Why ALL should dive SOLO

[fisherdvm]

Catchy title. But all should learn to dive as if solo. Or all divers with instabuddies should dive solo. Or all divers with buddies with camera, lobster hunting, or other tasks. Or in strong currents. Two weeks ago a dad and his two sons were lobstering. We were in pretty stiff currents and lobstering means swimming against current to get to the hotspots. The son came up to me and dad was no where to be seen with a lobster in his hand. He was about 12 or 13 at 60 ft. I would dare to say that the hunting mentality makes you NOT a buddy to anyone, and I tell that to people when I hunt. “If you are in trouble, don’t count on me!” We should not lie about our capacity to assist when our attention is on taking photos or looking for lobsters. SOLO instruction should not be classified as technical diving. A modified version should be given in OW, soon after OW or included in AOW. You can change the title if you like: Diving with instabuddy specialty! Skills include: inflating the varied brands of safety sausages handed out on diveboats, shooting smbs, methods of mounting ponies, discussion on the proper use and capabilities of ponies and spare airs (objective data not subjective like here in SB), need for redundant cutting devices, more conservative air management when you think you are solo. Oh ... and actual air management skills which was not taught to me in neither OW or AOW. People used to laugh at me when I dove with a pony. But I noted that the more experienced divers usually envy me. It is a macho thing to think one can CESA from 80 ft without suffering decompression illness!