If you dive alone, you die alone ...

[oya]

To those instructors who are spouting such dumb platitudes to their students I would argue:
As an instructor you are not just diving alone, you're diving worse than alone. You're diving with as many as 8 people who are actively trying to kill themselves AND you. No student is checking your gear, nor are they going to bail you out of trouble; they assume whatever you're doing must be right... even if you're dead wrong.

That said, I have known a great many instructors I'd never trust to their own devices as solo divers.

 

[RyanT]

To those instructors who are spouting such dumb platitudes to their students I would argue:
As an instructor you are not just diving alone, you're diving worse than alone. You're diving with as many as 8 people who are actively trying to kill themselves AND you. No student is checking your gear, nor are they going to bail you out of trouble; they assume whatever you're doing must be right... even if you're dead wrong.

Well put!

 

[scubadada]

A vacation trip on a liveaboard. Don't need to get more specific than that...

@NWGratefulDiver

Interesting liveaboard with rec profiles, scooters, and tec profiles on wrecks using rebreathers

 

[divad]

...................

 

[Johanan]

I am preaching to a choir here that a good buddy is an asset and fun. In reality, however, a Solo Diver certification and equipment is indispensable, as in my experience with insta-buddies one always dives alone or worse, with very rare exceptions.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

@NWGratefulDiver

Interesting liveaboard with rec profiles, scooters, and tec profiles on wrecks using rebreathers

It is indeed an interesting liveaboard. And other than the no solo issue, one of my all-time favorite ops to dive with.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[DaleC]

Oh well, I wasn't doing anything that day anyway.

I find that diving off the grid for the last few years I haven't faced these sort of issues much. My buddies, when I have them, are photographers who are mostly focused on the camera. Buddy check? No thanks, I use VISA.

Once in a while I'll dive in a more formal setting and be like "what's with all this people worrying what other people are doing" thing. Soooo.... stressful.

 

[AfterDark]

Oh well, I wasn't doing anything that day anyway.

I find that diving off the grid for the last few years I haven't faced these sort of issues much. My buddies, when I have them, are photographers who are mostly focused on the camera. Buddy check? No thanks, I use VISA.

Once in a while I'll dive in a more formal setting and be like "what's with all this people worrying what other people are doing" thing. Soooo.... stressful.

I’m with you Dale. I don’t get to dive exotic locations, in faraway lands, in warm clear water. However I do get to dive stress free in the ocean where I live. Solo card? No sorry, no such thing when I started to solo and learned by doing three and one half decades ago.

Buddy checks, well when I dive with one I watch my buddy gear up while I gear up, and then look my buddy over while we walk to the water. I’m not going to going to treat another experienced diver like an incompetent and make a show of checking, pulling, pushing, and turning. If someone did that to me I’d be tempted knock’em on their ass.

The few times I have been on a charter I’ve let the boat personnel know in no uncertain terms to keep their hands off my gear unless they are asked by me to assist. If they see something unfamiliar tell me it may just be the way I do it. I’ll be damned if some DM with a couple of hundred dives is going to be poking and prodding me or worse start turning my valve(s).

There is a dive op north of me that I walked away from because they insisted I buddy up with their DM. The DM was in his 20’s and looked to me like he should have asked his mother for permission to go diving. I went shore diving alone instead.

Having stood the test of time I stand on my own experience after years of diving in some of the toughest conditions on the planet. Besides I’m getting to be an ornery old diver anyway.

 

[Diverman68]

DevonDiver. Hit it right on the head.I think every diver should take a solo course
Self -Rescue / Redundancy / Self-Discipline

 

[DaleC]

If you said every diver should have those skills I would agree, but I feel no need to supplement an agencies income by taking a specific course.

Don't you feel every diver should have self rescue and self discipline skills and, if so, what course did they learn that in? Being able to take care of yourself is a basic skill set that every diver should have and most intelligent divers begin to see the false security inherent in istabuddy diving pretty early on. If you need to be introduced to those concepts in a course after already diving for a while that's a little frightening.

Redundancy is just an equipment issue that does not really require a course, just as diving side mount, vintage equipment or doubles doesn't either.