Solo diving in shallow water

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

A lot to look at here. Firstly there is no "Licence" - you have simply completed training. There is no requirement to do so and none required to solo dive. Anyone that wants can buy anything they like and do any dive they like and if you dive alone there is also no one to stop you!

So my first recommendation is to echo @diversteve and suggest a solo or self reliant training course. Without that you are exceeding your training so really you might as well not have bothered with that in the first place and certainly outside of what you describe as a "licence".

For shallow and close to shore standard kit is probably sufficient - provided you stay there. What would worry me is that with scuba (as opposed to snorkel) that you get engrossed in what you are doing and get too far from the shore or too deep. As a snorkeller you are always spending time topside to breathe and so always aware of where you are. Once submerged it's so easy to get carried along on the current and to forget - particularly if you find something of interest.

I also agree that watercraft are a major issue - there are big problems round Bournemouth with jet ski users.

The PADI Self Reliant or SDI Solo Diver courses will give you much more information and help you make much better decisions than asking a bunch of people on the Internet, many of whom don't know anything about the UK south coast.

Also you talk about BSAC Open Water - there is no such course. If you are in a BSAC club you will be aware BSAC does not allow solo diving. If you have the PADI Open Water the follow on BSAC course is the Sport Diver.

I am certainly not saying you should not pursue your interest - I hope you will do so. I just think the next stage for you is to get the appropriate training and to discuss your particular requirements with an Instructor face to face. That is the whole point of such courses. It will cover equipment properly and give you the knowledge to choose the appropriate kit for the dive. Here on the Internet we like to argue about pony (bailout) tanks, but one might benefit you or it might not, depending on the circumstances. The course will cover that and show you how to use one properly and rig it correctly.

Sounds like a great way to spend a few hours - I hope it works out OK for you.

If the OP’s dive count is correct, he’s got 24 dives or less. Minimum 100 required for self reliant/solo course.
 
6 foot dive? Gotta be prepared...

doc-deep-fatal-world-record-attempt-technical-diving-death-2.jpg
 
I'd like to thank everyone for taking the time in advising me on this.

Based on everyone's advice my next steps will be to do further training like the PADI Self Reliant or SDI Solo Diver, as mentioned by Chrisch (thanks chrisch). I do feel very comfortable solo diving in the areas i plan to as I know them very very well (nowhere else until i build some experience), the reef is about 3 mile out, i usually swim up to 2 mile which is also the no boat zone perimeter so no issue with boats in the area i plan to dive in. During my swims i also freedive to the sea bed as i just love doing this for fun, see no issue in being able to get to the surface quick.
Im in no rush, plan to do the first solo dive April 2020, so no harm in further training for now, i have yet to purchase my equipment to.

thanks again everyone,

best wishes and happy diving

Andy

ps, ths below picture is where i plan to do this
 

Attachments

  • 20191109_132002.jpg
    20191109_132002.jpg
    131.9 KB · Views: 103
seems to me that there have been two themes to the responses to the OP.
One is related to solo diving in shallow water an the other relates to the general mortality risk in relation to general OC diving!

General Mortality: I am nearly 60 years young in in pretty reasonable shape, something is going to get me in the next twenty or so years and it could be a lot sooner but there's no point fretting about that. In fact I am currently thinking about getting back into motorcycling after a 16 year absence, nothing too fast though!
Shallow Solo Diving: I do it every now and then on our house reef in 15 feet of water and do not consider it any more dangerous than snorkeling- maybe less in fact! Just pick your days, watch your gas and carry a cutting device.

I don't rely on a buddy system to save my skin! Make sure you have adequate redundancy for the nature of the dive, practice using it and have fun.
 
LOL. the guy is going to swim MILES offshore alone, and people are worried about the depth of 10 feet? The distance offshore not the depth is the issue of concern. Redundant air supply and the attendant drag is exactly NOT what the diver needs.
 
LOL. the guy is going to swim MILES offshore alone, and people are worried about the depth of 10 feet? The distance offshore not the depth is the issue of concern. Redundant air supply and the attendant drag is exactly NOT what the diver needs.

I'd be looking at that dive with an old steel 72, which I have, or an Al 40, if I had to buy a tank. Put that on the smallest backpack and wing I could find, along with my usual cutting devices.

For that distance I'd use my sit on top kayak, however since he is detecting, he may not want to skip any ground. In any event, the kayak is a great platform to keep your flag, and any other gear you don't need to have on your person.



Bob
 
I dive solo a lot but when I do I just stay within a breath of the surface and make sure my equipment is well maintained and that I pay attention to my gauges and computer. I tell my wife that if I die of a heart attack or other health issue under water that I will have died doing something I truly love.
 
My procedure on most dives:
--Almost always 30' (9m) or less.
--occasionally poke down and up quickly to 40-60' (12-18m).
--I practice CESA often from 9m and beginning with half full lungs.
--(almost) always carry the knife.
--regard entanglement the biggest risk, but I know the sites and there is nothing I've found yet to entangle me (well, ONE time a little fishing line I needed no knife to remove). Always swim OVER anything suspect rather than under. Stay well above even sea (eel) grass.
--Heart attack possibility of course (I'm 65). Just spent 2 weeks alone at the cabin and do 8 alone in NY each summer. What are the chances of one there as opposed to on a minimally strenuous (usually) dive? Dead either way.
--did my 1st solo dive after dive #75, only because my regular buddy moved and my location finding another that was convenient was too much a bother.
--YES, of course it is glorified snorkeling, as long as you don't hold your breath and ascend. And as pointed out, probably safer--hey, you have a problem snorkeling at 4m like entanglement, how much air have you?
--You're never supposed to snorkel (or swim) alone either---Never ever (did that for too many decades to recall).
 

Back
Top Bottom