The soloist

[b1gcountry]

How familiar are you with your equipment?
How good are you at navigation?
How much risk are you willing to take upon yourself?
How familiar are you with the risks associated with your environment?
How fit are you?

Thirty dives seems like an awful small amount, but you are a better judge of what's acceptable to you than other people are.

I will try to steer you away from relying on a CESA as an OOA alternative. Air embolism is a big contributor to the death rate, and you might want a little air to exit the water. Also read up on gas planning and dive planning.

I also think you should do a little extra work looking for buddies to dive with. I can find a buddy any time I want to go diving, and I live in St Louis. Hawaii should be a lot easier.

Tom

 

[seaducer]

Would you suggest someone with the same level of backpacking skills and woodsmanship as your diving skills and experience take a solo hike in the Grand Canyon, or something similar?

No offense, but with less than a year of experience and ~30 dives, you probably don't know what you don't know.

In clear, warm, shallow sheltered water where conditions won't change during the dive, probably not a problem. I don't know where you are diving, but I would advocate getting some time in before joining the ranks of solodivers.

It is one thing to understand you could die, and accept that. I say BS. Why die if you don't have to? Seek out the knowledge, skills, and gear to solo safely. Won't take long.
Good luck however you decide.

 

[tropitan]

Seaducer. That is a valid question. I think if someone with years of solo diving experience wanted to go 'into the woods', they would certainly possess the mindset to do so. The key is to be outfitted properly for that experience.
There are many kinds of wilderness; woods, desert and yes, even underwater. The obvious difference between terrestrial and water is the amount of time one has to make it good after the stuff hits the fan.
On the other hand, and no offense taken, nothing can substitute for good ol fashion experience in the environment one wants to enter. That translates to 'time spent'. I'm workin' on that. Thanks

 

[DaleC]

Why die if you don't have to?

Why live if you don't have to? - that's what the couch potatoes say.

It really isn't about choosing the manner of your death as much as it is about choosing the manner in which you'll live.

There is nothing wrong with soloing just for soloing sake.
There doesn't need to be an excuse for it. All of that is generated by the guilt pangs of breaking taboo and going against the buddy mantra.
What real purpose is there to tri mix, tech or cave diving etc... either?
We do it because we do it.
This forum is for discussing how to do it; not - why not to do it. There's a sticky at the topics page that covers that.

 

[BobbyT22]

I will try to steer you away from relying on a CESA as an OOA alternative. Air embolism is a big contributor to the death rate, and you might want a little air to exit the water. Also read up on gas planning and dive planning.

Fully concur with the above. Certainly look into a fully redundant air supply as a pre-req for soloing. I personally travel with a 13 cu ft pony just for that...but that is a whole other thread. (not trying to hijack this into a yet another pony debate)

 

[seaducer]

Why live if you don't have to? - that's what the couch potatoes say.

Sorry if this sounds argumentative, but I fail to see your point? Taking un-necessary risks are, well, un-necessary. There is a huge difference between sitting on the sidelines afraid to play, and putting on pads and a helmet in order to minimize the risk of injury, to analagize the discussion.

It really isn't about choosing the manner of your death as much as it is about choosing the manner in which you'll live.

Again, sorry if this comes accross the wrong way, but the above sounds more like Fortune Cookie Philosophy, rather than a substantive way to go about things.

There is nothing wrong with soloing just for soloing sake.
There doesn't need to be an excuse for it. All of that is generated by the guilt pangs of breaking taboo and going against the buddy mantra.

And nothing in my post contradicts that. I have planned and executed solo dives. My post had nothing to do with dive industry dogma, only whether or not Tropitan is ready to rely on himself, and only himself. I am asking him to evaluate his skills, comfort level, instincts, and knowledge.

I am not saying whether he is or is not ready for anything. Personally I don't think anyone with his stated experience is ready to solo. But then, I never thought a deaf person could compose the World's most beautiful music, until I learned otherwise, so maybe he is. On the other hand, asking about what type of redundancy we recommend is to me a red flag that he just doesn't know enough yet. Stating as much is far from advancing a "buddy mantra", IMO.

What real purpose is there to tri mix, tech or cave diving etc... either?

The purpose behind the training is to understand and reduce the increased risks associated with each type of diving, not to adopt a daredevil attitude about living.

We do it because we do it.

Sure, and mountain climbers climb mountains because they are there. But the smart ones don't attempt an 8000 meter peak in their first season. Nor do they attempt a technical climb not understanding what kind of gear they may need, and without having become comfortable and compitent in its use.

This forum is for discussing how to do it; not - why not to do it. There's a sticky at the topics page that covers that.

How about, "when to do it?" Is that ok to discuss here?

 

[Doc Intrepid]

My question then, is this: Is it prudent to dive solo at this stage of my diving experience?

Each may have their own opinion. But whether it's prudent or not (for the OP) is not something that any of us could offer an educated response to (because most of us don't know the OP). By necessity our responses will depend on our own perspectives.

IMHO, divers who have made 30 dives, most of which have occurred in the same location or environment, do not know what they do not know.

Not to say we all did not start off this way, nor that only by diving does one gain experience diving.

But most of us made mistakes when we started diving, and at least some of us were given a second chance because a buddy was along.

I do a lot of solo diving. But I started diving solo a bit later than 30 dives....

Your mileage obviously may vary...

Best,

Doc

 

[seaducer]

Seaducer. That is a valid question. I think if someone with years of solo diving experience wanted to go 'into the woods', they would certainly possess the mindset to do so. The key is to be outfitted properly for that experience.

Having done both, I sort of agree, but I want to take it further. It is much more than simply having the gear. It is about being able to use that gear to it's fullest potential, being comfortable with the gear, and being able to improvise when something gets lost or broken.

... The obvious difference between terrestrial and water is the amount of time one has to make it good after the stuff hits the fan.

That is a small part of the difference. Instinct is, to me, a much more important difference. Most newer diver's first inclination when they encounter trouble or even discomfort is to head for the surface, for example, where a more experienced diver will simply fix the problem in place. It is also about being able to recognize and correct all the little problems as they occur. Something to understand is that almost all diving incidents are many little problems that add up, as opposed to just one major one. Kind of like getting lost is a series of little mistakes, an experienced hiker catches them sooner.

Mindset is important. There are many divers who are simply not self reliant or confident enough to be able to solo dive. It sounds like you have that mindset. But that is only one tool. The good news is, that is the hard one, the others, while equally important, are much easier to get.

On the other hand, and no offense taken, nothing can substitute for good ol fashion experience in the environment one wants to enter. That translates to 'time spent'. I'm workin' on that. Thanks

Good. Your homework is to dive, and dive often.

In my mind (admittedly a strange and often scarey place!) solo diving translates well into some other "have to ask" areas.

Venomous snakes in captivity. If you have to ask where to buy one, you are not ready to keep them.
Price tags in a jewelery store. If you have to ask how much, you probably can't afford it.

Time and experience will teach you almost everything you need to know about the gear needed and techniques used in solo diving. This forum is better suited to debate the merits of X over Y, it is not, and should never be thought of as a classroom, IMO. It is also not a place where we tell people what they can and can not do (that right goes to the government, and BTW solo diving can be against local regulations, so be sure to check that out before you go)

That you are here asking tells me you have enough respect for your life, and enough self evaluation skills to know whether or not you are truely ready to dive by yourself. Don't ignore that little voice in your head. Don't stop asking questions either. This isn't a classroom, but you can still learn a ton here...

 

[dave4868]

Sorry if this sounds argumentative, but I fail to see your point? Taking un-necessary risks are, well, un-necessary.

I would suggest that the risks taken in solo diving are minor and only slightly greater than in buddy diving, assuming OW-trained newbies using reasonable judgment to dive within their abilities.

"Necessary" risks are hard to define when just about all recreational diving could be categorized as involving unnecessary risk. "Acceptable" risk is probably a more useful term for discussion.

I am not saying whether he is or is not ready for anything. Personally I don't think anyone with his stated experience is ready to solo.

It definitely raises concerns when the prospective solo diver has limited diving experience, such as 30+ dives in a warm water location, but his stated background should give him an appreciation of the risks voiced in this thread.

If he gets into solo diving "slowly", as he stated, and continually strives to dive within his abilities, as appears is his intent, his risk will be only slightly greater than that of diving with a competent buddy, IMO.

Throw in the variable of a less competent buddy and the risks can quickly swing the other way.... :shocked2:

With that in mind, it appears the OP can gather info and answers and opinions and procede carefully into solo, learning as he goes, diving within his abilities.

That's how many of us have gained most of our diving experience, I might suggest, with or without official training.

Each may have their own opinion. But whether it's prudent or not (for the OP) is not something that any of us could offer an educated response to (because most of us don't know the OP). By necessity our responses will depend on our own perspectives.

IMHO, divers who have made 30 dives, most of which have occurred in the same location or environment, do not know what they do not know.

Not to say we all did not start off this way, nor that only by diving does one gain experience diving.

But most of us made mistakes when we started diving, and at least some of us were given a second chance because a buddy was along.

I do a lot of solo diving. But I started diving solo a bit later than 30 dives....

Your mileage obviously may vary...

All very true.

Whether it's an "official" course in solo diving, or guidance from a mentor or contrasting views in an internet discussion, the OP appears capable of digesting the info and making good decisions.

All I know is, he sounds like someone who will definitely enjoy the significant advantages of solo diving!

Safe diving to him!

Dave C

 

[kindaeasy]

Tropitan:

First a quick question: Scuba forums have one section backpacking forums don't. What is it? (Ponder that for a second)

Think about the worst backpacking trip you ever had, the one where the nice weather turned to snow, the stove wouldn't light, everything you ate was cold and soggy, the trail wasn't marked, you missed a turn and had to back track for hours, a blister for each toe, and sprained your ankle. Sounds like a sucky trip, but at any point was your life in danger? You dealt with each problem that you could and made do.

Now image the worst dive possible...the one where everything went wrong. Do you feel like you could deal with everything that life could throw at you and solve all imaginable problems while underwater? If you can answer yes, maybe you are ready to start thinking about solo diving. If not maybe more dives and more experience would be in order.

Still pondering that question?

They all discuss travel, trips, gear, soloing, skills, and training. The one thing missing from all the backpacking forums I read, yet is present on most scuba forums is an accidents forum now, why is that? Is it because it's a hell of a lot easier to get yourself killed diving?

There is little that is more enjoyable than a week solo in the wilderness...one of those things for me is a solo dive. My first solo dive was dive 31, however it was in a quarry that was 30 deep, with 50 vis, no current, and no entanglement hazards. Not exactly a complex dive.

All in all only you can decide when you are ready...it does sound like you are on the right track. Really work on your skills, take the rescue class, and most importantly rid yourself of the "the surface will save me" view point and you will likely be there.