How many dives before solo diving, part II

[DevonDiver]

Understood... I would prefer to see them get more experience too. But, the Solo Diver Fourm is supposed to be a place to talk about solo diving. It is possible to talk and discourage at the same time where necessary. However, it seems lately every post gets slammed with the 'you're gonna die' rhetoric. It's quickly becoming the Anti-Solo Diver forum.

I cannot think of one post that I've read here that was "anti-solo diving". Please do stop exagerating.

What happened recently, is that this thread opened a discussion about the relative experience needed for safe solo diving. A proportion of the contributors, myself included, have stated a belief that any individual should gain sufficient experience, before embarking on solo dives. In doing so, we have explained how insufficient experience and training would put a solo diver at risk. Those replying, myself included, are highly experienced solo divers... therefore, it would be lunacy to assume we were anti-solo diving.

So, to answer your concern. This is not becoming an anti-solo diving forum. However, it is and always has been...an anti-irresponsible-solo diving forum.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

On the poll I posted yesterday, a majority of divers responded that they had less than 25 dives when they began solo diving. So, for those of you who had less than 25 dives when you began soloing, how many dives do you have now? Just wanting to know if those who voted are predominately a bunch of newbs that are just a couple of dives away from an untimely death, or if it's a number of experienced divers who, miraculously, have yet to be prematurely killed .

Good poll, do you think it captures many of the people who died while solo diving with little expereince?

 

[dumpsterDiver]

blah, blah, blah...

Good response. My personal opinion is that you probably shouldn't solo dive until you have nearly killed yourself while diving. After you have accomplished this feat, and you are still confident that you can dive alone, then you are either an idiot or you probably are approaching the capacity to safely dive alone. Let me guess.. You've never almost killed yourself diving yet, Right??

 

[DevonDiver]

I've seen polls that were run by various public safety organizations etc...

One poll stated that 67% of motorists admitted driving DUI on one or more occasions.

Does that mean we should encourage DUI?

Another poll stated that 72% of people admitted stealing at sometime in their lives.

Does that mean it is good to steal?

Lots of people admitted solo diving whilst they were highly inexperienced. So what? That means it is a good thing?!?!

All it proves is that inexperienced drivers tend to be over-confident and allow their diving practices to exceed what they have been trained to do.

It should be a shocking lesson to us all about the stupidity of taking risks that we don't understand and exceeding the limits of our training.... but no,instead of this...some of you seem to triumph in it?!?!?

 

[DevonDiver]

the poles speek for them selfs

They probably do.... in Polish.

....and with proper grammar and spelling...

 

[Fish-R-Man]

I fully agree with this. The "medical event" is the one fastball that the solo diver cannot prepare themselves against. If it occurs, you are most probably dead. I rationalize this risk personally by considering that most people who suffer such medical events as MI's or CVA's in the water usually die of that event regardless of a buddies intervention or not. Statistically one stands a better chance with a buddy but in reading the A&I accounts and following local events, it seems not.

This type of incident will cause a fatality in any number of daily activities.The possibility of a medical event can't be a deterrent to diving. I just had a good friend die in the shower getting ready for work. His wife was at the bathroom counter drying her hair when he collapsed out of the shower stall onto the floor. He had a heart condition that he was unaware of. If he was solo diving, he would have been another one of the deaths that "may" have been prevented by an attentive buddy.

 

[DevonDiver]

I agree.... health related diving incidents should be addressed through medical checking requirements, rather than through diving procedures or prohibitions.

When I did recreational diving within the UK military, I was obliged to have a full diving medical every 5 years. If I failed the medical, they wouldn't take me diving.

Every spring in the UK there is a cluster of fatalities, as people get back in the water after a winter lay-off. Heart attacks are plentiful. These people shouldn't be in the water. They'd probably have their heart attack regardless, but when it happens on scuba, it puts other lives in danger.

Save your bulging eyes for the squash court, fat boy....

If people/agencies were serious about reducing diving fatalities, then their first step should make ongoing certification subject to a regularly checked fitness to dive.

 

[sylpha]

There's no mystery about it ... I just don't care to promote irresponsible diving practices.

And before you accuse me again ... I got nothing against solo diving. I go solo diving regularly. I just happen to believe that doing it straight out of OW is irresponsible.

That IS real info about solo diving ... it's just real info you don't want to hear.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

i can't emphasise enough how much i agree with this.

Equipment has got better than when some here started diving (i used ABLJ's - horse collars - in training, but bought a stab shortly after that & still have the same one) it's a great deal safer, but that brings it's own problems. years ago Volvos were recognised as the safest cars on the road, but there were more accidents in volvos because the drivers felt able to take more risks; it's the same with diving.

diving is a popular sport, but many people only dive on holiday with equipment they hire so they are not familiar with THEIR kit. when you have a problem you need that familariaty with your kit to solve the problem more quickly.

people are diving longer and deeper not always with air, this brings its own potential problems. what you really need is a comprehensive understanding of the equipment, the techniques, the science and the risks. what you need for this is to go diving and to be with other divers who will pass on their knowledge & understanding. I really do not believe that given today you can acomplish this in less than 100 dives and some people never will.

this is not making solo diving a dark art, it's having a positive, safe attitude towards something we enjoy and hopefully making it more acceptable to the training agencies (who then can make more money out of it).

 

[sylpha]

Every spring in the UK there is a cluster of fatalities, as people get back in the water after a winter lay-off. Heart attacks are plentiful. These people shouldn't be in the water. They'd probably have their heart attack regardless, but when it happens on scuba, it puts other lives in danger.


If people/agencies were serious about reducing diving fatalities, then their first step should make ongoing certification subject to a regularly checked fitness to dive.

tell me about it. in spring the radio has at least 2 problems a day at weekends of divers from Easter to June, so much so that seeing the helicopter you know it's slack water on the Kyarra! it's not just health things though, it's people jumping into the water with kit they took off in september & stuck in the garage for 6 months thinking that doing a 30m dive as their first in the season is fine because they did it in september last year.

British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) who I am a member of & whose training i had used to insist on a medical every 3 years and a lung x-ray before you started diving. This was taken out because BSAC was percieved to be too difficult to train with compared to PADI and it was costing up to £90 per time for a doctor to fill the form in, we now self certify which means some people lie.

 

[DevonDiver]

I think that some people simply have too much ego to accept guidance.

When told that they should gain more experience before undertaking a certain activity, they react as though it is some sort of insult... or a limitation of their 'rights'.

What you 'can' do....and what you 'should' do are very separate things....and only an idiot would do something dangerous to prove that point.