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- 93,751
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Solo diving is about more than just gear. Grabbing a pony bottle and going diving alone isn't going to solve most of the problems you can encounter when at depth alone. Whether the diver will be able to recognize the onset of a problem and deal with it will depend a great deal on how they think about problem-solving, how well they can manage stress and task-loading, and whether or not they're even experienced enough to recognize the developing situation in time to do something about it. None of those have anything to do with gear.Solo diving is NOT for the inexperienced diver, and if you're to go to any real depth, that being anything deeper than the surface being a few fin strokes away, then IMO you need to have the proper gear with you, and know how to set it up and use it. This would include a backup air system and other critical gear.
Solo diving is more about how you THINK about diving than it is the equipment you bring with you.
If certification agencies did a better job of training divers how to be a decent dive buddy, a lot fewer new divers would consider solo diving as an alternative to getting stuck with the "buddy from hell". Lack of decent buddy skills is really the wrong reason to consider diving alone ... and is more an indication that you are in no way prepared to be a solo diver. Awareness and the ability to solve problems underwater ... particularly while task-loaded (which is when most problems become problems) are critical skills for solo diving. It's the very rare new diver who will have acquired those skills, since they mostly come with practice ...If solo diving is done conservatively, sticking to dive sites you know well, with proper experience and training, and proper gear, it can be done. Certification agencies have been weary in recommending it, or even mentioning it as an option for novice divers, partly to avoid divers going into it before their skill levels are adequate, and partly to avoid the risk of law suits.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)