When Did You Start?

[Kangy]

I first started diving solo shortly after I transitioned into doubles, mostly due to lack of doubles divers here in Okinawa, at first for the sole reason to work on trim, weighting, tweaking gear config, practicing skills to prep for tech classes, etc. Anyways after my first solo dive, I fell in love with it.
It's a completely different feeling being out there on your own. In a way for me it brought back the initial wonder of diving that we all felt during our OW class. Now I think I do more solo dives than I do buddy dives. It's amazing being able to stay at one spot watching macro subjects for 30 minutes while taking your time snapping a few nice pics without having your buddy there bothering you.
Hard to explain, but I just love the feeling knowing that it's just me and the ocean.

 

[SwimJim]

Not hard to explain at all. I have sat at the end of a local abandoned pier crib for over an hour just watching minnows react to my inhalations and exhalations. I dive vintage double hose regs and they don't freak out marine life. A buddy will though in a heart beat. Some people profess to solo diving off a cattle boat. I find that rather humorous. Solo is solo. That means by yourself to the unintiatated. If theres six people diving off the boat, guess what, your not alone! Solo diving is great. You have to know your config in and out and have the right mental attitude. If you go in expecting to fail, guess what, you will. If you have proper training, have no trouble performing ditch and dons for instance, you'll be okay. It was a basic skill when I got certified 28 years ago. I understand thats part of the DM program now. Ha. Be safe, use your head and remember the first rule of diving. What ever happens to you, do not panic. Think, plan, react.

Jim

 

[Kangy]

If you have proper training, have no trouble performing ditch and dons for instance, you'll be okay. It was a basic skill when I got certified 28 years ago. I understand thats part of the DM program now.

Yep, I didn't have to do the ditch and don until my DM course, I thought it was a fun skill, then again people say I'm weird with the fun 'comfort drills' I make up for myself like taking my rig off while hovering in depth then putting it on backwards so the tanks are in front of me and then swim around without my mask doing valve drills.

 

[Timeliner]

I'm glad you enjoy the fun of it all !
It is an S-O-Terek kind of thing

Keep it touch with your other buddys but go hang out by yourself when ever you can !

That reminds me... ( Note to self Solo.... this weekend ..)

 

[Nitrox50]

Hi

I started solo diving after I had about 100 dives. I did the TDI solo-course and was happy enough with that. Now I solo-dive all the time.

 

[Packhorse]

Dive #9
way too early.

 

[Charlie99]

Dive #9 way too early.

On the last dive of my private OW cert class I told the instructor that I wanted to see what it felt like to be overweighted. So he lent me his 12 pound weightbelt which I added on top of the 12 or 14 pounds I was wearing. Originally I was going to just descend to the 15' sandy bottom and then come back up, but he saw I was comfortable and motioned for me to swim on out to the outer reef at 25' or so.

So here I am at least 12 pounds overweighted, down on the bottom. The only other diver around is my instructor, in his 5mm wetsuit and no weightbelt, 25' up above me, and probably unable to swim down to me without removing the wetsuit.

Does that count as a pre-certification solo dive? :banana:

 

[vel525]

Not sure if this counts, but at the end of a night dive our boat lost it's beacon/strobe. Apparently it's expensive because the boat did a few circles looking for it and when we found it they asked me to get in to recover it (I was the last one out with enough air for the recovery). It was the first time I was in the water by myself. I've been diving for a few years and had probably 75 dives under my belt by then. It was exciting and peaceful at the same time, I think more so because it was at night. I will probably never solo because my wife is my buddy, but just wanted to share.

 

[captndale]

I am not really sure when I made my first solo dive. I probably had a couple of hundred dives by then, but I can't tell you for sure. It was just a natural progression - when I was comfortable doing it, I did it. As for doing ditch and dons, I did those in my entry-level class.

 

[rhyz]

I started after moving to the Big Island. Not knowing alot of divers here and only relying on the few people I do know to dive, I found alot of days I couldnt dive without a buddy. So I decided on Sat. to go out on 4 mile to try it. I haven't been deep yet, still within 35fsw and always carry my pony. I practice my skills, work on my trim and can sit for awhile just waiting to get a great shoot of a target. I find it more soothing and relaxing than buddy diving, maybe because most of the others I've dove with aren't photographers. Needless to say my U/W nav is great alot better, as well as my sac rate.