The soloist

[Pinepig]

Not sure what you mean by resilient but I don't think luck played a major part, common sense did.

You beat me to that one. Common sense was much more prevalent just 20 years ago, most of the younger guys I know have very little.

 

[DaleC]

I get it Captain. Self taught ice climber (solo), rock climber (solo), mountaineer (solo), back country skier (solo), sailor (solo) but as Nearas says...

I was here more than a year before I added the dive count by my avatar. Many people on this board seem to place alot of stock that, and I prefer to have my posts and ideas judged by themselves, without any dive count prejudices.

As do I but... who's the one judging dive counts now? I have taken the path of being up front about who I am from the beginning. (even if I take a little heat once and a while for it).

So you think experience is just a "vague notion"?

Yes. It denotes nothing in itself.

So your buoyancy, trim, awareness, competence,

now you are talking specifics, which do mean something. That has been the main thrust of my participation in this thread. To get away from vague terms and assumptions like dive counts and to deal with specifics.

Speaking of assumptions

Clearly you either do not understand, or fail to respect the physics of diving, and the psychology of incident management.

As well as the above activities I guess my two stints in SAR teams and 7 years as an IFA/EMT-A taught me nothing about incident management. But how would you know that, it wasn't in my dive count either (which is sort of the point I was making).

I see alot of my former self in your words. The difference is I was just a kid, and didn't know any better.

I did add a personal post here but I've deleted it as I'm really going to try to stay above it.

Actually I hope I am totally misreading your posts, and if I am I apologize. But seriously, you are coming across very cavalier about things.

I think you are (misreading my posts that is). I think I said I was quite a conservative diver actually.
On page one I suggested not focusing on an artificial indicator such as dive counts and to, instead, focus on real skills and abilities. I further went on to suggest a gradual approach to soloing, starting in a controlled environment and expanding outward as one gains experience, if soloing is the course one is taking. . I tried to stick to the facts about soloing. The one thing I did not do is prejudge the OP or make assumptions about his skill level based on the way he asked a question.
I didn't tell anyone to solo or not to solo


I guess I did have a little more energy

I'll keep going if the discussion is positive but if not I'll say good night

No hard feeling anyone.
Cheers.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

I...
My question then, is this: Is it prudent to dive solo at this stage of my diving experience? and if so, what redundant gear would you suggest? I live in Kona, Hawaii, where the diving is tropical (aka easy), the water is warm, little current, surf, and surge. There is little to no chance of entanglement.
My intent would be to do so slowly, and to stay above 30 feet in an area I have dove perhaps a dozen times. My thinking is this would allow me to do a CESA if the need should arise. After having spent alot of time on this board, and in this and other forums, I feel I have done my homework. Any and all suggestions are warmly welcomed. Thank you.

Tropitan, I came to the party late, 1,000 apologies, but let me jump in with some local knowledge, and some calm advise, solo style, from someone who 1st solo'ed on the Big Island about dive #10 post OW, in 1976

If you were to pick a single place in the world to begin solo diving, Kona is it. Great diving, surf-free entries in many spots, short swim to the drop off, excellent viz, negligable current and tides, predictable weather (once you get familiar with it ), VERY low entanglement hazard.

[Note to the non-locals, I'm talking about Kona, there are a lot of "wild" spots on the Big Island that are the exact opposite of that description! Warning mode off ]

As you already know, the greatest risk at most Kona sites is getting in and out of the water (climbing down low lava benches, shallow coral to navigate, etc.), which is a great reason for diving as "light" as possible (don't carry a bunch of stuff you don't need, wear thick dive boots, reef gloves, etc.).

Are you ready to solo? Only you can answer that. I'd say yes from the way you've described yourself.

Do you need "triple redundancy" to solo here? Stay shallow, stay close to the entry, and the answer is no. I use the same rig for solo or buddy dives... single Al80, BP/W, HOG harness, and 3 knives (no particular reason, just because I like 'em!).

The cautionary points some of the others have made are absolutely worth considering, and you do need to consider the what-ifs. You'll find that there are quite a few what-ifs that the only answer is "I'm dead", so you try to avoid anything near those type of situations. For me, this means diving in spots I know well, and in conditions that I'm really comfortable with here in Hilo (meaning viz > 40 feet and calm ocean). In Kona you'll ALWAYS have viz better than I dive in

So if you need a local solo dive buddy, drop me a line, and I'll gladly dive "same ocean" with ya (we'll synchronize watches, and I'll dive in Hilo, while you dive in Kona ).

Have Fun!

 

[tropitan]

Leadturn: Thank you very, very much for jumping in and pulling me out of this frying pan, so to speak. Your point about Kona conditions being very different than most or all of the Continental U.S. coastal conditions I should have emphasized from the beginning. That is the whole point for me. I would be a fool to attempt solo diving in conditions any less forgiving.
I'm also fortunate to have a diving buddy who has been diving Kona for twenty years, and with many solo dives as well. I'm doubly fortunate in that he has shown me some incredibly 'easy' entries right off the lava into the water; as you know, there are places here where the water can be placid 95% of the time for a very specific entry spot. Almost like a big step into a swimming pool. It would be hard for anyone who has never dove Kona to fully appreciate that. Like DaleC,
I am and have been a solo hunter, wilderness explorer, sailor, mountain climber, skier. I have spent a great deal of my life alone (though I am married w/family). I like to think I don't take unnecessary risks, hence the reason for asking the questions in the first place. It's only smart to seek the advice of those who have gone before.
What a wonderful thing ScubaBoard is to be able to get advice (very good advice, I think) for such a sport as 'solo diving', from such a wide and experienced following. Thank you all for taking the time.
LeadTurn, I'll take you up on your offer sometime. Thanks again.

 

[Ana]

Interesting thread. I like the "if you have to ask", don't agree with the way it is used here or the way it was applied to the jewelry either, but it sure applies in many subjects.

I venture to guess that 99% of the engagement rings sold in the US are purchase by clueless guys. Granted most of them can't (or shouldn't) afford them but the transaction does happen.

Back to the subject. Reading the OP I don't get the feeling of a request for permission to go solo diving. I interpreted more on the lines of "I'm going to dive on my own but I'm curious as how others do it" And isn't this the place to do exactly that?

30 dives. Hmmmmm.... the number of dives is always a biggy. Similar to the: YOU HAVE TO BE THIS TALL TO RIDE THIS RIDE. No one ever puts that number of dives in context.

I's seen people with a couple of hundred dives but were all guided. People that managed to just keep breathing while looking to the pretty stuff, until there were guided to the surface where their gear was taken off by others. They are happy that way and probably don't get as much hassle as the people trying to do their own thing.

Society welcomes nice obedient lambs with open arms. Not the same for the independent kind, oh nooooo; we have to watch out for those. They are a bad example, even worse if they come on line and try to spread their dangerous ideas.

A person doing its own thing gets hassle from many directions. Even from people doing exactly the same. If you have been enjoying solo diving for a while, why in the world are you going to poo poo some one about to start solo diving?
"Oh but only 30 dives? I didn't go solo until I had XX dives so I say 30 is not enough"
What happen, does it take away from your experience, the fact that someone can achieve certain level faster than you could? If everyone can solo dive, then no one would be impress when you boast about your solo dive this past weekend.

No of course that is not the case... all those critics are just worry about the safety of this person that obviously doesn't know any better. It is their duty (since they are experts) to protect the less knowledgeable.

If I was to question the ability of the OP to solo dive I would start asking about his comfort in the water. A person that learn to "not drown" (not the same as learning to swim) just before learning to dive, usually is not as comfy and the person than grew up by the water and learned to swim before learning to walk. Sure most people is somewhere in between those 2 extremes, but wouldn't comfort in the water allow you to calmly face that "Oh $h__!" moment?
X number of dives does that, provides comfort, experience and confidence to face problems. Different people require different values of X.

Another poster mentioned that the requirements for the solo diving course keeps out the people that could actually benefit from it. I completely agree with that statement As a general rule the type of person that would be into "solo" anything wouldn't go to a class after doing that activity 100 times.

 

[seaducer]

As well as the above activities I guess my two stints in SAR teams and 7 years as an IFA/EMT-A taught me nothing about incident management. But how would you know that, it wasn't in my dive count either (which is sort of the point I was making).

None of which will help you with a diving specific issue underwater. I am not talking about incident management in terms of setting up a CP, running a secure commo network, taking inventory and doing damage assesments, etc. I AM talking about recognizing and dealing with all the little problems as they crop up before they become serious issues. Things that as a newer diver you may not even notice, or that with your newfound confidence may just ignore, thinking it is not that big a deal because you have dealt with that, or worse. Things like allowing your reg to be ripped out of your mouth, for instance:

I decided to slowly head back the way we had come. After a few minutes, while emerging from a particularly narrow spot, my reg. hose caught on a rock and was yanked from my mouth. I calmly reached behind me, retrieved my reg. and continued on my way. I hardly gave it a second thought, but I could see where someone else could really be spooked by that.
It really is about how one performs under fire.

Since I do not know the poster personally, I can only go by what I read. A couple of things stand out.
First, how did a rock rip out the reg? Was there surge? Otherwise that should never have happended. I have snagged hoses before, I am sure everyone has, but never with that much force. This could have been fatal, and most likely was preventable. It sounds like complacency in light of other factors, and was one of the reasons I advised more time in the water.

"calmly reached behind me, retrieved my reg. and continued on my way".

That is good, that is what are trained to do, and an incident was averted. Time to go to school on that, this is an experience that can teach a valuable lesson, take advantage. Think about what might have happened if at the same time the rock stole your reg, it snagged some other piece of equipment and you could not just reach back calmly, maybe your range of motion is restricted and you can't reach the hose. What do you do then?
Maybe, if you are buddy diving, your buddy can help you. Then again, maybe not, buddies are not always the answer. Maybe not even most of the time.
Maybe you can hold your breath and calmly work yourself free and grab one of your second stages before you pass out.
Maybe you have a bungied 2nd and can reach that without using your hands.
Or maybe you struggle, panic and drown.

OR, you recognize the potential as you approach, and either slow down and control yourself so you can stop at the slightest pull, make sure you are as neutral as possible and proceed with caution. If there is surge, or even if there isn't, you can try to streamline your hoses and gauges so they are not so easily grabbed. (Actually you should do this anyway for a whole lot of benefits). Bottom line is the best way to solve this incident is to never have it.

I hardly gave it a second thought

This is unfortunate. Any time you lose control of your air supply underwater alarms should go off that something needs tweaking. I am not saying end the dive, I am not saying you even did anything wrong. But this is a wonderful illustration of that false confidence I alluded to in another post. An incident happened, you dealt with it smoothly, done. I was the same way. Now though, if something like that happens I stop, think about events that lead to the incident, and take note so it doesn't happen again. Because next time I might not be so lucky.

It really is about how one performs under fire

IMO it is more about how to avoid fire in the first place.

I think you are (misreading my posts that is). I think I said I was quite a conservative diver actually.

I certainly hope so. But to be honest solo diving at such an early part of your diving career does not fit my definition of conservative.

On page one I suggested not focusing on an artificial indicator such as dive counts and to, instead, focus on real skills and abilities.

And you left out the part about gaining experience, learning how to recognize and deal with little problems before they become major issues, and gaining a true level of competence and comfort to be able to control yourself and your equipment in an environment that is both foriegn and unlike anything that you have ever experienced before. Other activities do not qualify you as a diver, only diving does.
I added that, and since the OP asked for our opinions, I gave mine and qualified it with the reasons I felt that way. And now here we are...

I further went on to suggest a gradual approach to soloing, starting in a controlled environment and expanding outward as one gains experience, if soloing is the course one is taking.

I disagree. If you are ready to solo, you are ready to solo. No need to ease into it, no reason to stick to a controlled environment. When you are competent enough to realy on yourself there is no reason you can't do so in any environment in which you are qualified to dive. IMO if you feel you need to "ease into it", then you are not ready to dive by yourself. (BTW I thought you didn't care much about experience)

. I tried to stick to the facts about soloing. The one thing I did not do is prejudge the OP or make assumptions about his skill level based on the way he asked a question.

That is a shame, because one of the things that the OP asked was:

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

If he wants our opinion, we should give it to him. And making judgements on what somebody says in a post is pretty much the only way to do so. What I saw in the OP's posts were several "red flags".

• vauge questions, which "typically" demonstrate a lack of knowledge about a subject. Not a bad thing, but an indication that the OP is not ready.
• Disregarding a potentially fatal incident as no big deal, which demonstrates a false level of confidence. Maybe there is more to the story, but this is what was presented, and what we had to make a judgement on. Since he asked, our duty is to answer, honestly.
• Statements like

  where the diving is tropical (aka easy),

  show a lack of understanding, or perhaps respect, for the environment we operate in. The truth is you can be just as dead just as quick in warm clear water as you can in cold green water. In my experience, such statements are made by people who are not necessarily reckless, but they have not really given things much consideration. Typically they are just starting to learn about diving. Not a bad thing, but again, if an opinion is sought, this can help formulate that.

I didn't tell anyone to solo or not to solo

Me either. Nor did I ever say or even imply that solo diving was never a good idea. Where you came up with the taboo strawman nonsense is a mystery to me. What I did say was that I felt the OP wasn't ready yet, which at the sake of ad nauseum, was an opinion he asked for.

I guess I did have a little more energy

Whew, me too. And all this HTML has my fingers bleeding!:shocked2:

I'll keep going if the discussion is positive but if not I'll say good night

No hard feeling anyone.
Cheers.

I am willing to debate or discuss philosophy, merits, whatever. If the OP is bent on soloing now, I will do my best to help equip him for the challenge. As for the Ad hominum nature of some of my comments, well, I got a little heated. I am sorry for attacking you, and I hope Tropitan doesn't feel like I am just picking on him. In my defense, between work, going to school, and winter, I have not been diving nearly enough to maintain control of myself.
And, diving, and doing so as safely as is prudent is something I am passionate about. When I asked "why die if you don't have to?", it reflects my belief that almost every single incident in diving is preventable. This past summer I took a class with Richie Kohler, of Deep Sea Detectives and Shadow Divers fame. Just a simple exploratory dive to a wreck at 80 feet, and he prepped like he was doing a penetration of the Doria. Because complacency kills. I interperated complacency and it's relatives in alot of what the OP wrote, and much of your replies to my posts. Maybe I am wrong, I admit I could be. Im just doing my part...

Peace...

 

[DaleC]

I'm going to try to not get personal and play the judgment game about who has skills, is cavalier, etc... but I will address some points on their own merit to explore the thought process behind them.

None of which will help you with a diving specific issue underwater.

This is like saying that being a naturally gifted athlete doesn't help you play baseball.

Being mechanically inclined doesn't help you build an airplane

Being musically inclined doesn't help you learn languages

Skill sets are one thing. Someones ability to apply them is another. So, once you possess the skills, your previous life experience does help you deal with dive specific issues underwater.

The specific skill sets for recreational diving are quite straight forward actually and fairly easy to grasp if one applies them self to the task (note I said recreational diving and not technical diving). The trick for soloists is to be able to apply them, and other solo specific skills, alone.
How one reacts alone to a situation is a combination of skill sets and mental/emotional make up. The skill sets you learn, when you learn them. Dive 10, 100 or 1000. It depends when you get serious about learning them. The mental approach is a combination of all of your previous life experiences.

If one is a risk averse personality one will have a hard time soloing after 100 dives, if ever. Even in possession of exceptional skills, one may find themselves anxious and unable to respond properly to simple situations.

If one is risk attracted one may gravitate to soloing quite early (but not necessarily) and be quite comfortable operating alone under water. Like the gifted athlete, it may just come easier to them.

This can be disturbing to those who believe in the slow and steady approach as it may be perceived to challenge their base assumptions about risk and how to over come it but it's still true and it happens all the time in many different fields.

I make no judgment or promotion as to which approach someone chooses BTW. That isn't my call.

I'm not against diving to gain experience (which I think you are assuming?). The reason I keep returning to a focus on specifics instead of artificial dive counts though is that one can do hundreds of dives and never attempt any of the skill sets needed to solo.
Here are some examples:

Redundant air source: If one always dives with a buddy (along PADI lines for example) one can log 100's of dives without ever thinking about or using a redundant air source other than the buddies tank. In fact, it is even discouraged by many as unnecessary. Is that person better trained to solo in that regard than a diver who added a pony on dive 26?

Comfort in the water: As Ana stated, a person can be a poor swimmer yet log many, many dives. Would that person be more calm, alone in the sea, than a newer diver who has spent their life in and around the water. Personally, I do fin kick laps (1.5 miles) and practice dynamic apnea in the pool regularly. Even with a low dive count, could I be more comfortable (and capable) in the water than an over weight, out of shape diver with 100 dives.

Entanglement issues: As I've stated earlier, one can do 100's of dives and never learn to deal with an entanglement issue. You would not believe (or maybe you would) how many recreational divers I meet that don't a.) have a cutting tool or b.) have a cutting tool secured in a way that it cannot be accessed with either hand. How many recreational divers remove their BC's u/w after the OW/AOW 1 time requirement. Again, are they better prepared to solo than a newer diver who has looked at the issue seriously, thought out the access and deployment options and who practices doffing and donning their gear.

Navigation: Again, not a skill one possesses till one practices it. Does a woodsman who has used a compass all his life have better navigation skills u/w than someone with 100 dives who doesn't even own a compass.

Gas management: Does someone with 100 dives who just returns to the boat with 500psi or always turns on halves have more gas management skills than a newer diver who immediately applies him/her self to understanding gas management principles.

I'm sure I could go on all night but I think the point is made. I am not arguing that low dive counts are better than high dive counts, just that skills are not necessarily based on dive counts but rather on when the diver decides to apply themselves to learning them.

But to be honest solo diving at such an early part of your diving career does not fit my definition of conservative.

And to my wife diving itself is not conservative. To my mother swimming in the ocean was not conservative. To me caving and other big deco/penetration dives is not conservative. What's it all mean?

And you left out the part about gaining experience, learning how to recognize and deal with little problems before they become major issues, and gaining a true level of competence and comfort to be able to control yourself and your equipment in an environment that is both foreign and unlike anything that you have ever experienced before.

And yet all my posts keep dealing with just that. Funny eh? At the risk of sounding "redundant" I just choose to address them specifically instead of as something you'll learn out there, somewhere, sometime, if you just dive. And, while I do not negate the slow and steady course, I also am aware that not everyone operates that way.

Other activities do not qualify you as a diver, only diving does.

Actually, I was qualified as a diver after dive 5 (but that's just being cheeky isn't it).

I disagree. If you are ready to solo, you are ready to solo. No need to ease into it, no reason to stick to a controlled environment. When you are competent enough to really on yourself there is no reason you can't do so in any environment in which you are qualified to dive. IMO if you feel you need to "ease into it", then you are not ready to dive by yourself.

This is so ridiculous I don't even think you even believe it yourself. Are you trolling????

Let's try it out for size on the BS meter:

If you are ready to solo hike at all, you are ready to solo the Himalayas (y/n)
If you are ready to solo swim at all, you are ready to solo the channel (y/n)
If you are ready to solo sail at all, you are ready to solo around the world (y/n)
If you are ready to solo climb at all, you are ready to solo Everest (y/n)

How's your score so far?

Recreational solo diving is not so all or nothing. The mind set you are espousing is a spill over from technical diving IMO (the nature of which is all or nothing) Recreational solo diving is not bound by the same constraints. You don't need the complete package to begin as you do with technical diving.
If I may extrapolate.
A technical diver may say that bail out is never to be an option for recreational solo diving; that all situations must be handled "in place". Some recreational solo divers know this is not true. Many people do shallow solo dives with CESA as one of the alternatives. Because they intentionally limit their depth they keep the option of "thumbing" the dive open. It is not always the first choice, or the best choice, but sometimes it is a viable choice. A technical diver however, gags over this and sees it as heresy. That is because they come from a background where (because of penetration or deco obligation) bail out is never considered. All situations must be handled in place.
All diving is not the same and the same rules do not apply to all dives. I don't expect you to adopt anyone Else's mindset but you should also see that everyone need not adopt yours.

(BTW I thought you didn't care much about experience)

and yet (redundant) I keep (redundant) referring to it specifically (redundant) in every (redundant) post (redundant)(redundant).

Me either. Nor did I ever say or even imply that solo diving was never a good idea. Where you came up with the taboo straw man nonsense is a mystery to me. What I did say was that I felt the OP wasn't ready yet, which at the sake of ad nauseum, was an opinion he asked for.

I didn't say you thought it was taboo. I just said the notion of it in general diving realms is. If it's not taboo why do all the agencies ix nay it (except the one solo course) while so many instructors secretly admit to doing it.... the emphasis on secretly.

Peace...

Peace...

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

I have to agree that one's ability to handle themselves in different environments, such as being an avid outdoorsman, does develop skills that would allow that person to perform better in other activities, including diving. Just as being a couch potato would make one less likely to be able to handle themselves.

Anytime we challenge ourselves, we make ourselves stronger both physically and emotionally, which equals better and more effective responses to stress - in any environment.

 

[seaducer]

I disagree. If you are ready to solo, you are ready to solo. No need to ease into it, no reason to stick to a controlled environment. When you are competent enough to really on yourself there is no reason you can't do so in any environment in which you are qualified to dive. IMO if you feel you need to "ease into it", then you are not ready to dive by yourself.

This is so ridiculous I don't even think you even believe it yourself. Are you trolling????

Let's try it out for size on the BS meter:

If you are ready to solo hike at all, you are ready to solo the Himalayas (y/n)
If you are ready to solo swim at all, you are ready to solo the channel (y/n)
If you are ready to solo sail at all, you are ready to solo around the world (y/n)
If you are ready to solo climb at all, you are ready to solo Everest (y/n)

How's your score so far?

You seem to have missed the part where I said "qualified". There are people who solo cave dive all the time. Same thing with penetration wreck diving. In fact until recently you would be hard pressed to find a wreck diver in the NE who DIDN'T solo, even on the Doria. OW divers who solo dive can do so to whatever OW dive they can do.
IMO if you are still playing around on "easy" sites to gain confidence, then you lack the confidence in yourself to be on your own. Stay with a buddy until you know you are ready, even if you never plan to solo anywhere but the sheltered sites.
But what do I know? You've got it all figured out...

 

[nereas]

I'm going to try to not get personal and play the judgment game about who has skills, is cavalier, etc... but I will address some points on their own merit to explore the thought process behind them.

This is like saying that being a naturally gifted athlete doesn't help you play baseball.

Being mechanically inclined doesn't help you build an airplane

Being musically inclined doesn't help you learn languages

Skill sets are one thing. Someones ability to apply them is another. So, once you possess the skills, your previous life experience does help you deal with dive specific issues underwater.

The specific skill sets for recreational diving are quite straight forward actually and fairly easy to grasp if one applies them self to the task (note I said recreational diving and not technical diving).

The trick for soloists is to be able to apply them, and other solo specific skills, alone.

How one reacts alone to a situation is a combination of skill sets and mental/emotional make up. The skill sets you learn, when you learn them. Dive 10, 100 or 1000. It depends when you get serious about learning them. The mental approach is a combination of all of your previous life experiences.

If one is a risk averse personality one will have a hard time soloing after 100 dives, if ever. Even in possession of exceptional skills, one may find themselves anxious and unable to respond properly to simple situations.

If one is risk attracted one may gravitate to soloing quite early (but not necessarily) and be quite comfortable operating alone under water. Like the gifted athlete, it may just come easier to them.

This can be disturbing to those who believe in the slow and steady approach as it may be perceived to challenge their base assumptions about risk and how to over come it but it's still true and it happens all the time in many different fields.

I make no judgment or promotion as to which approach someone chooses BTW. That isn't my call.

I'm not against diving to gain experience (which I think you are assuming?). The reason I keep returning to a focus on specifics instead of artificial dive counts though is that one can do hundreds of dives and never attempt any of the skill sets needed to solo.

Here are some examples:

Redundant air source: If one always dives with a buddy (along PADI lines for example) one can log 100's of dives without ever thinking about or using a redundant air source other than the buddies tank. In fact, it is even discouraged by many as unnecessary. Is that person better trained to solo in that regard than a diver who added a pony on dive 26?

Comfort in the water: As Ana stated, a person can be a poor swimmer yet log many, many dives. Would that person be more calm, alone in the sea, than a newer diver who has spent their life in and around the water. Personally, I do fin kick laps (1.5 miles) and practice dynamic apnea in the pool regularly. Even with a low dive count, could I be more comfortable (and capable) in the water than an over weight, out of shape diver with 100 dives.

Entanglement issues: As I've stated earlier, one can do 100's of dives and never learn to deal with an entanglement issue. You would not believe (or maybe you would) how many recreational divers I meet that don't a.) have a cutting tool or b.) have a cutting tool secured in a way that it cannot be accessed with either hand. How many recreational divers remove their BC's u/w after the OW/AOW 1 time requirement. Again, are they better prepared to solo than a newer diver who has looked at the issue seriously, thought out the access and deployment options and who practices doffing and donning their gear.

Navigation: Again, not a skill one possesses till one practices it. Does a woodsman who has used a compass all his life have better navigation skills u/w than someone with 100 dives who doesn't even own a compass.

Gas management: Does someone with 100 dives who just returns to the boat with 500psi or always turns on halves have more gas management skills than a newer diver who immediately applies him/her self to understanding gas management principles...

And to my wife diving itself is not conservative. To my mother swimming in the ocean was not conservative. To me caving and other big deco/penetration dives is not conservative. What's it all mean? ...

Recreational solo diving is not so all or nothing. The mind set you are espousing is a spill over from technical diving IMO (the nature of which is all or nothing) Recreational solo diving is not bound by the same constraints. You don't need the complete package to begin as you do with technical diving.
If I may extrapolate.

A technical diver may say that bail out is never to be an option for recreational solo diving; that all situations must be handled "in place". Some recreational solo divers know this is not true. Many people do shallow solo dives with CESA as one of the alternatives. Because they intentionally limit their depth they keep the option of "thumbing" the dive open. It is not always the first choice, or the best choice, but sometimes it is a viable choice. A technical diver however, gags over this and sees it as heresy. That is because they come from a background where (because of penetration or deco obligation) bail out is never considered. All situations must be handled in place.

All diving is not the same and the same rules do not apply to all dives...

... If it's not taboo why do all the agencies ix nay it (except the one solo course) while so many instructors secretly admit to doing it.... the emphasis on secretly[?].

Peace...

This above is a great discussion of the nature of resilience. Some people are naturally resilient whereas others are not. Those who are may succeed in a host of things.

Still I would not recommend solo diving to this particular o/p, Kona or not.

If he were a D/M or instructor, no worries then (as Jack Sparrow in Pirates I, II, and III would say.) Becoming a D/M first would be a better idea.

Risk aversion is one thing, while on the other hand aversion to unnecessary risk is quite beneficial in all situations.