solo dive for a noob

[rev440]

After I get my cert and go diving with the local dive club would it be safe for a new diver to go solo diving? I wouldnt be going that deep probably close to 30 feet give or take a couple feet so I could make it up the the surface for air if I need it. Reason being I have a cottage and will not always have a dive buddy close.

Thanks,
Nate

 

[jbd]

That would all depend on your training and actual skill/ability at diving and self rescue. Quite honestly most new divers are significantly lacking in skills to dive solo.

 

[erparamedic]

I would never dive solo, and I've been certified for over 10 years. Just not safe, IMHO.

 

[redacted]

You probably have lots of mistakes to make before you want to seriously consider diving solo. Besides completing BOW and making a couple dives with the club, what do you plan to do to get ready for solo diving?

 

[H2Andy]

can you deal with any emergency that arises?

are you willing to pay the price if you can't?

only you can answer those two questions

generally speaking, a new diver should not be diving solo. your c-card is
just a learner's permit, and you have a lot of learning to do

 

[Mark Vlahos]

After I get my cert and go diving with the local dive club would it be safe for a new diver to go solo diving? I wouldnt be going that deep probably close to 30 feet give or take a couple feet so I could make it up the the surface for air if I need it.

Thanks,
Nate

Would it be safe for a new diver to do a solo dive? Hmmm, let me think about this for about one milisecond... NO.

There are no SCUBA Police so there will most likely not be anyone to stop you. Will you get injured? Probably not. Chances are everything will be just fine and you will not have any problems. If you do have a problem you could just head for the surface, but a good buddy would be a better choice. If you dive solo you will never dive with a diver with better skills than you have, so it will be difficult to learn by your buddies example. If you never have a buddy with lesser skills you may never see mistakes you are still making but have glossed over. A buddy is an excellent learning tool, and you might even be there to help out that buddy if he or she has a problem. No buddy and you have no one to talk about the dive with while you do your surface interval.

Mark Vlahos

 

[isurus]

I wouldnt be going that deep probably close to 30 feet give or take a couple feet so I could make it up the the surface for air if I need it.

Even if say you were entangled in for example some monfilament line or netting or somesuch that you didn't spot? maybe it caught you around your pillar valve, you can't see it but you have your knife right? so you reach back but cos you can't see it it catches you again around your comp/watch. you're a bit panicked by this and try to turn except now its wrapping you tighter and oops you've dropped your knife and you're breathing heavily and your gauge is showing low on air and etc etc until its good night irene.

Still feel confident diving solo after a few dives??

 

[Diver Dennis]

I solo dive most of the time but I would not advocate solo diving for anyone. Solo is a personal decision based on, as jbd pointed out, your skills, training level and comfort in the water. There are divers I know with over a thousand dives that just don't feel comfortable doing it, although they have a very high skill level. The best thing for you to do is get certified and get some dives under your belt before thinking about solo. I know that sounds like a standard answer but that's the way it is.
Hope that helps.

 

[rev440]

Well I was never confident to begin with its just I would be diving possibly 3 times a day solo and now it would be like once a month when me and my buddy scedules work out. I mean im in a public lake and would only dive early in the morning or late at night and also dive at a 30 foot deep pond by my house. So I was trying to dive as much as possable.

Thanks,
Nate

 

[CBulla]

Like taking a space walk without mission control knowing whats going on... you really better have your Ps and Qs minded before you even consider it.