solo diving advice?

[scubadobadoo]

6. Dive within the limits of your experience and competence.

This really is the deal breaker for the OP isn't it?

 

[aquaregia]

I tend to look at the Scientific and Commercial diving community standards. If they aren't allowed to dive solo without surface support AND voice communication as a MINIMUM, why in the world should a recreational diver do it? Keep in mind that even then, most of those divers are still required to carry a full tank on their back just in case.

Commercial and scientific divers are in the business of liability minimization, not determining individual acceptable risk for having fun. I also don't agree that recreational divers should be universally seen as inferior to sci and comm divers.

 

[BDSC]

This really is the deal breaker for the OP isn't it?

How is this the deal breaker for the OP?

 

[Akimbo]

Commercial and scientific divers are in the business of liability minimization, not determining individual acceptable risk for having fun. I also don't agree that recreational divers should be universally seen as inferior to sci and comm divers.

So true. Divers having fun simply avoid unfavorable circumstances. Commercial divers are there to get a job done safely, efficiently, and on time for their client; or they will find someone who can. This results in conventions that are not applicable to recreational divers.

For commercial diving contractors, it is less about litigation liability and more about good business. Exaggerated payouts are limited by the Jones act in most cases and big insurance companies do the battling. Sure hurting employees may raise insurance costs, but it also stops the job and that costs contracts. That is what justifies the equipment and support investments to stockholders. This is not to imply there isn’t a driving human side. There is a near fox-hole sense of comradery that develops when lives are so interdependent.

It also doesn’t mean one discipline is superior to another. It is just different. Most commercial divers could care less about their SAC rate, the names of critters, or the ability to hover. A lot of them are useless in Scuba and would rather go through table 6 than use it… OK maybe that is a slight exaggeration. Table 4 maybe.

 

[JKPAO]

Well said!
See you topside! John

 

[ofg-1]

My sincere suggestion if you are solo diving off a boat, get a really big anchor. Get two anchors. Get extra chain. Take it from me, nothing is worse than being 6 miles offshore of Fort Pierce, coming up and seeing your boat drifting North.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I tend to look at the Scientific and Commercial diving community standards. If they aren't allowed to dive solo without surface support AND voice communication as a MINIMUM, why in the world should a recreational diver do it? Keep in mind that even then, most of those divers are still required to carry a full tank on their back just in case.

That is like comparing a highway construction crew to a back yard gardener ... completely different missions, utilizing completely different approaches and equipment.

Commercial divers have surface support because they're using surface-supplied air in order to maintain depth for long periods of time. Voice communication requires a full face mask. Both of those pieces of equipment require training which are completely outside of the typical recreational experience.

I think, in general, most solo divers would advise against someone going solo until they have at least a moderate amount of in-water experience ... which is why the SDI course comes with a prerequisite of 100 dives. It isn't because they think people shouldn't solo dive ... it's because solo diving implies a certain degree of decision-making that relies on using good judgment to keep yourself out of trouble ... and like anything else in life, good judgment comes with practice.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[OldNSalty]

I don't think any amount of advice you'll get on here will prep you for diving solo.

I would find someone local with much more experience and do a few dives with them-then ask them about it-maybe you are ready. Maybe not. Can't tell from here. The good news is that there are no scuba police (but there are search and recovery divers)

 

[scubadobadoo]

How is this the deal breaker for the OP?

We all know that diving within one's limit is a good thing. In this case we have a new diver who couldn't even dive The Grove in Key Largo off many charter boats with his/her experience level (not a hard dive btw) with a buddy and we are giving this same person solo diving advice? I have no issue with diving solo. Do it. Fine by me. But the OP asked for advice and mine is that he/she should seek more training and experience and than decide.

 

[scuba=dude]

diving is a social sport even though there is limited communication underwater still much more fun when you have a buddy

For you it is but not for me.