Not from this PADI instructor. It's hard enough teaching diving to people who just want to breath underwater on vacation.
How do you feel about solo diving?
- Thread starter radagalf
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Not from this PADI instructor. It's hard enough teaching diving to people who just want to breath underwater on vacation.
IMO, that class is a total Joke. I'm surprised they don't sell them through the mail.
That would be the gist of it. I never intended to turn this into a troll as you put it. I just expressed my opinion that that diving solo under any circumstance constitutes an unsafe practice. If you follow the logic of your argument I read it as if a diver is prepared for it then it is quite safe to dive solo under any circumstance. I am pointing out that in a lot of the fatalities and close calls that have happened in recent years solo diving was involved whether the diver was physically alone or alone in the sense he was diving with a partner that was not up to the situation, which constitutes solo diving in my book as well. I mentioned Sheck Exley because he wrote the book on this stuff and still died diving solo. I was rebuked because he died on a deep record attempt and that it did't count and skewed statistics. Lets go to the other end of the spectrum. Just last year one of the most experienced Canadian technical divers died in 20' of water on a rebreather...solo. The inescapable conclusion from the accident analysis was that while his unfamiliarity with the unit caused the problem if he had of had a buddy he would unquestionably be alive today which would be a great relief to the wife he left behind. Steve Burman, who I have the greatest respect for and had the priviledge of having some training with, was a death due to stupidity. Once again solo. The list goes on.
Quite the contrary my friend. I was using the devils gas long befor it came important enough for PADI to decry it simply because they had not figured out a way to make money from it yet.
I bow in humitlity to your obvious superiority.
As a matter of fact I do, but only when they come to me for training. Otherwise I choose not to dive with them which works for me.
Nah...I just hate tech divers in general. Nothing personal it is just I hate to see someone with more gear than I have.
Once again I have to bow in humility to your obvious superiority and far larger set of cojones. If it was a commercial job and you were diving without support then you not only did something really stupid then it was illegal in most places as well.
On the bright side most solo divers seem to think that redundancy is good thing. The downside is that they forget the most important redundant article .. the redundant brain that a well trained partner provides. But this apparently is not too much of a difficulty as the soloist is seems to function just fine with out one at all.
Wyno
Contributor
Wow 45% solo dive, that is a high number, at least it sounds like it to me.
JCKCSYCMD
Contributor
Routinely do solo dives, over the years literally hundreds. Checking anchor sets, hang ups, pulling moorings for winter, boat underbody maintenance, retrieving lost items at the club, etc.....
JCKCSYCMD
Contributor
Come to think of it just about every body recovery dive and ice dive I have done has been solo over the years. However, there has usually been a rigged safety diver ready to go on the recoveries, and always a safety on the ice dives with surface support crew, but the dives are 'solo' as far as being under alone......
And search patterns are usually done solo.
And search patterns are usually done solo.
Krisscuba
Contributor
I see one of the responders dove to 110' on his sixth dive. That sounds dangerous. An OW cert does not mean you are Mike Nelson,...It only means you can dive safely with an experienced diver under conditions you were trained in. i.e. A diver trained in Hawaii or Florida in a 2mm shorty would not jump into the great lakes in a dry suit on his 6th dive.
Solo diving really is not.
Sounds like Mike does most of his diving on the net or in his pool. Real divers do not live in Indiana.
Those who can do (dive), ...those who cannot (dive) TEACH!
Solo diving really is not.
Sounds like Mike does most of his diving on the net or in his pool. Real divers do not live in Indiana.
Those who can do (dive), ...those who cannot (dive) TEACH!
JCKCSYCMD
Contributor
Are you familiar with the Annual Darwin Awards? Mkae notes as you read these type of sites for future nominations.
MikeJacobs
Guest
I've taken to occasional solo shore dives here in SE Florida, always under good conditions and never more than 20' on sites I'm familiar with - so this probably doesn't count.
One good thing about diving under these conditions is that you have plenty of opportunity to run through emergencies in your head... what if my regulator stuck, what if that boat caught my line, what if I put my hand or knee on a scorpion or into the teeth of an eel, and the big one - SHARRRRK!
I've made some gear adjustments as a result of this moderate "solo awareness" like a break-away on my reel and more awareness of what is under my body at all times.
Before diving solo I just took for granted that nothing would ever happen to me, but the solo experience has improved my awareness and sharpened my skills a little.
That said, buddy diving is more fun for me even though I always feel I'm the caretaker (my nature, I guess), and 90% of those I dive with can't stay down as long. I suspect the only use the vast majority of buddies would really be, in all honesty, is to provide positive identification of your body. Good thing this sport has an excellent safety rate! Still, I'll only solo dive where I can snorkel.
One good thing about diving under these conditions is that you have plenty of opportunity to run through emergencies in your head... what if my regulator stuck, what if that boat caught my line, what if I put my hand or knee on a scorpion or into the teeth of an eel, and the big one - SHARRRRK!
I've made some gear adjustments as a result of this moderate "solo awareness" like a break-away on my reel and more awareness of what is under my body at all times.
Before diving solo I just took for granted that nothing would ever happen to me, but the solo experience has improved my awareness and sharpened my skills a little.
That said, buddy diving is more fun for me even though I always feel I'm the caretaker (my nature, I guess), and 90% of those I dive with can't stay down as long. I suspect the only use the vast majority of buddies would really be, in all honesty, is to provide positive identification of your body. Good thing this sport has an excellent safety rate! Still, I'll only solo dive where I can snorkel.
Gilligan
Contributor
I have been solo diving for about 7 years now. I do it about 3 times a week on a regular basis from my kayak. The kayak diving is what got me into and comfortable with solo diving. All my dives are in the 60 to 90 foot range. I have my camera and a .44 mag shark bang stick with me all the time. I did not feel anywhere as near comfortable doing solo shore dives as having the kayak with me all the time as a dive platform to surface to. I am in clear warm water here on Maui and am familiar with the dive sites, weather patterns, currents etc. I got to love solo diving especially with the camera.:shades:
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