The solo diving movement, a good idea?

[oldschoolto]

" WHY " would you trust your life on the unknown skills of another ???? I started diving at age 12.... SOLO... It was years before I ever saw another diver in the water with me... I can count on one hand the number of people that I'd trust when the rubber band breaks ... This sport has been " SOLD " as if everyone can do it.... It's safe if " WE " get your " MONEY ".... I meant to type " OUR TRAINING " ...

Now that said... I am very protective of my wife as a new diver, And we spend time every dive doing at least one " OH $hit " training .... To make her a stronger diver on her own... Not to make her have a false sense of security that she has a buddy in the water with her...

I love this video clip.... A diver that should not be in the water.... A "TOTAL" failure of BASIC scuba skills....

[video=youtube;H6yMHXCCAUE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6yMHXCCAUE[/video]

Jim...

 

[McGlencoe]

The look on the diver's face is priceless as she realizes there is no regulator, but instead on grabbing her aux., she goes right for the buddys gear and bolts to the surface.... you've got to wonder whether she grabbed his primary or secondary reg?

 

[oldschoolto]

The look on the diver's face is priceless as she realizes there is no regulator, but instead on grabbing her aux., she goes right for the buddys gear and bolts to the surface.... you've got to wonder whether she grabbed his primary or secondary reg?

She pulls his primary right out of his mouth.....

Jim...

 

[Colliam7]

I love this video clip.... A diver that should not be in the water.... A "TOTAL" failure of BASIC scuba skills....

This is a great clip. I won't go as far as to say she should not have been in the water. But, I agree with you - this emphasizes the need for regular practice for 'OH $hit' moments.

The look on the diver's face is priceless as she realizes there is no regulator, but instead on grabbing her aux., she goes right for the buddys gear and bolts to the surface

I have seen a similar reaction once before, albeit in a pool, woth a new OPW student doing CW skills. It was funny (afterward) and the look of confusion on his face was priceless. The good news - he just stood up and was fine.

She pulls his primary right out of his mouth.....

There have been a number of 'debate' threads on this subject on SB - will an OOA diver go for the octo, or will the OOA diver go for the reg in the mouth? I have always thought it more likely that the diver would go for the reg in the buddy's mouth, but others have different opinions, and some experiences to back it up. In fairness, in this video, I can't see where the donor's octo was. But, the diver's reaction sure seemed logical to me.

 

[alecto]

I think if that were me, I would go for my octo first. It looks like the mouthpiece came off the reg. In that case, I'd take out my mouthpiece with one hand and replace it with the octo from the other. After that, I'd retrieve my normal 2nd stage and see if i could put the mouthpiece back on. If that worked, switch back to the normal reg and carry on with the dive.

Unlikely but possible that the buddy had a fancy 7' hose and that would be the reg to go to if you forgot you have one on your chest.

But on the topic of solo diving, I've contemplated beach diving in approx 5-15 ft looking for sea shells and the like while I have a free diver and snorkeler in the area. If you are diving, is the free diver kinda like a buddy? I'm the only diver in my family and would much rather prefer to be underwater while they bob around right above me or in the case of the free diver, occasionally right next to me.

 

[Hatul]

I think if that were me, I would go for my octo first. It looks like the mouthpiece came off the reg. In that case, I'd take out my mouthpiece with one hand and replace it with the octo from the other. After that, I'd retrieve my normal 2nd stage and see if i could put the mouthpiece back on. If that worked, switch back to the normal reg and carry on with the dive.

Unlikely but possible that the buddy had a fancy 7' hose and that would be the reg to go to if you forgot you have one on your chest.

But on the topic of solo diving, I've contemplated beach diving in approx 5-15 ft looking for sea shells and the like while I have a free diver and snorkeler in the area. If you are diving, is the free diver kinda like a buddy? I'm the only diver in my family and would much rather prefer to be underwater while they bob around right above me or in the case of the free diver, occasionally right next to me.

I had this happen to me in Hawaii at 30 ft and the first thing I did was go for my buddy's octo. Once I could breathe I figured out the problem and breathed off my own octo.

It's easy for the armchair diver to say you'd go for your own octo, but you cannot see what the problem is. All you know is you have a mouthful of water and you can't breathe; you may even have aspirated some water. The mask restricts your field of vision and you can't see very well that the regulator has fallen out of the mouthpiece. Once you understand the problem you can also breathe from the reg without the mouthpiece.

 

[oldschoolto]

I had this happen to me in Hawaii at 30 ft and the first thing I did was go for my buddy's octo. Once I could breathe I figured out the problem and breathed off my own octo.

It's easy for the armchair diver to say you'd go for your own octo, but you cannot see what the problem is. All you know is you have a mouthful of water and you can't breathe; you may even have aspirated some water. The mask restricts your field of vision and you can't see very well that the regulator has fallen out of the mouthpiece. Once you understand the problem you can also breathe from the reg without the mouthpiece.

So you would have drowned if your buddy was not very close by.... Your training and emergency procedures should have been go to your octo.... I won't even bring up the point that a good gear check would have most likely found it....

Jim...

 

[electrician]

The problem with solo diving is that there is zero margin of error. If, for instance, you happened to faint (an easily correctable, minor medical issue) while underwater, it could result in your DEATH, for crying out loud. Is that worth it? Look around at your loved ones. Can you tell them to their faces that your relationship to them is so unimportant that you are willing to place it in such tremendous risk... to have FUN?

I will never dive alone.

 

[TMHeimer]

The problem with solo diving is that there is zero margin of error. If, for instance, you happened to faint (an easily correctable, minor medical issue) while underwater, it could result in your DEATH, for crying out loud. Is that worth it? Look around at your loved ones. Can you tell them to their faces that your relationship to them is so unimportant that you are willing to place it in such tremendous risk... to have FUN?

I will never dive alone.

Gets back to the old "risk vs. reward" factor. I was single 'til age 40 and mostly alone in this apt. or that. Now, married 20 years, I am still away from home alone for approx. 9-10 weeks out of the year, 2 of which are in a remote cabin in Northern Manitoba. I could die of a heart attack at any point, and could have all those years being single, and not be found for weeks. I worry mostly about any possibility of entrapment when diving solo, plus the obvious stuff--weather, current, etc. But I just can't get into thinking about fainting or other medical issues (other than my being prone to cramps). But hey, now you did get me thinking--fainting--man. What would cause me to faint? Still, you got me thinking....

 

[oldschoolto]

The problem with solo diving is that there is zero margin of error. If, for instance, you happened to faint (an easily correctable, minor medical issue) while underwater, it could result in your DEATH, for crying out loud. Is that worth it? Look around at your loved ones. Can you tell them to their faces that your relationship to them is so unimportant that you are willing to place it in such tremendous risk... to have FUN?

I will never dive alone.

You should not..... I don't even know why you'd dive with someone else .... Bowling might be a better sport for you...

Jim....