Dive Pros: Do you "hide" that you solo dive?

[RICHinNC]

GDI....what do you mean by...."what to expect" ?

 

[Dive-aholic]

Don't hide it but don't flaunt it either, especially around recreational only divers. I don't feel like trying to explain myself. If it comes up, I don't deny it. I do try to explain the redundancy necessary to do it, though.

 

[wreckedinri]

Don't hide it but don't flaunt it either, . . .

Sums it up with regard to the people that I dive with. Perhaps we are an odd lot here in the northeast, but diving solo is not all that uncommon. I think it is because most of the time, with the "poor" visibility that we have, we are typically not dependant on a buddy and dive as such.

 

[Goose75]

Why the subterfuge - Do as I say, not as I do? Why not tell your students that you do this, and all of the precautions you take to do it?

Is this common? All of my cave instructors solo dive. They also all were very honest with the why and how and only asked that if we were going to do it, that we do it with the precautions needed.

I'm not sure of the context of the quote this thread started from but it sounded to me like he was avoiding the topic in a class setting. Unless he's SSI\TDI, I'd have to agree. During the class he's represnting his agency and they are against solo diving. If a student is really curious, he could always speak to him after the class and not in official capacity. If his agency has the cert, then I wouldn't avoid the topic at all.

 

[AndyNZ]

I make it a habit when discussing the buddy system that some people out there choose to dive solo. I point out that this is outside the realms of recreational diving (at least from a newbie perspective) and to do it safely takes a lot of training and experience. I'll point out the steps that solo divers take to minimise the misks of diving solo (e.g. redundant air source, sensible depth limits, submitting dive plans, using floats so surface support know where they are and so on). I'll then go on to the advantages of diving with a buddy, ending with the "it's more fun when you can talk about your dive with someone else who experienced it".

I don't point out that I sometimes choose to dive solo. I also make a habit of not diving solo when I know there are relatively new divers or students around.

 

[Tod]

As it works out, I solo dive more times than I don't. It seems the only time it ever comes up in a conversation is when I am coming out of the water by myself and other people (usually divers) ask me in the parking lot where my buddy is. I either tell them I didn't have one, or that he's right were I left him, chained to the bottom... depending upon my mood.

 

[Jim Ernst]

i dont hide it, but i dont annonce it either, if the conversatin comes up or question mat it be, i explain that with the proper equipment and training and EXPIERIENCE it can be done safely, but i dont recomend it to new divers!!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

As it works out, I solo dive more times than I don't. It seems the only time it ever comes up in a conversation is when I am coming out of the water by myself and other people (usually divers) ask me in the parking lot where my buddy is. I either tell them I didn't have one, or that he's right were I left him, chained to the bottom... depending upon my mood.

I like that one! Do I have your permission to use it or a variation thereof?:06:

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I'm not sure of the context of the quote this thread started from but it sounded to me like he was avoiding the topic in a class setting. Unless he's SSI\TDI, I'd have to agree. During the class he's represnting his agency and they are against solo diving. If a student is really curious, he could always speak to him after the class and not in official capacity. If his agency has the cert, then I wouldn't avoid the topic at all.

Exactly. My instructor knows that I solo dive and the precautions I take. We do not have a solo cert in our system and he therefore does not want me to broadcast that I dive solo to new students when I am assisting with classes. I can talk about it if someone directly asks but I make it clear that I'm only speaking for myself and not the shop or agency. I also do go into great detail about the precautions I take, the risks involved, and that solo diving is not for everyone. Especially newly certified divers. It was noted that the one posters CAVE instructors did not hide the fact that they solo'd. There is a BIG difference between divers who are ready for cave certs and those who have only been in 10-12 ft of water in the pool.

 

[snow drift]

YA tod that one is great. hope you don't mind if I use it as well. glad thair is a place for outlaw's to talk. I have been solo diving since open water. would not recomend that to anyone! I'M now padi A.I & working on tech1 not padi. I got tierd of diving with self proclamed good divers with no disipline. Not many dedicated divers around hear. My son dives with me some times But he know that he is not allowed to solo And the gear is locked up.