The Mis-Adventures of my AOW class- READ!

[kwesler]

I have a LOT less experience than the many divers who have posted stating their preference for solo diving, and the pros and cons have been posted on other threads...

but:tease:

most of the arguments from my observation do not come from the position that buddy diving is inherently bad, but rather stem from the extremem difficulty in some circumstances to find a reliable buddy, hence the need to solo dive.

Doesn't this take us RIGHT back to the training issue?

Ken

 

[shellbird]

To me - common sense prevails. I find it inconceivable to dive solo. Even with all the skills and training perfected - anything can happen.

I guess it is like riding a motorcycle without a helmet, I choose to wear one although I have thrown caution to the wind along with my hair on occasion. I guess it all comes down to how much risk you are willing to accept. Let's face it, that extra set of eyes and air by your side seems like a good idea to me.

 

[kwesler]

To carry your analogy further, the pro-solo dive argument would be that sometimes it is hard to get a good helmet, so rather than wear one that does not do you any good anyway, you might as well go without, and accept the risk.

BUT...

Wouldn't it be a better idea to find the reason that good helmets are sometimes not availabale, and correct it?

If you are ever in the PA/DE area, let me know and we can dive!

I also run down to the Keys fairly often.

Ken

 

[Spectre]

Originally posted by kwesler
sometimes it is hard to get a good helmet, so rather than wear one that does not do you any good anyway, you might as well go without, and accept the risk.

Close, but not quite. Try "rather than wear one that doesn't do you any good, and doesn't fit right either and is a distraction from paying attention to what your doing". and then there is the "helmet that you think is perfectly fine, until you fall and find out it's not..."

 

[kwesler]

But my main point I will still stand by...the currently unattainable ideal is well trained, attentive buddies for all divers. Until we achieve that, we are compromising.

Ken

 

[shellbird]

Granted, yadda, yadda, yadda -

Let's just say for argument's sake that it is a tried and true helmet that has an excellent rating and allows excellent comfort with minimal distraction and excellent melon protection...

Typical New Hampshire....

 

[shellbird]

Originally posted by kwesler
But my main point I will still stand by...the currently unattainable ideal is well trained, attentive buddies for all divers. Until we achieve that, we are compromising.

Ken

I guess I wouldn't make a very good buddy because of my lack of experience and still working on skills. But I am there and attentive and not a stroke. I have faith in my training but only have 3 hrs. bottom time. I look for diver w/more experience to dive with to learn from them. But for them, am I that lousy helmet that Spectre refers?

 

[Spectre]

Originally posted by shellbird
But for them, am I that lousy helmet that Spectre refers?

Please don't take offense... Yes and no. First, helmet analogy. You fall into the category of "I give you the best helmet I can find, and while I might have a helmet on, I drive the bike as if I don't have a helmet".

My dive profile consideration has 3 levels. 1) Dives I do with a trusting buddy, 2) Dives I'll do solo and 3) Dives I'll do with a new diver. 1 is a superset of 2, which is a superset of 3. If I'm not comfortable doing a dive solo, I won't do it with a new diver. Not only do I feel I need to watch out for myself, I have to watch out for that diver as well...

It's not that I don't trust that the new diver will know what to do, it's more that the new diver needs to concentrate on what they are doing, and if I end up with a problem, the situation becomes extremely dangerous... [thought question... if I end up in an OOA situation, would you be calm enough to remember to watch out for the flag line that I'm holding?]

 

[MikeFerrara]

IMO, the only valid reason to solo, if there is one (excluding sidemount and some other very specialised situations) is because you want to. If you understand and accept the additional risk you have the right to risk your neck anyway you choose. Many forms of diving involve more risk than others, that doesn't mean we don't do it. All else being equal deep is more dangerous than shallow, Cold more dangerous than warm and the list could go on and on.

With that said, I have no respect for agencies or magazines who put on the kind of solo advertising campagn that we saw right before the solo course was introduced. I have read the course standards and looked at some of the instructors teaching this course and they have no clue, they are irresponsible and should be put in their place. The whole premise of the course is BS. Niether my shop, staff or myselfe recognise this course, in any way, as valid training. They will contribute to injury.

We have local dive sites who will rent you a pony and let you solo if you have this card. Ok. I do every dive equiped with more redundancy, more training and more experience than anyone who would pay for this course. Yet these idiots recognize the solo card.

All divers should strive to be self sufficient enough to complete the planned dive alone should the need arise. In technical diving it is mandatory. This is an emergency you plan for and prepare to survive not one we should encourage divers to go out of their way to create. How can a 2 dive class with a stupid pony be considered adequate training. The course allows the use of doubles (manifolded or independant). The instructors I know teaching this have never dove such equipment. They are not prepared to teach valve manipulation or gas management with independant doubles. Hell they couldn't even help a student assemble their doubles.

I will not pull any of these jerks out of the water without payment in advance. All I have to say to them is...I'll be back for your equipment!

90% of the divers can't keep their fins out of the bottom and some agencies put their energies into a solo course. Well...If their not going to keep their fins out of the bottom perhaps it is better that they are alone.

Sorry about the rant, it's one of the things that gets mo going.

 

[shellbird]

Exactly, I know my limitations and make sure my fellow divers also know, if they are good divers, I would hope they would use your strategy. This thread keeps going back to this. A new diver in a position he wasn't really ready for. His intructor should have been more in tune with his ability level and perhaps, like you, taken it into account.