Diving alone

[MaxBottomtime]

I haven't solo dived in a drysuit before though due to the fact I have a back zipper. I know there are ways to get one of these on yourself though so was going to look into it so I can dive solo in my drysuit if I want. One guy I know said he has a little hook on his car and hooks his drysuit zipper pull onto that and closes it that way.

When I dive solo in my back zipper drysuit I add a leash to the zipper. The leash has a six inch loop that I put over posts, chain link fences or anything else I can find about shoulder high and spin into it.

 

[Papa Steve]

Not really in the cards for us. People dive for different reasons. One of the specific reasons my wife and I dive is to dive together . . .too share the memory. We're done raising kids and have been involved in dozens of hobbies and/or going to our kids sporting events. We love to dive but for us it's the means to a greater ends and not an end unto itself. It's our time. I think the time it would take to learn how to safely solo dive we could better use in doing something else as dive buddies.

 

[Sas]

As to the logbook question: I keep two sections within my logbook, a buddy log and a solo log. My understanding is that solo dives may not be considered for some course prerequisites and I don't want to futz around sorting them out and having the instructor tsk tsk my solo activities.
Any instructors want to comment on that (the prerequisite issue)?

Really?? I had never heard this... so am curious to hear from instructors about if this is the case as well! And also their reasonings behind not including solo dives.

When I dive solo in my back zipper drysuit I add a leash to the zipper. The leash has a six inch loop that I put over posts, chain link fences or anything else I can find about shoulder high and spin into it.

Yes I was thinking of setting something like this up, though it is now summer so probably won't need my drysuit again for a while . There are usually fishermen around to help out but I don't want to rely on that!

 

[maged_mmh]

As to the logbook question: I keep two sections within my logbook, a buddy log and a solo log. My understanding is that solo dives may not be considered for some course prerequisites and I don't want to futz around sorting them out and having the instructor tsk tsk my solo activities.
Any instructors want to comment on that (the prerequisite issue)?

this is exactly what i was wondering about: will solo dives be credible?

 

[tomboyy]

I think it depends on the person.

I've been throwing my equipment on over my head since my first open water dive.

It's easier for me to do it that way than for someone to help me.

I've dove alone quite a bit, just have to make sure you don't run out of air or put yourself in a stupid situation.

I've been on dives where I was running very low on air, and decided to just run out and grab someone elses alternate, for one reason or another (and please don't tell me that you think I am irresponsible, because I'm very responsible), point is, I wonder what would have happened if I didn't have that alternate to grab onto, probably would have had to ascend before I was ready.
I'd say it's up to the person, but that person should think about it first.

I am sure all of us have had to ascend before we were ready. .. Point is.. what is your point.. don't dive alone cause then you can't exhaust all your own air and then take someone elses... WOW

Tell me your just trolling and I bite hook line and sinker.

 

[Walter]

DO any of you dive alone.

I've logged 533 solo dives.

IS it a no no.

Yes. It is not recommended by most agencies, but lots of DMs dive alone in the course of their duties. It is certainly not a good idea for folks who are not quite experienced and prepared for the worst. Things do go wrong.

IF you do how to you get your rig on by yourself.

The exact same way I get it on when I dive with a buddy.

how do you log these solo dives??

Two ways - with a pen in my traditional logbook and with my keyboard in my Excel logbook.

There have been arguments that any instructor who teaches without a divemaster is essentially diving alone.

Except for the experience of 4 dives, during which a student is tested, but not taught anything new, a "raw student" has the same abilities as the newly certified diver sent out to buddy with other newly certified divers the following day. If a student is not qualified to be a buddy you can depend on, he's not ready to leave the pool.

Who would be able to depend on a raw student in an emergency?

Anyone who's done an adequate job of teaching. I've never taken and I never will take a student to open water if I can't depend on them in an emergency. Any other approach results in certifying divers who can't be depended on in an emergency.

if you're a PADI diver (I dunno about other agencies), you're supposed to be able to remove and replace your BC, on the surface and under water, without assistance.

Standards actually state, "Remove, replace, adjust and secure the scuba unit on the bottom, with minimal assistance, in water too deep to stand up in." Some other agencies require the skill to be completed without assistance.

will solo dives be credible?

As credible as dives with buddies. Why wouldn't they be credible?

 

[seaducer]

this is exactly what i was wondering about: will solo dives be credible?

I have never had anyone go over my log with a fine tooth comb or anything. All the instructors I have had just wanted to see it for legal purposes I guess, but they just wanted X # dives over a certain depth if you didn't have a deep cert, and so many dives within X months of the class, that sort of thing. They didn't bother to read the details. Granted one instructor knows me, and we dive together just for kicks as well as for classes, but the other one didn't know me from Adam and was from a different agency than all my other classes. I really don't think this is a big deal to be honest. I think solo dives are just as "credible" than any other dive in your logbook.

And I might throw it out there, the OP hasn't gotten certified yet, so the super noob type questions are warranted. I think it is great he is here gathering info before class so he has some idea of what he is getting into. So many new divers don't and wind up not diving after just a few experience dives...

 

[DaleC]

Nw I'm curious. I'm going to post the question about logged solo dives counting over in the Q and A agency forum.

 

[seaducer]

There have been arguments that any instructor who teaches without a divemaster is essentially diving alone. Who would be able to depend on a raw student in an emergency?

After my last checkout dive, the instructor was leading us on a tour when he experienced an equipment malfunction. He came to me signaling share air, I donated and then shut down his post per his request. We then surfaced and that was that. True he would have had enough air to get to the surface without me, we were in 25 feet, but as far as I was concerned I saved his life

Anyway, it is quite possible that the most reliable divers in an OOA emergency are brand spanking new ones who are considerably more practiced than those of us who have been out of class for years. Also, they have yet to learn running out of air is not a common occurance

Nw I'm curious. I'm going to post the question about logged solo dives counting over in the Q and A agency forum.

Was the non counting idea just a hunch or do you think you read it somewhere? To be honest I have never heard of it, but then I never gave it much thought either.

 

[DaleC]

I was with some other divers and the subject came up when we were doing our logs. From the discussion I assumed they knew for a fact but I have to admit I'm not sure now.
Time to get the straight goods one way or the other