Very shallow water solo diving for metal detecting?

[TMHeimer]

My general thoughts:
--0-24 dives is early to be going solo, but I have no suggestion as to how many is the right number (I did after dive #75).
--My solo dives rarely eclipse 30'. 10-15' is even more like glorified snorkeling than 30', plus you have tank air if ever entangled, so it's probably safer than snorkeling. You're never supposed to snorkel or even swim alone either....
--Yes, you can drown in 1 foot of water if you hit your head falling, or in 6 feet. IMO, the deeper you go, the more the risk, regardless of other factors. I would not consider solo diving deeper than I do without taking the solo course, which isn't available here anyway. Now if you ascend from 15' while holding your breath you're in trouble, but you also shouldn't be certified.
--You can die of a heart attack when you are alone on land anyway, and a bad buddy can be more dangerous to you than no buddy. But, generally I feel buddy diving has more advantages than negatives safety-wise, especially if you get Rescue training. Remotely akin to seat belts--yes, they can cause your death (fire, drown), but the %s are with you wearing one.

 

[NCBusguy]

I have an old Tesoro Stingray UW detector that I have used for 20 years. When someone calls the shop that I work at, it is usually the owner that goes out but I have on occasions. The deepest I've gone searching for a lost item is 60' and I dive solo. To me, getting a refresher is a must if you haven't dove for awhile.