Instructor question

[nimoh]

The anti solo movement gets back to some other stuff in scuba. It frankly amazes me that for a non-competitive activity that people are so polarized on opinions in this sport. It's a small minority of very opinionated people but they can be very vocal.

I think the fact that it isn't competitive lends itself to voicing opinions. In competitive activities, people tend to keep their strategies to themselves

 

[dirt1212]

Thanks for the comments everyone! it I appreciated.

 

[Bob DBF]

You can't really blame people for thinking so ... for some of them it is dangerous. And that is, after all, exactly what most of them were taught when they got trained.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Well it is dangerous.

What always amuses me is that new divers are trained that diving SCUBA solo is dangerous however, if you have a buddy somehow miraculously SCUBA is safe. Both have the same dangers, it is just the manner you mitigate that danger that is slightly different. Unfortunately some will believe that the buddy is making the dive safe rather than the training one should have to actually mitigate the danger.


Or, as you say:

... but if that's the route you're going to go, get yourself prepared for it. Don't assume that just because you're in shallow water you can't drown ... if the water's too deep to stand up in, you need to have the equipment and mindset of a solo diver. Otherwise, you're playing with a loaded gun.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Bob
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That's my point, people, by and large, are not taught that diving can be deadly, they are taught how safe it is, and they are not equipped with the skills, taught and trained to the level required to be useful in an emergency.

 

[Diver0001]

Someone over heard this and absolutely cuts loose on me about never diving alone! I understand to never "dive" alone but I or he didn't think dropping down 15 feet to a platform with someone on shore was a big deal.

However you look at it, this is a form of solo diving.

Opinions vary a lot from region to region and person to person as to whether or not solo diving is an acceptable practice. I would think that most people on Scubaboard would say that under controlled circumstances and with an appropriate amount of experience and intelligent risk mitigation it can be done safely.

It seems that you encountered someone who feels strongly that solo diving is never appropriate. It's their opinion and they may have good reasons to think as they do, but it's only one opinion. Ultimately you need to decide for yourself. What I *would* recommend if you plan on diving solo is to make sure you have all of your bases covered by taking a solo specialty. After all, you don't know what you don't know until you learn it.

R.

 

[TMHeimer]

Of course, a lot depends on what type of dive it is. Yes, you can drown in 6 inches of water if you hit your head. We've all heard you should never swim alone and many do. I assume this goes of course for snorkelling alone as well (I've done both since maybe 1969). Not sure if it's relevant, but which would be "safer"--snorkelling down 15' or going down there with an air supply. I'm not saying you should do either, just curious. With this question I am assuming the person doing it doesn't panic and breath-hold bolt to the surface on scuba, which of course isn't a barotrauma snorkelling.