Solo diving after AOW ?

BartBe · Oct 21, 2003

Hi All,

A little advice please... In december i'll be going to the caymans. By the place where we are staying there should be some great shore diving. The depths are no more then 12 to 25 ft and i was wondering if it is ok to do these kind of dives solo ?
The reason i ask is because my girlfriend is not diving yet and I would obviously like to do some diving while i'm there.
The shorediving idea has to do with the finances... I guess it will be a bit cheaper doing some shoredives instead of having every dive with a divshop.

By the time we get there i'll be AOW and up untill now all my dives where in the murkey waters of belgian quarrys. Very low to no visibility and i was perfectly comfortable diving those waters.

With the limited depth and the good visibility in the carribean I think it would be a bit like diving in the pool ?? So is this something i could consider doing or do you guys say... NO

So what's the advice... ??

CincyBengalsFan · Oct 21, 2003

First of all the Dive shop may question why you're diving solo and may not release the tank(s) to you.

On the other hand, solo diving is really up to you. You know the risks. You know it's not nearly as safe as diving with a buddy.

Do you have a redundant system in the unlikely event you were to run out of air?

Yes, it would be like swimming in a big beautiful pool. I've actually done it on Grand Cayman.

But just keep in mind the risks you pose to yourself when solo diving.

Big-t-2538 · Oct 21, 2003

BartBe once bubbled...
Hi All,

A little advice please... In december i'll be going to the caymans. By the place where we are staying there should be some great shore diving. The depths are no more then 12 to 25 ft and i was wondering if it is ok to do these kind of dives solo ?
The reason i ask is because my girlfriend is not diving yet and I would obviously like to do some diving while i'm there.

It is totally up to you if you want to dive solo....try to get ahold of a shop or someplace before you leave and set something up....you don't know anything about the area as far as diving.

So my question to you would be do you want to solo dive in a place you have never even dove before?

DennisS · Oct 21, 2003

If you have to come here to get an answer on whether to solo dive or not, I'd say you're probably not ready. If you plan on solo diving and have a doubt on whether you're ready or not, I'd say not

docmartin · Oct 21, 2003

sounds relatively harmless at the depths you describe. you could first do a snorkel reconnaisance to familiarize yourself with the area. you could even have your girlfriend snorkel along and keep an eye on you when you dive. on the other hand, it should not be too difficult to find a buddy for a shore dive.

redacted · Oct 21, 2003

I thought Cayman restricted solo diving. If so, you will have a hard time getting tanks without a buddy. You may want to PM Drewsailbum and ask if someone doesn't clime in who knows.

CincyBengalsFan · Oct 21, 2003

awap once bubbled...
I thought Cayman restricted solo diving. If so, you will have a hard time getting tanks without a buddy. You may want to PM Drewsailbum and ask if someone doesn't clime in who knows.

This maybe true, but I have some instructor friends down there that luuuuuuuv to solo dive.

ScubaRon · Oct 21, 2003

From your description I get that you are:
- a fairly new diver
- have only received the very basic training (AOW does not really add much to your skills)
- not familiar with caribbean diving
- not familiar in the area where you would be diving
- do not have a redundant air system.

In these circumstances you should not even be thinking about solo diving. It is a good sign that you are comfortable diving in the Belgian quarries and they are excellent places to learn (did that myself too), but if you are not familiar with Caribbean diving, do not assume everything is a piece of cake: currents, fire coral, that first glance of a 6' barracuda in your face are things you are not used to. And the excellent visibility also has a tendency to let you "forget" your instruments.

What you should do instead is use this board and arrange for a dive buddy: that way you can get your shore diving, go a little deeper if you want (and perhaps see more) and be much safer.
:snorkel:

ScubaRon

redacted · Oct 21, 2003

CincyBengalsFan once bubbled...

This maybe true, but I have some instructor friends down there that luuuuuuuv to solo dive.

It's not too hard to get around. My wife/buddy is not as excited about diving as I can be. So we would get tanks and she would sit on the shore & read.

Kev Martin · Oct 21, 2003

I agree with everything ScubaRon has said.

Diving in a dark and murky quarry does not qualify you to dive in the sea with its attendant currents and drop offs. Divers who are used to diving in limited visibility can, and often do, experience difficulty when diving in areas with good vis.

Although I am not too sure what the regulations are for solo diving in the Caymans, I do know that it is recommended any shore dives should be undertaken using a dive float or flag in the water.

As DennisS has pointed out - if you need to ask, then the chances are you are not yet ready to solo dive.

Enjoy your holiday and above all Dive Safe.

Kev

Solo diving after AOW ?

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