What topics/information would you write into a Solo Diving textbook?

[Timeliner]

Any good Solo Dive Book should have a index in the back of great spots to eat and drink beer afterwards. There should be a slot for Real and Fake business cards with a couple of blank lined pages for notes and the occational phone number and Email addys.
I think a chapter or at least a mention in the book should be given to...
Writing up a Last Will.

Mine goes sort of like this....

This here is my last Will.
* There are some crackers in the pantry that are stale and need
to be thrown out.
* The Bacon is still good I had some this morning.
* Check the born on date of any beer I may have left...
( I think we are out)
* Any clothes should be given to Goodwill unless they were from
Goodwill then give them to The Salvation Army.
* Tell that guy who cuts the grass that he's fired.
In fact... fire everybody ! I refuse to pay them anymore!
* Don't throw away my Voter Registration Card it's still good.
* This is Priority #1. As you can tell, My regulators are in dire
need of service. Instead... send them to Ted Kennedy.
I hear he has a thing for water. Maybe he'll use them.
* Somebody please look after the monument to fellow
ScubaBoard Member Soggy that we place at 170 feet
in Lake Broken Bow,Oklahoma. The Zebra Mussels just love to
chew that danged thing.

* Yea, that's about it.

Lawyers charge by the word so I made them all count.

Be sure to get a couple of witnesses or it won't be valid.

 

[Dark Wolf]

Check the born on date...

Only trouble that I see, Ted may have a problem breathing through a reg while drinking and driving?!

Maybe someone has a method for this?


Dark Wolf

 

[Tigerman]

Since solo diving in my opinion is very much about making your own assesments and choices to begin with, the first thing id do if id write a book about it, would be to write it in a manner that make people think and evaluate the input and ideas given from the book.

Amongst the interesting topics I can think of for such a book;
* Introduction: What is solo diving and why do I want to learn about it? (Yep, nice place to write about same ocean buddys vs going solo from the minute you leave home)
* Assessing your SCUBA diving skills
* Assessing your mental strengths and weaknesses
* Stress management (How do I recognize a starting panic and how can I stay in control and similar topics)
* Gear configurations

And not to forget something very important;
* Predive preparations (Youre all alone, what need to be planned better than if you wherent?)
* Dive preparations (I take it you havent magically summoned a buddy yet?)
* Post dive preparations (Guess what? Nothings changed, youre still alone)

I gave all these topics good thought before I did my first solo dive, but one point I made a "worst case scenario" rather than an honest assesment.. My SCUBA skills.. I assume they are crap, since I dont have the experience to give them a no BS assesment. Infact, I dont most people will EVER be able to give their own skills a no-BS assesment, were just human..

 

[Blitz]

My biggest concern is self rescue. Solo diving is just diving without having anyone around to help you is you need it.

 

[Tigerman]

My biggest concern is self rescue. Solo diving is just diving without having anyone around to help you is you need it.

Self rescue is very much in the planning tho..
Who do i tell I go diving and what should they do if im not home in time?
What do I do if im bent and alone?
What can I do to minimize threats while under water?

Also, knowing your own mental strengths and weaknesses and knowing how to stay on top of a beginning panic is very closely related to self rescue.

Personally, I dont think self rescue is a topic, but the sum of many topics

 

[Johnoly]

My biggest concern is self rescue.

I like that term "Self Rescue".

Telling someone not to panic is pretty useless and "after the fact". Telling them they need to practice drills on a regular basis that lead to self rescue is a proactive approach which may reduce or eliminate panic.

I'd focus the book section on self rescue drills and equipment.

 

[jagfish]

OK...self rescue...so what should be included in that area?

 

[do it easy]

OK...self rescue...so what should be included in that area?

tired diver tow, surfacing the unconscious diver, OOA donations...

Blitz does have a good point. I think that self rescue is about avoidance as much as it is about controlling panic.

 

[Johnoly]

OK...self rescue...so what should be included in that area?

It's a big subject, but I'll try to tackle just a small portion on Equipment and a very short list of drills.

On equipment, I would suggest the solo diver carry:
* Pony bottle (size is a different thread arguement)
* 5 foot SMB with Solas tape
* Strobe
* Reel
* Cannister containing either VHF/cell/epirb, and GPS, Flare, Mirror
* Dive Alert horn
* 50lb lift bag (backup to SMB)
* Extra mask
* (long shot, but) Halcyon diver life raft
* Knife(s)

On Drills, I would suggest annually practice of:
- lost mask
- no fin swim
- Doff and Don
- Dump weights
- stuck power inflator
- 2nd stage Freeflow
- exploded 1st stage/tank oring
- entanglement drills
And just for fun, do all the above drills at the same time to simulate total panic.

P.S. This is in no way a complete list, feel free to add to it.

 

[TheWetRookie]

It's a big subject, but I'll try to tackle just a small portion on Equipment and a very short list of drills.

On equipment, I would suggest the solo diver carry:
* Pony bottle (size is a different thread arguement)
* 5 foot SMB with Solas tape
* Strobe
* Reel
* Cannister containing either VHF/cell/epirb, and GPS, Flare, Mirror
* Dive Alert horn
* 50lb lift bag (backup to SMB)
* Extra mask
* (long shot, but) Halcyon diver life raft
* Knife(s)

On Drills, I would suggest annually practice of:
- lost mask
- no fin swim
- Doff and Don
- Dump weights
- stuck power inflator
- 2nd stage Freeflow
- exploded 1st stage/tank oring
- entanglement drills
And just for fun, do all the above drills at the same time to simulate total panic.

P.S. This is in no way a complete list, feel free to add to it.

Good practice list though I would shorten the practice time frame from annually to regulary. Most of your drill list already gets practiced every 3-4 dives at the sftefy stop, (for me at least)

I have found that by just practicing these skills that it has made me a much more confident diver as you get more confortable underwater.