What are your primary worries as a solo diver?

[AADiveRex]

I do most of my diving solo, some mild wreck diving, but mostly extrememly technical wreck penetration dives between 100 and 250 fsw. For me, the primary worry is a situation or a failure that I haven't conceived of before hand.

My solo diving methodology is one of risk management. Identify the risk, evaluate it, devise a risk management method. If the risk becomes a reality during a dive, I have already dealt with it in theory, I have already trained for the possibility, all I need to do is implement the devised contingency. I spend dozens of hours analyzing and identifying risk, and more devising and practicing my contingency plans.

Thus the biggest concern I have is the one I haven't considered. The one I haven't planned for. The one that I will have to think through on my fins, while my life may hang in the balance. Hoping that my witts, preparation, training, and experience are enough to get me through the situation. This is the reality every solo diver needs to face, on every solo dive regardless of depth or challenge level, and should be a critical factor in determining if the risk is worth it. I may be arrogant, but not so much so as to believe I have considered every possibility.

Dive Safe,
Adam

 

[captain]

My wife boat sits while I dive (she is a non-diver) and my biggest concern is a boat emergency she would have to handle while am diving.

Captain

 

[flw]

co2 hit, I'm not convinced I'd be able to swap to oc and bail out even though it's very straight forward.
Other than that, the only mishap I've had was swapping reels with someone else underwater while he went back, and looping myself into it knowing I was the only one left on the wreck (M1) and the tide was building

 

[Kim]

I would define redundancy as an alternate source capable of functionally replacing a failed _______ .

The surface does not fit this definition. Since it does not provide breathable air underwater. One has to successfully abort the dive in order to be able to use it.

So lets say your gas supply stops abruptly just as an OOA diver in full panic grabs a hold of you. Maybe it stops right when you get hit by vertigo and possibly vomit. Probably easier to make an instintively ingrained movement for your backup reg and find the mouth than the surface. Or maybe it stops after a full exhale and you start to uncontrollably cough. Maybe ........

If I'm diving solo there won't be another diver to grab me. In only 10 meters of water I don't think that vertigo would come into play - the bottom is 10 meters - I'd normally be at 8 or 9. If it did and I started to vomit I think that my best bet would be the surface - it's hard to breath at all when you are vomiting. Ditto: it's hard to breath when you have an uncontrollable coughing fit. How long does it take to do a CESA/ESA from 10 meters or less? A few seconds? How long can you hold your breath with a fully exhaled lung? That long? If you have to?

edit: In fact this last question is quite interesting so I'm going to start another thread with a poll!

I think that your examples are a little extreme - but never mind - as you say.....maybe....

Out of interest - what is the maximum distance between you and your buddy - at all times of the dive - that you consider acceptable? At what distance of separation does the dive become 'Same Ocean Same Day'?

 

[rjchandler]

How long can you hold your breath with a fully exhaled lung? That long? If you have to?

'?

well - you're not gong to hold your breath.

 

[Scuba]

I think that your examples are a little extreme - but never mind - as you say.....maybe....

This is the main point here. Accidents will happen Unforseen events will happen. Errors will be made. We need to realize that we may not be able to reach the surface safely even from an extremely shallow depth. It is up to each individual to determine when and if he will accept this risk. It is important to be aware of, and understand the possibility of occurences and to determine their probability as best as possible. Near term and long term.

For example: You may very well be diving solo, but, if there are other divers in the vicinity, someone may come to you OOA.

I don't believe vertigo is dependent on depth. It could be caused by depth changes (pressure change) which can cause unequal equalization in the ears. The change of greatest magnitude per meter occurs in the shallows. Dizzines can result from very good visibility as well as poor. A symptom caused by vertigo and dizziness is one of our world whirling around - disorientation. Which way is up?

With a fully exhaled lung I can get to my backup reg or octo faster than I can get to the surface from possibly even a 5 ft depth.

As someone said in another post, a solo "diver" must constantly fight the feelings of infallibility, overconfidence and complacency Prudence is the key. Its safer to err on the side of caution. Things happen!

Maybe there is a boat or boats running overhead just when you need to go up - and can't really wait or detour any longer.

Maybe ..........

 

[DORSETBOY]

I'm genuinely not being flippant or trolling but I have no worries solo diving whatsoever.
I limit the max depth to within sensible reasons (for example the 15 m dive I did last saturday), I have good equipment, a lot of experience and the right mindset.. add to that I solo dive at sites I know I can dive with my eyes closed.

This is not being cocky but comes from planning each and every dive from start to finish, executing that plan exactly and knowing what I would do if the preverbial were to hit the fan at any stage.

As to boats overhead mentioned in the previous post, unlike when I first started diving I always dive with a smb.

 

[Kim]

It is up to each individual to determine when and if he will accept this risk.

I would have thought that this is the main point. Any number of human activities contain some element of greater or lesser risk. It becomes a question of balancing one risk against many others to determine if it's acceptable or not. Of course this presumes that all the knowledge to honestly evaluate a risk is present. Taking risks without being aware is completely stupid. However not taking risks would become very life limiting - imagine trying to get by if you had to walk everywhere and never took any form of transportation that moves faster than 20 mph - (and that's assuming that simple walking is risk free - in Shri Lanka my 5 year old daughter saw somebody run down and killed on the road - by a bicycle!!!) Risk is inherent in being alive.
From the depths that I have talked about I consider the surface to be adequate backup at the one location I said. For me the risk is very small - so I determine to accept it (even my wife who is also a diver feels that in this one place it's acceptable for me to do this - although she is generally against solo diving!)
If you honestly feel that for you the option of the surface holds too much risk then I respect that - and I wouldn't encourage you or anyone else to do such a dive. Sure it could go wrong for me as well - but I consider the risk of that happening to be very small. As I normally dive at this location with very new just certified divers I am anyway often in a position of solo - or at best, same ocean same day. Japanese standards sometimes leave a lot to be desired and I often have to chase people round the ocean trying to stay close enough to be of some use if something happens. This can be quite exhausting! The one time I did a true solo dive there it was so relaxing that I know I'll do it again soon.

 

[Charlie99]

My worries besides air: incapacitation and/or major lapse of judgement.

As Rick points out, there can be situations where you need assistance, whether diving or swimming.

Mempilot jumps in with

"What if you have a stroke on the way to dive site while driving in your car down the expressway? We all better start 'buddy driving'"

My answer is that yes, dRiving a car solo is probably more risky that "buddy dRiving", but the risks are acceptable.

This is my attitude about solo diving. I am at more risk in the event of some sort of incapacitation --- eel bite, getting beat up in surf exit, medical problem, etc; but for some conditions and some dives, the additional risks are acceptable.

My second concern is simply the lack of a 2nd person to evaluate the situation. "Two heads are better than one" is an old catch phrase that really does hold true. You can duplicate and get redundancy on all sort of gear, but without a buddy, you don't have a REDUNDANT BRAIN.

----------------------------------------------

I admit that I consciously compromise safety in many ways.

I use tanks with yoke valves instead of the more reliable DIN valve.

I use single tanks with K valves rather than H-valves or doubles.

I do some dives solo.

I'll do dives in less than great water conditions.

I decide to scuba dive rather than staying safe at home.

In each of those cases, I've made a choice about the relative risks and rewards.

 

[rjchandler]

As to boats overhead mentioned in the previous post, unlike when I first started diving I always dive with a smb.

like as not, that will attact boats and jet skis.