Diving alone

[FinnMom]

I do occasionally dive alone, but never alone at the site, so I've never zipped/unzipped my drysuit solo. I have 2 independant air sources and never go terribly deep alone, but I will dive solo before I'll let a buddy's no-dive/dive over necessarily mean that my dive is over too. Mark Powell's video made me feel much better & more relaxed about occasionally diving solo; I'm often alone with a beginner diver, so by Powell's logic I might be no less safe when I have no buddy at all. The presence of surface support is big difference though. They may not be diligent, but there are always ofther friends/relatives on site if I'm underwater without a buddy.

I have seen several times however that a person who really wants to pee can get a back zipper suit
open remarkably fast ;-)

Among the divers I know the occasional divers and beginners are the "same ocean" or wanderer buddy types. The tech divers have been taught good, diligent, buddy skills and most genuinely respect the importance of these skills. Those folks very rarely loose their buddies, and if they do loose one they notice it very quickly. I often feel that poor buddy skills are usually due far more to a lack of appreciation than any lack of ability.

 

[grey2112]

Every time I spearfish I am "technically" solo diving - it is just a fact of life amongst spearfishermen. True, we are relatively close to each other and try to keep an eye on each other, but when one guy has a fish on the other guy is looking elsewhere for HIS fish

My dive instructor, who I also go out on spearfishing trips with, last week lifted his "solo dive ban" on me because he was satisfied that I was safe, conscientous, and meticulous in handling myself and he had utter confidence in my gear (since he sold and serviced it) - plus he is almost like family now and would never allow me to do something that he thought was beyond my skills. I also dive with a pony tank and extra regulator. But I will say that it is more risky to dive solo than with a buddy - my last 3 dives I was spearfishing but my buddy was not, so he stuck close to me and honestly I liked it.