Solo - sticking to recreational limits?

[Dive Bug Bit Me]

Some of the recent threads got me thinking. I keep my solo diving to recreational limits as opposed to doing technical dives solo. Don't get me wrong, I do technical dive, just with a buddy or two.

The decision to solo only within recreational limits is partly some conservatism on my part and partly because I already feel that I am way out there in terms of being solo. The stigma of being a tech solo is just too much for me to contemplate.

I became curious as to how many others do solo within the technical realm. I am not talking about wracking up 2 minutes of deco while on a solo dive, but rather about planning and executing a full technical dive while solo.

 

[CWSWine]

I not only stay within rec limits but no deeper than 1 ATA.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I do it less now that I have a team mate I trust, but in the past, there were dives I'd only do solo, due to tight spaces, heavy silt, etc, where quite frankly a team mate just increases the silt, increases the communication demands and adds far greater complexity in turning the dive and exiting. There are still some cave dives that I would prefer rot do sol and would push farther solo, due to the greater speed and ease of exiting small spaces in a silt out when solo, and being able to do so without having to stay in contact with, communicate with, potentially locate, and worry about during the penetration and exit.

Now, at the same time I pad the reserves and ensure I am well in my comfort zone on those dives and I don't hesitate to turn if things are not proceeding as planned, but generally I look at those types of dives as being lower risk when solo.

The N is only three at this point, but I suspect the poll will continue to develop with a similar bi-modal distribution of pretty much no limits technical solo diving and recreational solo diving.

 

[DevonDiver]

I solo for technical wreck penetration, which sometimes involves deco.

My belief is that solo diving is a 'bolt-on' to whatever other qualification/s you possess.

Technical diving (for most agencies) emphasizes a high degree of self-sufficiency, operating on the principle that you should be able to safely complete every dive without assistance. That, in itself, predisposes the activity towards solo diving, providing that sufficient confidence exists in your ability to conduct the dive. If a technical diver didn't have that confidence, one might question whether they should be completing technical dives in the first place - as any unplanned separation of the group/team could cause undue stress.

Technical penetration into overhead environments is also an activity open for debate in the context of solo diving. I've done more solo wreck penetrations than I have with a buddy/team. In most instances, I feel more confident alone - as I am invariably the most experienced diver in a team and that brings an additional stress load through the need to supervise/guide less experienced divers. On the rare occasions when I am privileged to dive with an equal, or superior, experienced/qualified diver, then I enjoy the teamwork aspect of the dive, without the need to feel like a 'shepherd'. There is also less chance of a failure, less chance of silting, less chance of separation etc, when the team is smaller. 'One' is the smallest factor

It's worth noting that, as a technical instructor, I've become acclimatized to having a high degree of responsibility (duty-of-care) for divers in training. Regularly diving with technical trainees also brings about a decreased reliance in available support from the divers I most often accompany. In common with recreational diving instructors, I have a tendency to consider most training dives as being 'partially solo', to reflect the limits of support I can expect from a student.

 

[drbill]

Most of my diving (about 95%) since 1961-62 has been solo. Recently I have stayed pretty much within recreational limits, and often above 50-60 ft to increase my bottom time for filming marine life.

In the recent past (a few years back) I would routinely dive to depths of 180-200 ft involving decompression solo. My primary reasons for doing so at the time were that no one in the water at the time would be safe to buddy up with at those depths (I'd only consider two of the instructors who worked on the dive boat I dove from, but they were working) and I had no desire to go down with a buddy who was not trained and/or experienced and add a second life that might be risked should anything occur. The boat crew was informed that if anything should happen to me while diving those depths, they were NOT to attempt a rescue and my family was notified that they were not to initiate any legal action against the boat, its owners or crew. I took the risks... and I took the responsibility.

Over the past 2-3 years I have not had the equipment nor the purpose to repeat such deep dives. At the time they were done to film deeper water species for an episode of my cable TV show on "deep ecology." I no longer have that need and therefore stay shallow... but may resume solo deep diving in the future as I learn sidemount doubles.

 

[Graeme Tolton]

I have done solo tech dives ( planned, executed decompression dives). I find that i feel safer by myself a lot of the time. I didnt start doing any solo dives until after i had completed my tech training. I think that is because I had a higher level of confidence.

I also think that solo diving is more common at the technical level.

 

[AfterDark]

yes to 1,2,3, and 5.

 

[DevonDiver]

I not only stay within rec limits but no deeper than 1 ATA.

That's really funny. It was meant as a joke, right?

 

[Dive Bug Bit Me]

Interestingly no one has ticked solo in caves yet. This is the one that I have planned twice, but then both times at the last minute a less experienced dive was, well can I come along?

No good deed goes unpunnished, I ended up thumbing one of these about 20 mins in because I did not like what I saw!!

So far I have not been solo in a cave.

 

[Bob DBF]

I voted for #1 but still use the definition of recreational from when I first started diving, which would include the rest. I never have had an intrest in caves, and don't care for it when a cavern suddenly becomes one.

As I get older I find myself diving more in line with NDL Rec limits of today. And even though I still go into situations I probably should'nt be, I don't push the envelope as I would have 20, or even 10, years ago. I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid.



Bob
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I may be old, but I'm not dead yet