Thinking to solo dive ???

[MXGratefulDiver]

I solo dive exactly like this to any depth I want within reason both from shore/beach or boat completely alone and have been doing so for something like 40 years. You guys over do things and over science things to the point of absurdity on this board. No BC, single tank, single double hose Aqua Master, SPG, depth, watch compass and nowadays a sausage and finger reel and good sharp knife. Don't need a card, don't need a book, don't need approaval. It is going to be a great year ahead of solo diving--to the limit--totally alone and on my own, just like always.

Minimalist diving, the new wave, reduce your carbon footprint, leave it in the store.

N

If you solo dived in that getup around here you'd freeze to death in about three to five minutes ... :11:

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Darnold9999]

If you solo dived in that getup around here you'd freeze to death in about three to five minutes ... :11:

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Totally disagree I'm sure he would last easily 7 minutes

 

[Cacia]

My philosophy is that I won´t do a dive with a buddy that I wouldn´t be prepared to do solo.

perfect.

(I'd dive with you, sounds like a good understanding and I'm sure you'd share some gas if I looked sane at the moment....) If I look dangerous, stay away, no hard feelings. I'd do the same for you.

I'd prefer no one lost their life trying to help me.

I'm still a bit incredulous that so many think solo is the cause of most diver deaths. I just don't see how that can be. I though we could not get accurate numbers on that?

If the number one cause of death topside is cardiovascular, why would that not be true underwater? (for same period of time) That risk does not take a break because you are now diving. (you are saying OOA or something supercedes the medical risks?...maybe) If I want to be safer, I am best off exercising vs buying redundant air, doing drills, in my guestimation. Doing both would be best, but unless you have reached the optimal aerobic condition, anything else I do instead is a waste of said time compared to conditioning my heart, no?

If I am smoking cigarettes why would I worry about the risk of flying? Seems you should worry where you can most effect change and then let the rest go. If you are not changing the big things, why even let the little ones on the radar? (unless you like to worry, and some people do) I want to worry where it counts, thats all. Because I am only willing to worry so much in a given day.

 

[Nemrod]

Totally disagree I'm sure he would last easily 7 minutes

Nah, I would get me one of dem dar macho drysuits like use guys and would be just fine, as always . No reason to complicate things and dive a drysuit in 80 degree water just for looks.

N

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Seems you should worry where you can most effect change and then let the rest go. If you are not changing the big things, why even let the little ones on the radar? (unless you like to worry, and some people do) I want to worry where it counts, thats all. Because I am only willing to worry so much in a given day.

I think we should not necessarily try to eliminate the biggest dangers in our lives. That is an over-simplified way to look at risks. Driving a car (or even worse riding a bike on a public road) are both very dangerous. However, most people will continue to engage in these activities because they perceive that they get a positive return on their "investment". Driving a car is perceived as essential; it provides a huge benefit even though it presents a significant danger.

Rather than simply trying to avoid the most dangerous things, we should try to avoid the dangerous things that provide us very little reward. They score low on the risk/reward ratio.

That is why I use redundant gear for all my diving at 60 feet or deeper. The benefit (less hassle) of not using the pony appears to be attractive for shallow dives since I really think I can make due without it. The pony represents a relatively big hassle and little benefit in 15 feet of water. Conversely, at 100 feet, the hassle of the pony is minor compared to the safety cushion it provides.

It is really pretty simple. Worry about the big risks and try to mitigate them, but ALSO make the simple modifications in behavior that are easy, even if the "benefit" is not that great.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Nah, I would get me one of dem dar macho drysuits like use guys and would be just fine, as always . No reason to complicate things and dive a drysuit in 80 degree water just for looks.

N

Well, now, they ain't exactly new, and they ain't exactly restricted to real cold water... Here's a picture from the Florida Gulfarium in Fort Walton Beach, circa April '55

Rick

 

[Cacia]

we should try to avoid the dangerous things that provide us very little reward. They score low on the risk/reward ratio.

point taken.

 

[tedtim]

Just to be a bit nit-picky:

You don't anticipate risks. You know risks. "Risk" is a short hand way of talking about probabilities of undesirable outcomes, and as such risk is there as facts in situ, risks are not events which happen.

What must be anticipated is manifest events; things that go wrong; risk realized as incident.

I am uncomfortable with the notion that "risk" can be avoided. It's simply not true. Risk is inherent in a particular activity or sub-activity. That particular activity or sub-activity can often be avoided by not choosing a particular action or course.

The definition of risk as I know it is an event, that IF it occurs can have a positive or negative impact.

You can adopt a strategy to avoid a risk by avoiding the cause of the risk. For a solo diver one of the causes of the causes of the risk is simply the choice to dive without a buddy/team. As another example, there is a risk that your house will be destroyed by a hurricane. The avoidance strategy is to deal with the cause of the risk, that is, your decision to live in an area that suffers hurricanes. In SCUBA I don't see how you can avoid a risk without taking the decison not to dive. Diving with a buddy does not serve to avoid the risk.

I often hear the overused term 'mitigate risk' without people truly understanding what this means. You can take actions to address the probability and impact of the risk. Mitigation deals with the negative aspects - decrease the probability and/or the impact.

I don't solo dive; well I did a few and do feel almost the same way when helping out on courses. The whole concept seems to me to be centred on identifying and addressing risk. Some folks are not comfortable, others are willing to deal with it in other ways.

 

[tedtim]

Well, now, they ain't exactly new, and they ain't exactly restricted to real cold water... Here's a picture from the Florida Gulfarium in Fort Walton Beach, circa April '55

Rick

So, how old were you Rick when this photo was taken? Do you still have the suit?

 

[Rick Murchison]

So, how old were you Rick when this photo was taken? Do you still have the suit?

What? You don't recognize Smedley???

I do have a suit that's very similar to that... I hauled it out the other day only to find that it had been made for a much thinner fellow
Seals were dry-rotted anyway...
Rick