The Final Chapter On Solo Diving

[HammerNoMore]

The link is over 3 years old...

 

[ShakaZulu]

http://www.scubadiving.com/training/specialty_and_advanced/should_you_go_solo?/

But, but it's still there...........3 years later, and solo diving is real big.

 

[MikeFerrara]

when dive pros dive with new students, its in essence diving solo, cause most of teh students have no clue at that point what to do.

Not all instructors and DMs dive solo. If a student doesn't have a clue we don't leave the pool.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Researched and factual, really? What research, what facts?

All the research I've ever seen indicates that solo diving is FAR more dangerous than buddy diving. I do a lot of dive accident research reading and solo diving is a one of the primary causes of accidents and fatalities.

Don't buy the hype. Note that the article is accompanied by a certifying agency's announcement that they just happen to be offering a solo certification. That agency also just so happens to have a lot of ads in Rodale's and one of their founders is a regular contributor to Rodale's.

Be cynical, don't read something from a commercial interest who's primary source of income is advertising and that also trumpets one of its customer's new programs as the best thing since sliced bread and believe it without a close examination.

Notice that they also slam buddy diving as unsafe and use scare tactics that include the fear of lawsuit if you buddy dive . . . pathetic and obvious. You can be sued by anyone for anything.

If you want to dive solo, go ahead, there's plenty of room on the Darwin List for your name too. Just remember to yell, "hey, watch this," before you jump in.

JoeL

I tend to agree. A few years ago Rodales ran a multi-article antibuddy system campaign. On the tail end of that...guess what? They anounced the SDI solo course.

Also look at who some of the regular contributers at Rodales are...guys like Michael Ange. Makes for some strong connections between the views of Rodales and those of SDI/TDI IMO.

Check out the Rodales/Michael Ange pro-deep air article(s) too. We had a lively thread on one of those where I emailed Mike and invited him to join in the discussion but he never showed.

Rodales may know travel and advertising but after years of reading the magazine...yes they send it to me whether I want it or not...I sure don't pay for it...I'm convinced they don't know anything of value about diving.

Any one who feels the need to justify solo diving by trying to kid themselves or any one else into thinking solo is safer than a good buddy (don't dive with the bad ones) is too insecure to be diving in the first place IMO. If you want to dive alone...then do it. Just understand the real issues and risks and prepare the best you can.

If you're frustrated that some dive boats and local parks/governments don't trust you to dive solo just remember that with so many divers who have trouble staying out of trouble when they have help it's hard to imagine that so many are so good that they can do without. What's needed here, IMO, is to raise the image of the average diver from an incompetant boob who wants to play diver on the weekends to some one who really knows diving. The problem is that the magazines and agencies pushing this logic just aren't doing anything to change any ones estimation of the skill level of the average diver. If rodales really wants to help out they can stop printing all the pictures of divers laying all over the bottom with dangling gear all over for starters. They don't get it.

 

[pt40fathoms]

When instructors dive with students, there is a divemaster or two watching, also keep in mind that the students are all trained on providing air, or they wouldn't have made it to the OW dives. Also, OW dives are done at a depth that provides for a controlled ascent to the surface on one breath of air, Instructors are not alone, they have more trained partners than most other divers, your point is invalid

Why are you responding to a thread that was written in TWO THOUSAND AND ONE !!!!!!

Please check the date of a thread so you don't resurect the dead!!!!

 

[pipedope]

Another point, a tended diver is NOT solo.

A tender is often better than a buddy as the tender has only one job and that is to look after the diver. A buddy is doing his own dive at the same time as being a buddy so his attention is divided.

 

[Nemrod]

I am not against Buddy Diving as long as it is done responsibly! So many double accidents result maybe they should have a special certification. I hate to see the bottom of the ocean covered with irresponsible Buddy Diver's corpses! Oops, I guess they do have a cert for Buddy Diving and their probably the ones with a pocket full of c-cards and cannot swim a lick! Buddy Diving is the band-aid that the dive agencies use to cover the gigantic oozing wound of inadequate training figuring to pass the guilt of their greedy certify anyone who can breath methodology off onto some inadequately trained "Buddy".
In a perfect world I would be handsome and rich but alas, I am just me, Nemrod, god of the deep! Ho Hum, next, lol.
N

 

[MikeFerrara]

I am not against Buddy Diving as long as it is done responsibly! So many double accidents result maybe they should have a special certification. I hate to see the bottom of the ocean covered with irresponsible Buddy Diver's corpses! Oops, I guess they do have a cert for Buddy Diving and their probably the ones with a pocket full of c-cards and cannot swim a lick! Buddy Diving is the band-aid that the dive agencies use to cover the gigantic oozing wound of inadequate training figuring to pass the guilt of their greedy certify anyone who can breath methodology off onto some inadequately trained "Buddy".
In a perfect world I would be handsome and rich but alas, I am just me, Nemrod, god of the deep! Ho Hum, next, lol.
N

I think you have a point here. Do we want that same agency teaching solo diving? LOL

 

[MikeFerrara]

Another point, a tended diver is NOT solo.

A tender is often better than a buddy as the tender has only one job and that is to look after the diver. A buddy is doing his own dive at the same time as being a buddy so his attention is divided.

Absolutely true. Comme PSD protcols are a different animal.

 

[Rick Murchison]

I do a lot of dive accident research reading and solo diving is a one of the primary causes of accidents and fatalities.

Solo Diving is not a "primary cause" of an accident. Ever.
It may be a reason an accident ends in death, and solo divers must accept the additional risk of not having anyone around to help if help is needed, but being alone doesn't "cause" anything.
Rick