Solo diving after AOW ?

[mech]

When I dove Vancouver Island I was the only one in my family that went diving.
I went to the LDS, took a group trip and hooked up with another diver (a local)that was every bit as insane as me and we did 4 dives a day for the rest of the week.I now consider him my Victoria Dive Buddy and a friend.
I'm thinking that if you make an effort you will very well might find another solo that loves to dive.
Good luck

 

[saying]

Kev Martin once bubbled...
Divers who are used to diving in limited visibility can, and often do, experience difficulty when diving in areas with good vis.

I'm curious about this statement. Why would this be?

It would seem to me (as someone with about 50 quarry dives and 4 -- my checkout dives -- in tropical paradise) that the reverse would more likely be true.

 

[flw]

It goes both ways - we see it here, albeit with cold water, divers used to murky water in clear light water suddenly find themselves way deeper than they intended, and apparantly forget the same rules of physics apply.
Quarries don't have the same currents/tides/up/down eddies to deal with.

 

[Snoopy]

BartBe

Here is a thread from another forum, which someone did a C-card on solo diving and shares his experience.

Solo Diving

Minimum age of 21 years.
Minimum of 100 dives.
Minimum of Advanced Open Water certification.
Watermanship: Able to comfortably cover 200 m on the surface in full scuba set-up (i.e. rigged up for solo diving), in open-water

Took me about almost 1.5 yrs to reach pass 100th dive stage and holds a rescue c-card. AND often got abandon by the dive group coz I am the only photographer in the group. AND often have to do "missing diver's search" to rejoin the group.

Still I dun want to be too far away from fellow divers in the waters- even they may not be my dive group or diver.

JUST IN CASE.

I suggest that you get more logged dives & experience before thinking of this kind of diving style.

Cheers

 

[CincyBengalsFan]

flw once bubbled...

Quarries don't have the same currents/tides/up/down eddies to deal with.

This thread was started due to some possible solo diving on Grand Cayman.

I've spent several weeks on the Island. Where can you shore dive from a hotel where there are currents, tides, up and down eddies to deal with????? And the north wall is not excessible from the shore and a hotel. Tides in G. Cayman are absolutely minimum and you will rarely notice a change.

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

Snoopy once bubbled...

Here is a thread from another forum, which someone did a C-card on solo diving and shares his experience.

Solo Diving

Minimum age of 21 years.
Minimum of 100 dives.
Minimum of Advanced Open Water certification.
Watermanship: Able to comfortably cover 200 m on the surface in full scuba set-up (i.e. rigged up for solo diving), in open-water

I would ADD to the above:

minimum training level of DIVEMASTER
read Robert Maier's book SOLO DIVING cover to cover and follow its rules

 

[Snoopy]

I was quoting the thread author's note about the "minimum qualifications".

Karl_in_Calif once bubbled...


I would ADD to the above:

minimum training level of DIVEMASTER
read Robert Maier's book SOLO DIVING cover to cover and follow its rules

 

[jonnythan]

Karl_in_Calif once bubbled...


I would ADD to the above:

minimum training level of DIVEMASTER
read Robert Maier's book SOLO DIVING cover to cover and follow its rules

What exactly do you learn in a Divemaster course that enables you to solo dive more safely?

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

jonnythan once bubbled...


What exactly do you learn in a Divemaster course that enables you to solo dive more safely?

First lets re-phrase the question:

What exactly do you learn in a Divemaster Course that enables you to solo dive LESS DANGEROUSLY?

In a word, the answer is WATERMANSHIP. The perfection of your diving skills.

An OW1 or an AOW might have learned the skills, but they have not perfected them yet. In a D/M course, and instructor will work with you to make sure your skills are perfect.

The specific skills that come to mind are these:

Removing and replacing your gear underwater, in the event you become entangled, since you do not have a buddy to help you.

Treating yourself for cramps, both underwater or on the surface, since you do not have a buddy to help you.

ESA and EBA, if your equipment malfunctions, or you lose track of your PSI on your SPG, since there is no buddy to remind you nor to share air with you.

Perfect neutral buoyancy, at all times, enabling a successful ESA at any instant.

Long distance surface swimming with and without scuba gear, which is part of the D/M exam. Most agencies require D/Ms to be able to swim up to a half mile within a given time period like 20 to 30 minutes.

Rescue and self-rescue. These are required for most D/M courses, and rescue is re-visited on a very thorough basis. That gives a solo diver a more keen awareness of establishing positive buoyancy at the surface, and ditching his/her own gear.

 

[jonnythan]

Karl_in_Calif once bubbled...


First lets re-phrase the question:

What exactly do you learn in a Divemaster Course that enables you to solo dive LESS DANGEROUSLY?

In a word, the answer is WATERMANSHIP. The perfection of your diving skills.

An OW1 or an AOW might have learned the skills, but they have not perfected them yet. In a D/M course, and instructor will work with you to make sure your skills are perfect.

The specific skills that come to mind are these:

Removing and replacing your gear underwater, in the event you become entangled, since you do not have a buddy to help you.

Treating yourself for cramps, both underwater or on the surface, since you do not have a buddy to help you.

ESA and EBA, if your equipment malfunctions, or you lose track of your PSI on your SPG, since there is no buddy to remind you nor to share air with you.

Perfect neutral buoyancy, at all times, enabling a successful ESA at any instant.

Long distance surface swimming with and without scuba gear, which is part of the D/M exam. Most agencies require D/Ms to be able to swim up to a half mile within a given time period like 20 to 30 minutes.

Rescue and self-rescue. These are required for most D/M courses, and rescue is re-visited on a very thorough basis. That gives a solo diver a more keen awareness of establishing positive buoyancy at the surface, and ditching his/her own gear.

Wow, I didn't realize divemasters were such fantastic divers. I've never even seen an instructor who lives up to that.

But anyway, which of those skills you listed *won't* you get in a solo diver class?