Taboo

[Divin'Papaw]

In addition to getting the stigma from other divers I get it from non-divers, such as my family, asking why I don't have a buddy.

"What do you mean you going diving alone at night?! What if there is a problem?"

I had to work through that with my wife. She was initially quite reticent to me solo diving. She came around over time as I helped her understand the precautions that I take. I've also had a supposedly trained, qualified buddy run out of air on me on two occasions and on one of those he dragged me to the surface from 100' even though he was on my long-hose and had plenty of air. Those two instanced helped her realize that I'm safer solo. I have very few buddies I will dive with anymore. It gets back to @rhwestfall point. I know I'm always there for me.

In terms of anyone else, I don't give a flip what they think. It just shows their lack of experience and understanding as they are typically just parroting what PADI taught them in OWD. If anyone asks me what I do if there's a problem I reply that "I deal with it."

 

[TMHeimer]

At times people on shore (beach, etc.) will be a little surprised when I say I am alone. Not so much from other divers when I mention diving solo. But I am more around instructors & DMs than others, so I figure they have all gone solo a lot (well, at least, the old "the instructor is actually solo when with an uncertified OW class" or the boat DM diving down to set the anchor).

 

[drrich2]

I don't let it bother me too much. I've run into it in 3 areas:

1.) My wife, though she hasn't dove in years, got PADI OW and Nitrox and 'drank the buddy Koolaide' indoctrination. Does not like me diving solo. Well, tough noogies. Some decisions are hers, some are ours, and some are mine.

2.) On this forum, we've gotten the occasional anti-solo person, though that's dropped off a good deal over time.

3.) A number of discussions on the forum about shore diving in Grand Cayman, the bizarre prejudice against it that seems pervasive judging from discussions, and attempts to ferret out the obstructing role (if any) of the Cayman Water Sports Association.

 

[Scraps]

I was recently denounced on the CESA-from-30-Meters thread after admitting I carry a pony when I spearfish.

Apparently, preparing for the contingency that two people looking for fish in less than 20 feet of visibility might not be immediately available to each other made me a bad buddy and a bad diver.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Some people frown upon it, but what kind of solo dive instructor would I be if I didn't actually solo dive?

 

[rjack321]

I recently started solo diving, after years of adherely strictly to a "team diving" philosophy.

The other day I had a realization that the single biggest thing that made me feel uncomfortable solo diving before, was just the stigma attached to it, especially by certain groups of divers who are vehemently opposed to it.

Anyone else experience this?

Same, its annoying.

It's especially annoying to be finger wagged and told I shouldn't have been solo diving in caves that less than a handful of people on the entire west coast are qualified to dive. I would love a buddy, but finding one with the time, fitness, money, training, equipment, and experience at the higher levels is harder than it looks.

 

[Pressurehead]

Solo diving, My first ever dive was solo [if you call a line tied around my waist to a person on the surface solo] , 2 hours at < 6m using a Ted Eldred Porpoise set. Don't hold your breath, do you know the "line pull signals"? Yes? Off you go.
In at sunset out in the dark .
I remember being cold not scared , the wetsuit was a poor fit.

 

[scubadada]

I've never had a diver criticize my solo diving. I've had many interested divers ask me how I like it, how do you get training, what is required?

 

[KDAD]

Same, its annoying.

I would love a buddy, but finding one with the time, fitness, money, training, equipment, and experience at the higher levels is harder than it looks.

It's hard to find a buddy at any level of diving, hence the reason I solo dive. Now, when I do meet someone at a parking lot to dive at the same time at the same site, we are still pretty much solo. It's more the camaraderie before and after the dive that it is nice to have them there. Oh, and the occasional bump into them on the dive especially if there is something memorable about it like a sea horse has been riding on one of their hoses and they don't realize it.

 

[rjack321]

It's hard to find a buddy at any level of diving, hence the reason I solo dive. Now, when I do meet someone at a parking lot to dive at the same time at the same site, we are still pretty much solo. It's more the camaraderie before and after the dive that it is nice to have them there. Oh, and the occasional bump into them on the dive especially if there is something memorable about it like a sea horse has been riding on one of their hoses and they don't realize it.

Huh?
I can find a reasonable buddy for a recreational level dive pretty much any day of the week, including Christmas and holidays. Are they the best buddy ever? Probably not, and I'm not either, but we just met after all. But they are almost always decent enough to paddle around in 20-100ft of open water for 45mins. If you are struggling with that, maybe the issue is you?

Try finding someone who's full cave, trimix, has a sidemount CCR, drysuit, dry SRT caving skills, a week of vacation during the summer dry season, willing to leave their family/pets behind, willing to drive 12 hours, camp out in the mud, hike gear in kilometers, possibly doing multiple rappels in dry cave before even getting to the 4C water, and after all that you discover its not divable.