The Zen of Solo.

[scubadada]

There's nothing so liberating as making a dive for which you are only repsonsible for yourself.

 

[Doc Harry]

You're weird. But that's okay.

 

[waterpirate]

I do not think Zen is an apt description of the pre-game show. We are all creatures of habit, and those of us who have gone beyond rec limits are all pretty " weird". I definately have a pre-game routine that I do not like to have interupted with chitty chat or distractions. It is allways the same. It is a page out of the rebreather guys check list program that I adopted to my O.C. program.

I prefer solo/ or rather the zen for a very specific reason. I work and liv in a world where I am responsible for the safety of others 24/7. To be able to shed that chain and only be responsible to myself, is true zen for me. YMMV
Eric

 

[jbomb001]

There was a big thing about multitasking a few years ago, as if it were a trait to be desired

It is said to be the most efficient way to get nothing done ;-)

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

 

[Nemrod]

There is a mental preparation, a focusing of the mind. Not exclusive to solo diving, I do/have done this whenever I am about to engage in something that requires mental acuity and focus of thought. Flying, diving (especially solo), marathons/triathlons, racing motorcycles, anything like this requires this moment of mental preparation preceding the activity.

N

 

[lamarpaulski]

You have an understanding wife.

 

[ShootnStr8]

I was talking with a consultant about the positive impact that solo diving has on how I handle stress. His reply was interesting. He said that by picking up solo diving as a hobby I unknowingly found away to engage in a "flow experience."

Wikipedia defines a "flow" as the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by complete absorption in what one does.

This concept was developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (You learn the alphabet early with a name like that!) who wrote Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.

I believe that solo diving offers a lot of potential benefits to the psyche. Underwater photographer Wes Skiles talked about cave diving as going to his cathedral and when he surfaced he felt cleansed and reborn.

While I don't view diving as a substitute for my church experience, I do cherish my time diving alone. Buddy diving can be stressful.

Blessings!

ShootnStr8

 

[videofly]

Years ago, to escape reality, I would sit on a plastic milk crate in my 4 foot pool, wearing a full-face painter's mask with 2 washing machine hoses glued into the filter ports as snorkels. I would sit for an hour or so and meditate; and sometimes doze off for a bit.

Recently, I purchased a new 7mm farmer John wet suit and brought it to a pool to check my weighting. The pool was heated to 88 degrees and I hung out at 8 feet to practice fin pivots and hovering control. I closed my eyes to meditate in what felt like a sensory deprivation tank. Soon thereafter, I noticed that I dozed off and woke myself up. A few minutes later, I fell asleep again. This time, realizing that sleeping underwater was not a good idea, I left the pool. However, for a few moments, the zen was wonderful.

Probably a stupid question, but has anyone else ever experienced falling asleep underwater?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I believe that solo diving offers a lot of potential benefits to the psyche. Underwater photographer Wes Skiles talked about cave diving as going to his cathedral and when he surfaced he felt cleansed and reborn.

... but the other thing Wes demonstrated was how easy it is to get complacent. If Wes had a dive buddy on the day he died, it's likely he'd still be with us today.

I love solo diving ... and I completely understand exactly how that "flow experience" feels ... but it's extremely important not to get so immersed in that feeling that you forget about the little things. Wes ... a world-class cave explorer ... died on a 70-foot reef dive. Given what we know of the circumstances, I have to believe it's because he didn't think of the dive seriously enough, and got careless. That's way easy for experienced divers to do ... and an often fatal mistake when you're diving alone ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[ShootnStr8]

I am not sure what to make of Wes' tragic death -- and what a loss! His wife Terri is suing Dive Rite claiming there was an equipment malfunction and cover up by tampering with evidence: Widow of Underwater Photog Wes Skiles Blames His Drowning on Defective Gear. I suspect we will never really know what happened on that dreadful day.

Blessings!

ShootnStr8