How many of you think solo is OK to do and why?

[AfterDark]

An old Navy buddy who ran a dive boat in Monterey for years said it best:

“If you have to ask if you are qualified to dive solo, you're not.”​

Note that “Certified” is not the same as “Qualified”, or vice-versa.

Similar to my credo "If you have to ask if you're ready to solo dive you're probably not". I know I didn't ask anybody, of course there was nobody to ask or I would have ask if they wanted to dive! Sometimes I hope these thread have convinced certain posters to wait longer and dive more.

 

[Z Gear]

I dive solo the great majority of the time. Here is a whole seminar on the subject by a very respected personality:

Solo Diving- Coming out of the Closet on Vimeo

Great seminar on solo diving. It was a bit long but I did appreciate all the good info. I did not realize that aprox 71% of divers actually solo dive that seems quite high. I guess after listening to the speaker I have probably been solo diving myself for a while, considering my diving scenario: buddy separations , testing gear, and both of us taking video.

Frank g
Z GEAR - Z Gear

 

[Akimbo]

… I guess after listening to the speaker I have probably been solo diving myself for a while, considering my diving scenario: buddy separations , testing gear, and both of us taking video…

It’s sort of interesting really. Divers who are the least trained and skilled to be a buddy are the ones who need a great buddy the most.

 

[Steve_C]

"If you have to ask if you're ready to solo dive you're probably not". .

Generally true, but asking "should I" is probably a good think to ask before many dives solo or not.

And the converse is not true. If you don't ask does not mean you are ready.

 

[Z Gear]

Similar to my credo "If you have to ask if you're ready to solo dive you're probably not". I know I didn't ask anybody, of course there was nobody to ask or I would have ask if they wanted to dive! Sometimes I hope these thread have convinced certain posters to wait longer and dive more.

I think the easy thing to do is just to do it.

But being cautious and taking steps to find out more information, I believe is a wiser, choice before any action is implemented. There is nothing wrong when gathering information. Knowledge can be learned first by asking questions and comprehending what is discussed. The desire to dive solo is a real one but I have not ran into many at our dive site ( La Jolla) So I assumed it was not very common.

 

[KevinNM]

I'd rather have a skilled and confident diver with me who pays attention to where I am and stays close enough to help. Since they are rare I plan to be able to help myself. And yeah, I've gone solo diving, though generally under pretty low risk situations. I plan to get certified to do this, and also do the GU fundies course, which is pretty much the complete opposite.

 

[TMHeimer]

A lot of good posts in what may be the most discussed and touchy topic ever on SB. I'm not going to dig out my old PADI OW manual, but I believe it just starts discussing buddy diving and takes it from there. I don't THINK there is anything specifically AGAINST solo diving. The fact the there is the "Self Reliant" Diver PADI course (and other agency Solo courses) says something. Yes, Divemasters often set buoys and anchors solo. I have assisted at least one instructor who has 2 of us set the training buoy so as to set a good example (not sure what he does when only one DM present--guess he goes too and leaves the students on shore). Anyway, it's up to each person. My "personal" rule is I don't go below 30' solo, as I know I can easily do a CESA from there, and am extremely careful to go nowhere near anything that could entangle me. I also use a bungee cord to hold my reg mouthpiece in my mouth should I ever become unconscious for any reason (at least I may recover a bit from said heart attack and get to the surface without drowning?). Sometimes I do break my 30' rule, but not for long periods--maybe there is a good shell at 40'? I also feel that though we all know you can die in 3 feet or 3" of water given the right circumstances, the deeper you go the more you are at risk. I know of an instructor who routinely goes to 100' solo without a pony bottle. That's my take on it anyway. Oh, as to why I dive solo-- Where I live in Nova Scotia and where we snowbird on the N. Gulf of Mexico in winter makes finding and coordinating with a buddy just too much of a hassle.

 

[AfterDark]

Generally true, but asking "should I" is probably a good think to ask before many dives solo or not.

And the converse is not true. If you don't ask does not mean you are ready.

Agreed, but that is a question one asks to oneself or a mentor.

 

[Remy B.]

Apart from the pony bottle and other gear, I will think the best approach is to call the dive in the correct moment, that will safe you from more things than anything else, since I believe you will encounter more, bad weather, currents, bad visibility, than you will have a regulator, BDC or hose failure. it is more of a common sense thing.

 

[videofly]

In the late 50's, I remember my dad throwing a mask, fins, and tank on to go diving. From when I was about five, I'd throw on a mask, fins, and a snorkel and go skin diving, often by myself. Later, in the early 70's, when I got scuba certified, like my dad, I would throw a mask, fins, and tank on and go diving. Sure, I learned to buddy breath so that in the event that I happened to be diving with someone else and one of us needed air, we knew how to share.

It wasn't until I recently got PADI certified that I learned that solo diving was taboo. I'm not quite sure why, but evidently, modern divers must have buddies. I guess we were reckless years ago.