Why I should Not be Solo Diving?

[uspap]

Catherine,

I'm glad to hear you make the comment about selfish mode. My buddy and I both have cameras and it is a mind set. Anymore it's same day same ocean diving. I started diving solo to get my skills up and because I would rather know I'm alone that think I have a buddy. It is very peaceful alone at times. I half joke with my buddy that should I have a problem at depth at least he wll capture my last moments on film. I guess photographers make crappy buddies. Unless of course you want your picture taken.

 

[grazie42]

Having reviewed this resurrected thread, it still amaze me how people assume that a low number of dives (or a low number of dives on a outdated profile) means that the diver have no clue..
What do I seriously know about the research and even training that someone might have put into their solo/not solo decision in 20, 40 or 200 dives?
How about it would be ME that have no clue about it..

People go on the info provided, if you provide bad data, you get bad feedback.
People make assumtions based on a lot of things, in the absence of data, people make assumptions.

Sure, there are skills that needs to be worked on but why do we assume its safer for someone to work on those skills with another diver to begin with? Yeah, your buddy SHOULD be a good buddy, but what guarantee do you have of that happening?

There are no guarantees in life, except that it is a terminal condition. I believe that two newbie-divers are safer together than appart (which is sort of the "worst case scenario"), feel free to disagree.

Yeah, Im well aware of the increased risks I take jumping into the water alone vs jumping in with a Grand Master Über Diver and Im totally prepared to take that risk and blame nobody but myself for it. And no, I dont care if you think I have too few dives or that Im not prepared..
Ive been close enough to being killed by everyday activities and incidents that I cant really control to realize that some day my numbers up. The only thing thats certain is that from the day youre born, the days you have to swim with the fishies are decreasing..

If you don´t care what people think, then why ask for their opinion? Seems like a waste of everyones time and some needless aggravation for both you and others...

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

Having reviewed this resurrected thread, it still amaze me how people assume that a low number of dives (or a low number of dives on a outdated profile) means that the diver have no clue..
What do I seriously know about the research and even training that someone might have put into their solo/not solo decision in 20, 40 or 200 dives?
How about it would be ME that have no clue about it..

Sure, there are skills that needs to be worked on but why do we assume its safer for someone to work on those skills with another diver to begin with? Yeah, your buddy SHOULD be a good buddy, but what guarantee do you have of that happening?

Yeah, Im well aware of the increased risks I take jumping into the water alone vs jumping in with a Grand Master Über Diver and Im totally prepared to take that risk and blame nobody but myself for it. And no, I dont care if you think I have too few dives or that Im not prepared..
Ive been close enough to being killed by everyday activities and incidents that I cant really control to realize that some day my numbers up. The only thing thats certain is that from the day youre born, the days you have to swim with the fishies are decreasing..

Ahh, yeah... Best advise I can give is if you have to ask someone else their opinion about it, you aren't ready. You know you're ready when it gives you no second thought at all.

 

[mamashark]

Here is ONE great reason:

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=195748

He hasn't been found yet. If he had a dive buddy, maybe he would have a least made it back to the boat...live or dead.

 

[hollywood703]

Or second great reason:
07/26/2007

Breaking News, 1:15 p.m.

Diver drowns off Elmwood park

FROM STAFF REPORTS
TRAVERSE CITY — A Traverse City man drowned while scuba diving alone in West Grand Traverse Bay off Elmwood Township Park.
Divers found the body of Male XXX, 51, floating among moored boats off Elmwood Township Park around 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Leelanau County sheriff's officials said in a statement.
Officials believe XXX likely walked into the waters from the beach alone sometime after 2 p.m., but are unsure exactly what caused him to drown.
XXX was pronounced dead at the scene after efforts to resuscitate him failed, sheriff's officials said.

Full Story:
http://www.record-eagle.com/2007/jul/26drown.htm

 

[twinkles]

My first post. How does a BC fail? Doesn't that answer the question of whether or not solo diving is appropriate? I will tell you how my BC failed. I took my first OW class 22 years ago. I just finished my second OW class this past weekend. (I can't resist a little digression. The class I took in 1985 was significantly longer and taught at a University, but I can’t say that I was any better trained.) Anyway, the weekend after we finished our class, we headed down to John Pennycamp and got on a cattle boat with 20 or 30 other divers. We jumped into 20 or 25 feet of water and swam off. In no time at all I was down to 500 pounds of air. So we surfaced. My BC was leaking; a BC full of water doesn’t provide much flotation and we weren’t wearing wet suits in the warm water. We were probably 25 yards from our boat, but I was quickly becoming exhausted from trying to keep myself afloat and bobbing in 2 foot swells. Fortunately we were in John Pennycamp because there was a boat every 25 yards or so and we got on the first one we made it to over the objections of the captain.

A good Samaritan dive instructor had an inner tube and he swam us over to our boat. That was my last dive for 22 years.

I just finished my second OW class and hope that 22 years more maturity and the financial resources to afford better gear will lead to a more successful experience.

 

[TomP]

wow, did this thread take a turn for the worse. This is in fact the Solo forum and intended for constructive dialog in that context. We are well aware that a lot of folks think solo diving is an unacceptable and unsafe diving practice. Duly noted, we don't agree, move on....

 

[Soggy]

This is in fact the Solo forum

In fact, it is not. In fact, it is the Basic Scuba Discussions forum.

 

[TomP]

lol... my bad

 

[Tigerman]

Ahh, yeah... Best advise I can give is if you have to ask someone else their opinion about it, you aren't ready. You know you're ready when it gives you no second thought at all.

If it gives you no second thought at all, youre reckless..
The fact that youre preared to deal with the increased risk dont mean you dont consider it and try to minimize it..

If you don´t care what people think, then why ask for their opinion? Seems like a waste of everyones time and some needless aggravation for both you and others...

I dont think I asked for anyones opinion in this thread?
I stated some observations and thoughts tho (in what might be considered a provocative way)