Hello to all! - new solo diver

[dive_more]

Hi i like to introduce myself to this group
I started diving one year ago, aowd + nitrox certified, i got only near 100 dives under my belt,
but all of them, expect ow, aowd, class (and 7 holiday dives) lets say 70 dives of my dives are shore dives,
many of them on new dive sites with my girlfriend.(i was a new diver, did not know the dive spots)
But I think i am a solo diver many time ago, I plan my dive, I know where I'Am /the compass was one of the first equipments i bought)
Many times I dive with photographers, ore people who dive without buddy skills, buddy separation is a usual thing,
for this reason i think, i can dive alone, no need for a muppet.

I really like the video from Mark Powell about solo diving.

I am looking to get SDI Certified as soon i can,
And getting a small pony bottle.

 

[drbill]

As someone who has solo dived for 52 years now (initially because we only had one set of gear to share), I never comment on whether others are ready to do so unless I know their in water skills well.

The one piece of advice I will offer is to know how you respond to unexpected emergencies. It may take more than 100 dives before you know how you respond. If you panic, I would really suggest asking yourself whether you are indeed ready to solo die. If you face the issue calmly and address it without panicking, then indeed you may be ready assuming you take the proper precautions and equipment.

As an underwater imager, I dive solo 95% of the time. However, I have buddies who I enjoy diving "same ocean, same day" with. They do not "lack" good buddy skills. They can be fantastic buddies and in general are all well experienced divers (most are professionals). We just choose to dive as if we were solo and then share our experiences after we surface.

 

[uncfnp]

I would add that any diver can "dive solo." It only takes strapping on a tank and jumping in without a buddy. To be a competent "solo diver" is much more complex and involves skills, equipment and mindset. Read a bit in the solo forum. It may make you reassess what you think you know about solo diving. Or it may confirm your initial self assessment.

From your post I think the SDI certified is a good idea.

 

[Nemrod]

Determination for at what point a diver is ready to go solo is really a very difficult thing to judge, especially for the person trying to decide, much less so for those who might be in a position to observe and critique. It is not a magic number of dives but experience in a variety of conditions that provided the well rounded education that a solo diver needs to be able to draw upon.

There is no course which can turn a diver into a solo diver. The SDI course that I took was like a baby walk which it should be for any diver who is truly capable of going solo, but, it was a good self assessment and that is what I would think it was intended to be. An assessment tool for a diver, who might not fully understand what he/she is about to undertake as a solo diver, to gain some insight and yes even useful experience. A good yard stick, not much more.

I started solo from the get go as a 12 yo, diving off the end of the dock in ten feet of water or off the family boat over the grass beds, barely 15 feet deep, in the Big Bend area of Florida. I had not actually completed a course or was certified when I began solo diving. Was I ready? BC, what is that, spg, huh, spare mask, spare regulator, heck fire, I saved money for two years to buy my entire outfit from the feed and seed hardware store and US Divers outlet, well, my dad got my Voit mask and fins at Montgomery Wards. Sometimes when I read some of these threads I have to laugh.

If you have to ask for approval, you are not ready.

Oh, so why did I take a solo course, why of course because I wanted the piece of plastic, why else?

N

 

[tye1138]

If you have to ask for approval, you are not ready.

Yep, I completely agree.

I've solo dived with a 1950's vintage US Divers double hose reg, no gauges and a J valve which may or may not work.

Yea its more risky, but so is spending half your day trying to find your buddy who got side tracked.

 

[Kharon]

I'm not sure counting dives done for a certification should count toward the requirements to take an advanced course. Be aware that just because you've been abandoned by your "buddy" doesn't make you a solo diver. I simply makes you a lucky survivor. Not to be too harsh - but you're "looking to get a pony"? What makes you think that you aren't the muppet. Diving without proper equipment, solo or not, is dangerous to you and anyone around you.

I would encourage every diver to equip themselves as if they were diving solo. I would encourage every diver to develop the skills necessary to safely dive solo. Matters not if they always dive with a buddy. The equipment and skills make you a far better buddy and far safer in any situation. Being self-sufficient (no not PADI) is never a bad thing. But it does take work and time.

 

[drcolyn]

Dear dive_more
If you are lucky enough to have a girlfriend that scuba - why would you ever want to go solo?
On the serious side - even if you are not going solo soon the process to become a self sufficient diver is always a good thing so add that pony asap.
I am just worried about the "small pony" bit that you mentioned.
I dive with a 15liter cylinder which is pretty heavy allready but I would not dream of using anything less than a 3 liter pony even for shallow shore dives.
It was an eye opener for me to see the pressure drop when I simulated an out of air situation below 10 meters.

 

[tye1138]

Redundant air sources don't save lives. Good gear, keeping out of trouble and being a conservative and practiced diver, does.

Its all about risk assessment/management and understanding your own personal limits.

In my view, if you rely on a pony bottle for solo diving, there is definitely something wrong with the equation. You'd probably be safer dragging along an inflatable dive buddy.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

As others have said above - be smart about your diving and your skills - don't get sucked into something if you have any doubts about your level of diving. That may go without saying - however if you are going to dive solo have fun and be safe.

 

[Kharon]

Redundant air sources don't save lives. Good gear, keeping out of trouble and being a conservative and practiced diver, does.

Its all about risk assessment/management and understanding your own personal limits.

In my view, if you rely on a pony bottle for solo diving, there is definitely something wrong with the equation. You'd probably be safer dragging along an inflatable dive buddy.

Total Bushwah!!!!! You oboviously haven't a clue and seriously overestimate your abilities.