OK, 'fess up.... the Dark Side of Solo...

[Nemrod]

I never have been about justifying solo, I see no need to. I dive solo because I want to, because I can, because it is there, it is my choice and it is all mine alone. N

 

[Standingbear56]

I never have been about justifying solo, I see no need to. I dive solo because I want to, because I can, because it is there, it is my choice and it is all mine alone. N

Amen!

George

 

[sskasser]

I enjoy the peace and quiet, when I slip beneath the surface of the water, there's no sound but my bubbles, no light but my own, my mind gets still and quiet, and I'm in my own world.

Also, no communications issues, no problem if I want to crawl down a hole just to see what's there (and nobody jammed in behind me to see what I'm looking at!). If I decide to make a detour on the way to the divesite, no one is waiting on me, and I'm not waiting on anyone. Skills practice, experiments, staring at a square foot of reef willing all the little guys to come back out, all things to do when no one is waiting on you.

That said, I love my dive buddies and we have a blast diving together, including pre-dive planning, post-dive chowing, and just general goofing.

 

[Longstocking]

I didn't think I would ever be a solo diver. HA ! I wonder how many women out there would like diving more if they were!

Don't get me wrong I love diving with my sig. other. We volunteer for a group here in Maryland.... and it's more of a "job" than anything.

The thing is... I like to go slower and I hate dealing with him kicking up silt... when the viz is already 2 feet or less !!

So... I like the freak'n peace and quite and being able to see HA HA HA

But the biggest thing. I like not worrying about his air. I'm very good with my air and well... it sucks having to come up with 1500 every time !

 

[marchand]

The first time I dove solo was so liberating, I could get into the "groove" and not have to look between my legs and see that my buddy hasn't quite come around the corner yet then stop and wait for him then continue. Also, if I decide I really want to do the siphon tunnel instead of double lines half way up hill 400 then I can and not have to try and communicate that underwater. I really like the "you can do what you want" aspect of solo diving.

If your diving with a buddy named Al80 hanging on your side does that still count as solo?

 

[micklock]

One bad thing is not having someone to split gas money driving to the dive site, I spent 50$ in gas going to Whitestar Quarry.

 

[Stoo]

One bad thing is not having someone to split gas money driving to the dive site, I spent 50$ in gas going to Whitestar Quarry.

True enough... Solo doesn't have to mean being alone though. I am often diving "with" friends... But we are all diving solo. Diving in the north, where the visibility generally isn't great, we can be on the same wreck, at the same time, and never see one another...

 

[300bar]

One bad thing is not having someone to split gas money driving to the dive site, I spent 50$ in gas going to Whitestar Quarry.

You can pack more than 1 solodiver in a car.


Why solo.


OOOhhhmmmmmmm :zen:

Nah just like the peace . criss crossing the divesite,not wondering if my buddy can keep up.

 

[Stoo]

You can pack more than 1 solodiver in a car.

Man, I have so much crap when I go away that I can barely get me in the truck... and it's a big truck! Two sets of doubles, wings, suit, lights, bags, reels, boat stuff, pfds, food...

I might need to sell the dogs if I keep accumulating "stuff"!

 

[DA Aquamaster]

The thing is... I like to go slower and I hate dealing with him kicking up silt... when the viz is already 2 feet or less !!

So... I like the freak'n peace and quite and being able to see HA HA HA

But the biggest thing. I like not worrying about his air. I'm very good with my air and well... it sucks having to come up with 1500 every time !

They sound like small things but they aren't.

1. Unless a diver is fairly new and still working on the mysteries of buoyancy and trim, there no excuse for roto-tilling, but some divers never get past it - and they never make good buddies.

2. Being able to see is a biggy and in very low viz, the following diver flies formation either abreast or in trail and it takes about 100% of the resources to do that. If the following diver pauses to look at something the lead diver is usually gone. That means the lead diver is the only one that really sees anything.

3. SAC is another biggy as it is great to be well matched in terms of gas consumption and really sucks to end your dive with a half tank or more. Again it is often a new diver thing, but some divers never show improvement and get past it or bow to the inevitable and do their buddies a favor by buying a much larger tank or a small set of doubles. They become arguments for solo diving.

4. When you have that magic right buddy, diving is fantastic - but solo diving helps fill in the gaps in between and can keep people diving when a never ending slate of poor buddies would otherwise cause them to quit.

Of the buddies I have dove with over the last year, only three met my standards of being really good buddies and only one tops out as "fantastic". All three were technical divers who were good divers, with good air consumption, good buoyancy and fin techniques who also had the right psychological attitude. The other one of them also had a very compatible philosophy of diving and loved to dive just to dive - something that is very important to me. That last trait is also the one that will keep me diving and emnotring a new diver who just needs experience to develop.

In my experience not all technical divers make good buddies but it is a promising start in terms of skills and desire to dive, the attitude and personality issues end up being the wild cards.

Even then, there are sometimes technical dives where I have felt more comfortable without a buddy due to the speed, maneuverability, flexibility and in some cases greater safety that a solo dive allows.