Do you think in the future that agencies should stop teaching how evil solo is? I am now finding out how some can be when they hear you solo. You would think I took up sky diving without a parachute. I'm noticing a lot more solo than I thought or want to admit. I'm not saying it should be encouraged but rather held out as an option for those who choose to do it. I agree it's not for everyone. If a person doesn't want to solo then don't do it.
Should agencies back off of Solo?
- Thread starter uspap
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uspap:
How would an "agency" hear that you dive solo?
Not agencies that hear. Friends and people in general who find out. Either by seeing you go in or come out of the water alone. Someone hearing you went diving and asking who with. Then hearing by yourself, they flip out. It's seems like it's a stigma that is being passed on.
If one lives their life trying to please or satisfy others, one will always be disappointed. Someone will always find something to disapprove of.
Dive as you see fit for you. If you don't broadcast, and yet don't seek satisfaction or approval from others, very few people will even say anything.
Solo is a higher risk dive, and shouldn't be encouraged for anyone. Solo is a choice one makes, hopefully after plenty of experience, and with their eyes wide open to the possible risks.
uspap:
OK, that's not what you seemed to be saying. Thanks for the clarification.
Getting back to the original question, no, I think it's just fine the way agencies and instructors discourage solo diving. It keeps some from killing themselves.
I can see both points of view. On the one hand, there are divers who should not go in the water by themselves and others who's skills are so poor they should only go in the water with a DM or instructor. Not warning divers like that of the possible dangers of solo diving would be irresponsible.
On the other hand, there are often double fatalities where one minimally competent diver gets lulled into situations he or she can't handle due to the illusion of the safety implied by the buddy system and a fatality results when the buddy fails to save the diver and even worse a double fatality can occur when the buddy dies in the attempt to save the buddy - often because the buddy is heavily indoctrinated in the "never leave your buddy" mindset and stays to help long after they shoudl have written their buddy of and focused on saving their own life.
The buddy system is, to put it bluntly, far less than perfect - not surprising when you consider it was an out growth of a Red cross swimming program, never really intended for scuba diving.
Consequently, I think a middle of the road approach is more appropriate. Preach the benefits and advantages of the buddy team, but train each diver to the degree needed to ensure they have the skills needed to get themselves out of trouble and to the surface safely - as is the case in a solo class. In fact the agency promoting solo diving does so with the understanding that even if you always dive witha buddy you will eventually get separated and solo skills will ensure that event does not result in any undue risk.
It will however never happen on a wide spread basis as dive training agencies would have to undo 20 years of damage that occurred when they dumbed down OW courses to the point that many newly minted OW divers should not be diving at all unless a DM is present. And a DM dependent diver is not a solo diving candidate.
Short of that, they at least need to stop scaring the hell out of everyone with the "oh my god you dive solo you are gonna die!" rhetoric.
And I do have to say that I'd rather;
1. Dive with a good buddy
2. Dive solo
3. Not dive at all, and
4. Dive with a bad buddy,
pretty much in that order as a bad buddy poses a far greater risk than competent solo diving.
On the other hand, there are often double fatalities where one minimally competent diver gets lulled into situations he or she can't handle due to the illusion of the safety implied by the buddy system and a fatality results when the buddy fails to save the diver and even worse a double fatality can occur when the buddy dies in the attempt to save the buddy - often because the buddy is heavily indoctrinated in the "never leave your buddy" mindset and stays to help long after they shoudl have written their buddy of and focused on saving their own life.
The buddy system is, to put it bluntly, far less than perfect - not surprising when you consider it was an out growth of a Red cross swimming program, never really intended for scuba diving.
Consequently, I think a middle of the road approach is more appropriate. Preach the benefits and advantages of the buddy team, but train each diver to the degree needed to ensure they have the skills needed to get themselves out of trouble and to the surface safely - as is the case in a solo class. In fact the agency promoting solo diving does so with the understanding that even if you always dive witha buddy you will eventually get separated and solo skills will ensure that event does not result in any undue risk.
It will however never happen on a wide spread basis as dive training agencies would have to undo 20 years of damage that occurred when they dumbed down OW courses to the point that many newly minted OW divers should not be diving at all unless a DM is present. And a DM dependent diver is not a solo diving candidate.
Short of that, they at least need to stop scaring the hell out of everyone with the "oh my god you dive solo you are gonna die!" rhetoric.
And I do have to say that I'd rather;
1. Dive with a good buddy
2. Dive solo
3. Not dive at all, and
4. Dive with a bad buddy,
pretty much in that order as a bad buddy poses a far greater risk than competent solo diving.
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Both Walter and DA make good points. Considering how many marginally trained divers I have witnessed, who really are not safe divers in the best of circumstances, it is probably a good idea that the agencies discourage Solo.
That leaves the decision in the hands of each individual diver, ourselves. After all, no matter how rabid some devotes of any particular agency can be, there are, as yet no dive police that I know of.
(Although I think I've met a few divers who thought they were!)
That leaves the decision in the hands of each individual diver, ourselves. After all, no matter how rabid some devotes of any particular agency can be, there are, as yet no dive police that I know of.
(Although I think I've met a few divers who thought they were!)
Last edited:
ucfdiver
Contributor
I think if agencies started teaching better buddy skills, they wouldn't have to condemn solo as much, as fewer would desire to solo dive. Right now it seems the buddy skills training (and requiring a buddy-- even if a really bad one) is about giving a false sense of security and reducing liability if something goes wrong, and not truly about safety. Start producing buddies who are assets and not liabilities, and I bet we'd see some changed minds.
But that's just my opinion.
But that's just my opinion.
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