Diving solo allows me to dive without having to wait for anyone or stress about timing. Solo diving also allow to not worrying and keeping an eye out for a dive buddy and that can be relaxing. I like both solo and buddy diving.
What is your motivation to solo dive?
- Thread starter Litefoot
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After teaching for 14 years and always feeling like I was responsible for someone else, even on fun dives, solo or diving with the people I can count on one hand, is the only time I can truly relax.
I'd rather be alone at a local lake with no one around than at a quarry where it's likely I will know several people. Even if I'm not diving with them.
I see things at every dive site that I think, "that's just something that has the potential to ruin this day." Unprepared students, sketchy gear, behavior of instructors, etc.
I often just want to put my head down, get in the water, and head for places that I rarely see others going. Sometime I just get in and swim around with no sense of a preplanned direction because I don't need to when diving alone. The local sites are such that I'd rarely be more than 100 yds, in most cases less than 50, from the shore.
And I like to stay shallow (15ft or less) where the most life is, the water is warm, and I can get 2 hours + out of a tank.
I'd rather be alone at a local lake with no one around than at a quarry where it's likely I will know several people. Even if I'm not diving with them.
I see things at every dive site that I think, "that's just something that has the potential to ruin this day." Unprepared students, sketchy gear, behavior of instructors, etc.
I often just want to put my head down, get in the water, and head for places that I rarely see others going. Sometime I just get in and swim around with no sense of a preplanned direction because I don't need to when diving alone. The local sites are such that I'd rarely be more than 100 yds, in most cases less than 50, from the shore.
And I like to stay shallow (15ft or less) where the most life is, the water is warm, and I can get 2 hours + out of a tank.
That is not an answer to the question.
Again, what is your reasoning to disagree with "every dive is a solo dive"?
This is not semantics, this is an important part of diving. Ignoring novices for this; they need to dive with others so they can get help and work together.
For experienced divers, it's an attitude to prepare for most eventualities. You've thought about running out of gas, so have additional gas and practised using it. You've brought a spare mask and can swap over. You've got a spare computer, lights, cutting devices, SMBs. You've planned the gas profile and validated what you're breathing.
NOBODY ELSE is responsible for that.
During the dive you may well be part of a team and working together. You might even be diving with novices... Whatever it is, you will be responsible for not being flustered by "most" perils and sorting your own problems out. Hose bursts... you calmly do a shutdown. Reg fails... you calmly switch regs. Entanglement... you stop and cut yourself out of it. Penetration... you'd have brought a line. Vis disappears... no problems. Your team-mate disappears... no problems.
Of course there's some perils that will be a lot easier to resolve if you have other people around to help you. Thankfully, these are rare. All of the other things happen all the time.
There's pretty much nothing in the Solo Diver "course" that you wouldn't normally do when diving.
Hence: Every dive is a solo dive whether or not you're with another diver/teammate/buddy.
I am not saying that. I am talking about your basic skills, planning and recovery.
Do you *really* want someone on your team who's incapable of sorting minor issues out?
Worse still do you honestly just go along with what the team says because someone's pushing you? I don't. Your #1 priority is yourself and then the team.
I don't disagree with any of what you just said. I still think it's silly to say that "every dive is a solo dive". If you said "you have to be self-reliant even if you have a buddy" I would agree. And we're not just talking semantics. If people think that ALL that is required to be a good buddy is being self-reliant, they're oblivious. Ergo, not the same thing.
SOLO diving does not always mean diving "alone". As long as an operator allows SOLO diving.....AND, I am not with family or friends, then I would rather declare that I am SOLO than to be "officially buddied" with an unknown. That way staying with the "group" or with another diver is my choice. I feel that this is actually safer than a "buddy" dive because we've clearly established that I have no expectation for others to assist me and vice-versa. If I stop to shoot 5 minutes of video or stills on a macro subject then the last thing I need is to be concerned about constantly checking to see where my "buddy" is. AND..... it would be rude for me to expect another diver to feel obligated to hang out near me for that same time.
When I do elect or agree to dive as a buddy, then being configured, equipped and trained as a SOLO diver probably makes me an even better overall buddy. How many typical rec divers carry an extra mask.....or can replace a broken fin strap underwater...or can hand off a pony if needed...... or can hand off my spare wrist mount computer if yours fails....or carrys 2 DSMB's, a mirror, a dye marker, a Nautilus Lifeline with VHS radio, two knives, emt shears and a trilobite.... And as unpopular as it may be, my SOLO configuration also includes an Air 2 along with my back mounted 19.... so although unlikely, I "technically" could assist two out of gas or low on gas divers to the surface without buddy breathing..
I'm not sure that I would say that "every" dive should be defined as a SOLO dive.....but I will say that every diver should be mentally and physically capable and prepared to be "self reliant" if needed.
One thing I do want to be clear on is that being a SOLO diver....at least in my mind.....does not at all absolve me from my general responsibility as a human being to assist another person if I am able.
When I do elect or agree to dive as a buddy, then being configured, equipped and trained as a SOLO diver probably makes me an even better overall buddy. How many typical rec divers carry an extra mask.....or can replace a broken fin strap underwater...or can hand off a pony if needed...... or can hand off my spare wrist mount computer if yours fails....or carrys 2 DSMB's, a mirror, a dye marker, a Nautilus Lifeline with VHS radio, two knives, emt shears and a trilobite.... And as unpopular as it may be, my SOLO configuration also includes an Air 2 along with my back mounted 19.... so although unlikely, I "technically" could assist two out of gas or low on gas divers to the surface without buddy breathing..
I'm not sure that I would say that "every" dive should be defined as a SOLO dive.....but I will say that every diver should be mentally and physically capable and prepared to be "self reliant" if needed.
One thing I do want to be clear on is that being a SOLO diver....at least in my mind.....does not at all absolve me from my general responsibility as a human being to assist another person if I am able.
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