What is your motivation to solo dive?

[Jay Harris]

Like vc06 it’s for convenience. I’m obsessed with hunting lionfish and dive buddy hunters many times drift far apart and make lousy dive buddies, which I’ve been accused of. Plus my best dive buddy wife can no longer dive so I needed an option. My redundant air system regulator hangs directly off my right shoulder in front of me so in some ways it’s as safe or safer than having a dive buddy who is 20’-30’ away hunting.

 

[happy-diver]

With dive gear in your car you just have to stop, schedules are for work

 

[Nosmosis]

I’m new, so I have all kinds of questions. So why solo diving? Don’t have to find a buddy? You like to explore alone without constantly looking over your shoulder for your buddy? You dive with other people, but like having a two independent air sources when things go haywire? Do most of you who are solo certified go truly solo?

I was once an avid solo diver (and am now reformed) and here is why I was so solo-oriented.

1.) I struggled to find buddies that were as avid a diver as I was - and when I was trying to get my dive on, there were few divers available to go out.

2.) People didn't want to do the dives I wanted to do. They often wanted to just go to the quarry - and I wanted to go on charters and do some "real" diving.

3.) I did a lot of diving in NJ and it's a part of the dive culture. I have rarely been on boats where there wasn't a situation where most divers were solo or "meet back at the line" divers.

4.) Did a fair amount of hunting for lobsters and spearfishing. Tends to make you a solo diver. Although there are a lot of reasons why solo hunting is massively task-loady.

5.) I enjoyed the escape and solitude.

6.) I didn't want to worry about someone else or their calling the dive before I was ready.

7.) I liked just hovering alone on a reef or wreck looking at a little detail and not moving much. Thought that would be boring for someone else to participate in.

8.) I had some early buddies that got us into danger.

9.) Lastly and most importantly, nobody taught me to be a good buddy or team diver....I learned that later....which brings me to today.

I have found my way to team diving and recognize the joy and superiority over solo diving. It started with GUE Fundies, but wasn't fully metabolized until after Cave 1 when all of the protocols, the drills in teams suddenly came beautifully together and I realized that all the GUE "stuff" actually worked and made a heck of a lot of sense - Example, I much rather deal with a failure with a buddy who can help me deal with it than alone. I will say that a similarly trained buddy in a team is far better than a poorly trained insta-buddy in a dive course or on a dive charter.

 

[Scuba Lawyer]

"I have found my way to team diving and recognize the joy and superiority over solo diving."

 

[happy-diver]

I have found my way to team diving and recognize the joy and superiority over solo diving.

The only thing forever is your children

 

[happy-diver]

and people coming into solo being ridiculous

 

[Wibble]

I have found my way to team diving and recognize the joy and superiority over solo diving. It started with GUE Fundies, but wasn't fully metabolized until after Cave 1 when all of the protocols, the drills in teams suddenly came beautifully together and I realized that all the GUE "stuff" actually worked and made a heck of a lot of sense - Example, I much rather deal with a failure with a buddy who can help me deal with it than alone. I will say that a similarly trained buddy in a team is far better than a poorly trained insta-buddy in a dive course or on a dive charter.

They trained you well young Jedi. Only team diving will save the world.

 

[Nemrod]

I was once an avid solo diver (and am now reformed) and here is why I was so solo-oriented.

1.) I struggled to find buddies that were as avid a diver as I was - and when I was trying to get my dive on, there were few divers available to go out.

2.) People didn't want to do the dives I wanted to do. They often wanted to just go to the quarry - and I wanted to go on charters and do some "real" diving.

3.) I did a lot of diving in NJ and it's a part of the dive culture. I have rarely been on boats where there wasn't a situation where most divers were solo or "meet back at the line" divers.

4.) Did a fair amount of hunting for lobsters and spearfishing. Tends to make you a solo diver. Although there are a lot of reasons why solo hunting is massively task-loady.

5.) I enjoyed the escape and solitude.

6.) I didn't want to worry about someone else or their calling the dive before I was ready.

7.) I liked just hovering alone on a reef or wreck looking at a little detail and not moving much. Thought that would be boring for someone else to participate in.

8.) I had some early buddies that got us into danger.

9.) Lastly and most importantly, nobody taught me to be a good buddy or team diver....I learned that later....which brings me to today.

I have found my way to team diving and recognize the joy and superiority over solo diving. It started with GUE Fundies, but wasn't fully metabolized until after Cave 1 when all of the protocols, the drills in teams suddenly came beautifully together and I realized that all the GUE "stuff" actually worked and made a heck of a lot of sense - Example, I much rather deal with a failure with a buddy who can help me deal with it than alone. I will say that a similarly trained buddy in a team is far better than a poorly trained insta-buddy in a dive course or on a dive charter.

Okay, okay, it took me a while, this is a joke right? Ahhh, I am kinda slow sometimes. Now I get it . You are just pulling our snorkels .

 

[Waterwulf]

Hey is team diving like synchronized swimming? Like dancing?

 

[Wibble]

Hey is team diving like synchronized swimming? Like dancing?

And wearing the same uniforms.