How many of you think solo is OK to do and why?

[TMHeimer]

I'm not saying it never happen, but typically when two divers are diving together they are rarely in direct view of each other. And if one is new or newer (which is quite often) then the skilled diver is essentially diving alone. Not to mention I'm sure most divers would agree that if they are "leading' then the other is off to their right or left and unless the leader looks back every 10 seconds, they are both essentially alone also.


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Yes. I think I posted a while ago on this (or on some other long solo thread...). That's IMO the number one problem with buddy diving. The leader SHOULD look back (to the side, etc.) every 10 seconds or so.

 

[Hey Jude]

Hi, my brother drowned while diving alone in 3.5 metres of water in a river beside his boat, he had planned to clean the hull after tying lines under the hull. He was alone just as many of you agree is ok. He apparently had borrowed gear for the task and his not diving buddy was stationed on the boat to pass down lines. It seems he may have had a coughing fit for whatever reason, perhaps the underwater asthma attack whilst vertical, bugs in his reg, no one knows. He surfaced after kicking furiously with out his reg in his mouth yelled for help, became unconscious then sunk. Now his buddy was not a diver, let alone a trained first aider had no idea how to help, jumped in the water but as you would imagine was unable to find my brother. It took the police divers and aerial wing 1.5 hours to find his body in the murky water. Do the water police think its okay to dive alone? Clearly not. My brother had open water, advanced open water, rescue diver, and some other specialty tickets and of course he thought it would be okay to dive alone in 3.5 metres to undertake a simple task that he probably had done before many times. He had not dived for a few years due to finances and his tank was past certification. Is it ok to dive alone? Depends if you are happy to expect the unexpected and die as a consequence of complacency! Have a great dive and live long.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Hi, my brother drowned while diving alone in 3.5 metres of water in a river beside his boat, he had planned to clean the hull after tying lines under the hull. He was alone just as many of you agree is ok. He apparently had borrowed gear for the task and his not diving buddy was stationed on the boat to pass down lines. It seems he may have had a coughing fit for whatever reason, perhaps the underwater asthma attack whilst vertical, bugs in his reg, no one knows. He surfaced after kicking furiously with out his reg in his mouth yelled for help, became unconscious then sunk. Now his buddy was not a diver, let alone a trained first aider had no idea how to help, jumped in the water but as you would imagine was unable to find my brother. It took the police divers and aerial wing 1.5 hours to find his body in the murky water. Do the water police think its okay to dive alone? Clearly not. My brother had open water, advanced open water, rescue diver, and some other specialty tickets and of course he thought it would be okay to dive alone in 3.5 metres to undertake a simple task that he probably had done before many times. He had not dived for a few years due to finances and his tank was past certification. Is it ok to dive alone? Depends if you are happy to expect the unexpected and die as a consequence of complacency! Have a great dive and live long.

Sorry about your brother. Most of us who choose to dive solo don't do it on borrowed gear. You mentioned "kicking furiously" ... so he had a chance to self-rescue, but didn't think to drop his weights. That's something that should factor into the decision ... the ability to problem-solve while remaining calm. The certifications you mentioned do not qualify anyone to dive solo ... every single one of them emphasizes diving with a buddy, and in no way prepare someone to dive solo.

There's a big difference between training and preparing to dive solo and just deciding to go dive without a buddy ... if you're going to do the latter, it's advisable to do the former first ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[scubalou717]

I've been diving for thirty years regularly, mostly with a group or a buddy, but my most memorable and enjoyable dives were solo. There's just something about being "at one" with the underwater realm, with no distractions and not having to be responsible for anyone but yourself. Being a competent, experienced diver, I'm against and even offended by this "solo certification" being forced upon me if I want to dive solo. I'm perfectly willing to accept any risks associated with diving solo and am willing to sign a waiver saying so. I've endured thirty years of getting on a dive boat as a solo diver who is then forced to "buddy-up" with the newbie air-hog fresh out of open water class because that dive operation does not allow any divers to go under without a buddy. I don't know what I'm supposed to learn in this solo certification course that I don't already know and I don't want to carry a pony bottle so don't ask me to. I'd rather just assume the risk involved with not having one, thank you very much.

 

[DaleC]

Hi, my brother drowned while diving alone in 3.5 metres of water in a river beside his boat, he had planned to clean the hull after tying lines under the hull. He was alone just as many of you agree is ok. He apparently had borrowed gear for the task and his not diving buddy was stationed on the boat to pass down lines. It seems he may have had a coughing fit for whatever reason, perhaps the underwater asthma attack whilst vertical, bugs in his reg, no one knows. He surfaced after kicking furiously with out his reg in his mouth yelled for help, became unconscious then sunk. Now his buddy was not a diver, let alone a trained first aider had no idea how to help, jumped in the water but as you would imagine was unable to find my brother. It took the police divers and aerial wing 1.5 hours to find his body in the murky water. Do the water police think its okay to dive alone? Clearly not. My brother had open water, advanced open water, rescue diver, and some other specialty tickets and of course he thought it would be okay to dive alone in 3.5 metres to undertake a simple task that he probably had done before many times. He had not dived for a few years due to finances and his tank was past certification. Is it ok to dive alone? Depends if you are happy to expect the unexpected and die as a consequence of complacency! Have a great dive and live long.

Yes, sorry about your brother on a personal level, but your story is not a good example of the dangers of solo diving. It seems to revolve around other issues. Unfamiliar gear, rusty/absent skills, perhaps over weighted and an acute medical event.

What you seem to suggest is that a buddy might have provided a buffer against those poor choices/abilities, which is in some ways true and more common than we may want to believe in diving. But it is a poor strategy for safe practices.

I have never heard anyone suggest a solo diver should do the things indicated above, or buddy teams for that matter.

 

[redacted]

What you seem to suggest is that a buddy might have provided a buffer against those poor choices/abilities, which is in some ways true and more common than we may want to believe in diving. But it is a poor strategy for safe practices.

That seems to be a common idea that could be applied to many things in life. Perhaps people should not drive alone, or cross the street alone.

The answer is to master the skills you need to cross the street, drive, or dive; and any of these things can be done in a reasonably safe manner without depending on a buddy.

 

[Steve Hatch]

We do a lot of drift diving in the St. Lawrence River with high currents and limited visibility. Many times due to the current and vis you lose sight of your buddy. Almost no one follows the rule if you lose your buddy you come up so many dives finish up as solo dives. I have made it a practice to carry a pony bottle on every dive, and that is the one buddy I can count on being there should something go wrong. I recently purchased a scooter and plan to do much more shore diving and most of it will be solo diving.

 

[TMHeimer]

I've been using a bungee cord last couple of years to hold my mouthpiece in should I go unconscious for any reason (figure it's a good idea solo OR with buddy). Think I mentioned this before on SB. Anyone else do this? Comments?

 

[Doc Harry]

We were all taught to dive with a dive buddy at all times, NO MATTER WHAT.

Obviously taught by people who were ignorant of solo diving.

...this is not a safe practice.

Says who? The same people who are ignorant of solo diving?

Is driving on snow dangerous? Does that mean that no one should drive on snow NO MATTER WHAT?

Solo is not for everyone. If it's not for you then don't do it.

 

[redacted]

I've been using a bungee cord last couple of years to hold my mouthpiece in should I go unconscious for any reason (figure it's a good idea solo OR with buddy). Think I mentioned this before on SB. Anyone else do this? Comments?

I tried that with my bungeed octo and and found it to be too uncomfortable. While it might give you an edge when buddy diving, while solo diving I suspect it is more likely th just change to time of death - and not by much. I doubt if the mouthpiece will seal without conscious mouth muscles.

But it can't hurt.