and have fun.

Generally these are solo dives.

We've gone around this dead horse bush before on Solo diving. And each time I believe the consensus is that those that will venture solo

• do so only at sites they are very familiar with
• stay relatively shallow
• are fairly experienced divers (know their skills and equipment well)
• have and carry the equipment necessary to address any contigencies that might arise (especially entanglements and out of air situations)
• respect the risk that solo diving presents and don't push any limits

 

[Rockhound]

although I don't think it's for all divers. As someone said, DIVING isn't for everyone.

I made research dives in college that pretty much required solo work, but these were tended dives (but with only "line pulls" for surface communication).

These days, I'm into U/W photography. Even "with a buddy" usually another photographer, I am diving the SOB system (same ocean buddy). Watch any group of photographers on a boat and they are pretty much diving this way.

(If I am spearfishing, btw, I WILL NOT go solo, because of the entanglement hazards, among others....But, I usually free dive when I carry my gun, anyway)

I don't go usually go solo off charter boats, mainly because these are charters with RULES. But, I have had buddies on these charter trips that were probably more dangerous for me than diving alone.

Off private boats, I sometimes go solo, but I will not go without another diver on the boat. I think this is safer than having both of us go down and leave the boat untended. Boats go adrift or sink, and sometimes the current will change and force you to make an ascent away from the boat. It is more than just convenient to have someone on the boat who can come get you if things get to rough or if you are having a problem.

I've never thought about a depth limit, although I never dive deco or in "overhead" conditions. On my last solo dives, about a month ago, my max depth was 70', which is about the average max for me. I seriously doubt I would plan a solo dive much deeper than that....

Final thought: Solo diving is more dangerous than buddy diving. That's a given. But, I don't think it is more dangerous than many forms of deep, wreck and cavern diving, often practiced by those who think solo divers are taking unecessary risks and refuse to acknowledge it can be done with reasonable safety.

I understand the dangers and try to reduce the risks, but recognize the dangers remain. For some, solo divers are idiots (I used to think that way), but in the case of a properly trained and equipped diver, I believe solo diving is just another facet of our sport . (Improperly trained, equipped and experienced solo divers are still pretty dumb).

 

[metridium]

Rockhound wrote...
I don't go usually go solo off charter boats, mainly because these are charters with RULES. But, I have had buddies on these charter trips that were probably more dangerous for me than diving alone.

Me too! That's why I started diving solo, in fact. Now I'm to the point I prefer it in familiar waters. Still wish I had a properly trained buddy, though.

Rockhound wrote...
Final thought: Solo diving is more dangerous than buddy diving. That's a given.

Don't forget those danger buddies you mentioned!

But on average, probably.

 

[seabass]

I dive solo when practicing skills down to about 50 ft or so. It just isn't that fun for someone if I am just floating from 35 to 25 and back down in 1 ft increments for an hour.

 

[otter-cat]

I dive solo for the types of dives that TexasMike mentioned, i.e., setting floats for classes and such. These are short duration dives, with other competent divers (usually instructors) at the site on the surface.

I have done a little bit of solo diving in sites that I am very familiar with, with little entanglement hazard present, but there are always other divers on the surface, with emergency equipment on site, who are aware that I am doing a solo dive, and will be keeping an eye out for my return. My solo dives of this nature tend to be short and shallow, and I am extra conservative about everything.

I don't recommend solo diving for anyone who is not extremely comfortable with their gear and the local dive environment. Obviously, anyone attempting to solo dive should be experienced enough that all of their dive skills are very good, and basically perform them as second nature.

Other than the aforementioned float and line setting and retrieving dives, my solo dives are few and far between, and make up a very small percentage of my dives. I prefer to dive with a buddy.

 

[Fishkiller]

TexasMike once bubbled...
I have always wondered where you stowed your shears.

They are zip tied to my inflator hose, so both hands can access them if needed.

 

[Arduous]

I agree with TexasMike except for the stay relatively shallow part. Solo diving is solo diving. It doesn’t matter whether your at 30 feet or 300 feet. When you go solo you must be prepared for the dive. You must be properly equipped, trained and confident and comfortable with the planned dive. When in doubt DON’T
.....................................Arduous

 

[JamesK]

Fishkiller once bubbled...
I voted no option, as I think that as a diver gets more and more into "tech" diving the more and more individual it becomes, yes you do go with other people but on a whole egos get in the way and everyone ends up solo...

I have to disagree here. As I progressed into tech (cave) diving, I noticed that buddy awareness was greatly increased. I noticed that the people, while they might seem to have HUGE egos, are actually usually very humble and without ego. I would not do a tech dive, or any dive for that matter, where ego would get in the way enough to cause buddy problems.

Maybe it is simply the two different groups that we are diving with. The 10 or so cave divers that I dive with, are all well within my description.

 

[Taxshark]

Cavediver said:

And on the flip side of this, I have done dives with a buddy that was so careless or inattentive that I would have prolly been better off diving alone.

I think we've all been there Cavediver. While I fall into the category of (very generally speaking) advocating against solo diving, I certainly recognize that with proper training and experience solo diving is acceptable. I think that TexasMike's post is an excellent and well reasoned comment on the subject. To Cavediver's point that I have quoted, one dive I made in San Diego on the HMCS Yukon was very representative of this situation. I was out there, diving on vacation. I was alone (my wife is currently a non-diver) and paired up with a diver (also alone and on vacation) who experienced some seasickness issues and chose to stay aboard for a second dive. I joined an existing buddy pair (2 divers) for the second dive on the Yukon. Very soon into the dive, it became clear that my two buddies did not have me identified. Both divers went tearing down the wreak, with me following to keep sight of them. Long story short, they identified another diver as me and followed him (leaving me). Now I certainly find it hard to blame my buddies, they pretty much aborted their dive to keep sight of me (or a guy they thought was me at least). But, in fact, I was on a solo dive. In my opinion (at least what I've taken from this), I should have made certain that my new buddies could identify me before we jumped overboard. I continue to debate with myself over whether a three buddy configuration is a good thing but I've not settled that with myself.