AJ
Contributor
Some instructors told me I could not write solo dives in my logbook, and..yeah...I would die if I would dive solo . Stopped logging dives and started diving solo. 200+ solo dives since. Never regretted it.
Thinking back, what caused you to go solo?
- Thread starter lowviz
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hedonist222
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questionable buddy checks
odd times I am paired up with someone I do not know
I make certain they're generally experienced
but most times they show no interest in a buddy check
As soon as the dive guide / captain says we can jump in
They gear up and jump in the water
I've since learned to make a mental note of their system - primarily where their spare second stage is and then audbily point out mine and say "this is yours should you need it"
But it always left me with a sour taste
Have you eyed my my spare second stage and decided thats it. I know how to get air if I need to.
Do you not offer to show me wheres yours?
Worse yet, you've not eyed my spare and don't care about your own well-being?
I realize that the above cannot negate the value of having a buddy - because despite appearing incompetent on the boat, they could actually save you.
odd times I am paired up with someone I do not know
I make certain they're generally experienced
but most times they show no interest in a buddy check
As soon as the dive guide / captain says we can jump in
They gear up and jump in the water
I've since learned to make a mental note of their system - primarily where their spare second stage is and then audbily point out mine and say "this is yours should you need it"
But it always left me with a sour taste
Have you eyed my my spare second stage and decided thats it. I know how to get air if I need to.
Do you not offer to show me wheres yours?
Worse yet, you've not eyed my spare and don't care about your own well-being?
I realize that the above cannot negate the value of having a buddy - because despite appearing incompetent on the boat, they could actually save you.
Cdncoldwater
Contributor
SlugLife
Contributor
I got started solo pretty much from the beginning. My dive-buddy who is far more experience pretty much jumps in the water and goes. The water is also really murky most of the time, so keeping track of eachother is impossible. So it's either dive-solo, or not at all.
For the first several dives, I stuck to 30ft or less. Then I worked my way up over time, and my average dive now is ~60ft solo, rarely 100ft, and once to 130ft. I'm always increasingly cautious at depth. Since I want to limit myself a little less and have an "insurance policy" of sorts, I've started working on upgrading my equipment including having a redundant-air supply and mask. I get why dive-agencies vocally discourage solo-diving (liability, irresponsible divers, stagnating skills, equipment), but since I basically started off solo-diving it's never been a big-deal for me.
For the first several dives, I stuck to 30ft or less. Then I worked my way up over time, and my average dive now is ~60ft solo, rarely 100ft, and once to 130ft. I'm always increasingly cautious at depth. Since I want to limit myself a little less and have an "insurance policy" of sorts, I've started working on upgrading my equipment including having a redundant-air supply and mask. I get why dive-agencies vocally discourage solo-diving (liability, irresponsible divers, stagnating skills, equipment), but since I basically started off solo-diving it's never been a big-deal for me.
Bert van den Berg
Contributor
I started diving solo after my son moved to Australia. The wife didn't dive at that point. We have our own boat and didn't want other people always on our boat just so I could dive.
She finally got tired of following me in the dinghy and got certified to dive. She "likes" diving but I "love" diving so I still mostly dive solo.
She finally got tired of following me in the dinghy and got certified to dive. She "likes" diving but I "love" diving so I still mostly dive solo.
For many years I was the only sidemount diver in the town and I was constantly reminded of the fact that I would kill myself with sidemount gear because there is no manifold and that I should get backmounted doubles and a canister light.
I chose to dive in sidemount and in company that did not complain. Very often I went solo althought I did have one regular dive buddy. Later I found it to be very relaxing to focus just on myself and my diving.
I still dive in teams too. Ice diving, mine diving and cave diving are safer in a team. On the other hand, I've done my most demanding cave dives completely solo (or team solo). Read: Solo Cave Diving and UK Sump Conditions | Cave Diving Group I am trained by the Swedish Speleological Society.
I chose to dive in sidemount and in company that did not complain. Very often I went solo althought I did have one regular dive buddy. Later I found it to be very relaxing to focus just on myself and my diving.
I still dive in teams too. Ice diving, mine diving and cave diving are safer in a team. On the other hand, I've done my most demanding cave dives completely solo (or team solo). Read: Solo Cave Diving and UK Sump Conditions | Cave Diving Group I am trained by the Swedish Speleological Society.
I got my solo cert last fall at about the 315 dive mark. I simply wanted to be able to work on skills at the local quarry without boring a buddy. Viz has been so bad at the local quarry this year that I just use the biggest platform and stay down for an hour is so. Apparently it’s so well known that I hang out in this one spot that one of the instructors said he’d know exactly where to look for me if it seemed I was under too long. Don’t have to drag a float at this quarry, unlike several others in the Midwest.
I am as new as they get to solo diving. My wife is my normal dive buddy and loves to dive as much as I do so we dive almost every weekend in local lakes. I wanted more skills and knowledge so I took the class not really knowing if i would dive solo. During the class i felt so free having no feeling of responsibility for other people. I only have 1 solo dive as of date. last Sunday as my wife was sick and could not dive. It was a very free feeling. I will continue to dive with the best dive buddy i could as for but look forward to have some solo dives from time to time.
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