What is your motivation to solo dive?

[SlugLife]

sorry if i don't understand have you done your certification or not yet ? I did about 20 ish solo dive by myself (not certified). I am thinking do to the self reliant course next spring but i am wondering if i will gain much doing so. What's your thoughts on that ?

I basically started out Scuba diving solo-diving, from the very beginning. I shouldn't have, and nor do I recommend other divers do so.

My first 20 solo dives were somewhat meaningless from a perspective of "solo diving experience, skills and knowledge." Given the questions I've seen you post in a bunch of threads (doing research and asking questions is a good thing), I'm guessing your solo-diving experience is much the same as my own first-20-solo-dives. Reading between the lines, you have about 20 dives diving alone, but may not have had the equipment, knowledge, or skills to be self-reliant in an emergency. There's more to self-reliant diving than diving by yourself and/or adding a pony-bottle.

It is possible you have much to gain (or little). I don't know what your kit is like, what safety measures you take, and whether you're capable of handling emergencies alone. An advantage of a self-reliant course, is they will instruct you in a more structured way, ensuring they cover each of the basics, and up to a level of basic competency in each of those areas.

For example, I've seen you post a lot about pony bottles, but have you also thought about other redundancies and emergency handling? For example spare/multiple/redundant mask, computer or depth gauge, cutting-devices, buoyancy, lights, or even propulsion. What if there's an entanglement around your back-mount tank that you can't reach while wearing your kit? Do you practice switching regulators and using your pony bottle? Can you find both regulators, cutting devices, and other emergency tools without visibility? Do you inform someone of your dive plan, or what to do if you disappear?

I don't think the self-reliant courses should be required to dive by yourself, or that everyone has to take one. However, some people would certainly benefit from the knowledge gained in such a course.

I also think based on all the questions you've asked in a bunch of threads, you really should start a thread where you can ask all kinds of questions, and avoid sending other threads off-topic.

 

[34109411]

I basically started out Scuba diving solo-diving, from the very beginning. I shouldn't have, and nor do I recommend other divers do so.

My first 20 solo dives were somewhat meaningless from a perspective of "solo diving experience, skills and knowledge." Given the questions I've seen you post in a bunch of threads (doing research and asking questions is a good thing), I'm guessing your solo-diving experience is much the same as my own first-20-solo-dives. Reading between the lines, you have about 20 dives diving alone, but may not have had the equipment, knowledge, or skills to be self-reliant in an emergency. There's more to self-reliant diving than diving by yourself and/or adding a pony-bottle.

It is possible you have much to gain (or little). I don't know what your kit is like, what safety measures you take, and whether you're capable of handling emergencies alone. An advantage of a self-reliant course, is they will instruct you in a more structured way, ensuring they cover each of the basics, and up to a level of basic competency in each of those areas.

For example, I've seen you post a lot about pony bottles, but have you also thought about other redundancies and emergency handling? For example spare/multiple/redundant mask, computer or depth gauge, cutting-devices, buoyancy, lights, or even propulsion. What if there's an entanglement around your back-mount tank that you can't reach while wearing your kit? Do you practice switching regulators and using your pony bottle? Can you find both regulators, cutting devices, and other emergency tools without visibility? Do you inform someone of your dive plan, or what to do if you disappear?

I don't think the self-reliant courses should be required to dive by yourself, or that everyone has to take one. However, some people would certainly benefit from the knowledge gained in such a course.

I also think based on all the questions you've asked in a bunch of threads, you really should start a thread where you can ask all kinds of questions, and avoid sending other threads off-topic.

ahhh thank you short story long no worries yes i do carry pretty much what you mention. I do also practice emergency drills. Most likely i will do the training , Safe diving to you !

let's talk now about the Woody incident and split fins !

 

[drrich2]

If I enjoy something, whether it be diving, eating out, going to the movies, pretty much any recreational activity, I enjoy it alone just fine, doing just what I want how I want to do it, and it's something where there often aren't other people I'm close to who share my hobby to do it with, the question turns around:

1.) What do I need other people with me to do it for? Guides providing navigation services and showing me things on boat dives are one example, but sometimes solo shore diving is on hand.

2.) Given the personal costs of making diving a non-solo activity, what are the benefits of diving with someone, a group, etc...? Sometimes they're compelling - I've had great dives in places I wouldn't have gone, much less dove, alone. But that's not always the case.

In other words, my motivation for diving solo is diving.

It's the hassles of diving non-solo that are to be justified, and often they are. Many solo divers do non-solo diving, too.

Solo diving isn't about restricting myself from buddy or group diving; it's about not being restricted to it.

 

[johndiver999]

If I enjoy something, whether it be diving, eating out, going to the movies, pretty much any recreational activity, I enjoy it alone just fine, doing just what I want how I want to do it, and it's something where there often aren't other people I'm close to who share my hobby to do it with, the question turns around:

1.) What do I need other people with me to do it for? Guides providing navigation services and showing me things on boat dives are one example, but sometimes solo shore diving is on hand.

2.) Given the personal costs of making diving a non-solo activity, what are the benefits of diving with someone, a group, etc...? Sometimes they're compelling - I've had great dives in places I wouldn't have gone, much less dove, alone. But that's not always the case.

In other words, my motivation for diving solo is diving.

It's the hassles of diving non-solo that are to be justified, and often they are. Many solo divers do non-solo diving, too.

Solo diving isn't about restricting myself from buddy or group diving; it's about not being restricted to it.

I doubt I have ever gone to a movie alone and I pretty much hate eating alone in a restaurant - I just don't feel comfortable doing those things alone - my problem I suppose. But diving alone, seems completely natural! LOL

 

[Doc Harry]

Solo diving is no big deal, find a nice quiet body of water on a good day, put on your gear and go for a dive. You’ve made your first solo dive. Take it from there.

No big deal? My typical solo dive: 50 deg F water. Visibility 6 to 12 inches. Totally dark below 35 feet. Finger walk along the lake bottom to a big drop off at 120 feet. Sometimes I carried a plastic bag of clear water so I could hold it between my mask and gauges to check my SPG and computer. Once I swam into a tree on the bottom in zero visibility and got tangled when I tried to back out.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

My typical solo dive: 50 deg F water. Visibility 6 to 12 inches. Totally dark below 35 feet. Finger walk along the lake bottom to a big drop off at 120 feet. Sometimes I carried a plastic bag of clear water so I could hold it between my mask and gauges to check my SPG and computer. Once I swam into a tree on the bottom in zero visibility and got tangled when I tried to back out.

I don't understand.

 

[Still Kicking]

I don't understand.

The point is you work with what you got.

 

[Doc Harry]

I don't understand.

What don't you understand? I'm happy to clarify or explain.

 

[TrimixToo]

Just because she’s a big name doesn’t mean she’d be a god instructor.

Fair point. However, two people I'd dive with any time speak very highly of Jill as an instructor. Based on their recommendations I'd take instruction from her without a second thought.

 

[Thrutch]

Sometimes I carried a plastic bag of clear water so I could hold it between my mask and gauges to check my SPG and computer.

Now that's ingenuity