prepared?? To meet your maker?

[r4e]

There is a 100% risk that all life will end eventually. I have had my share of near misses in traffic and water. I have also been assisting buddies of mine and even insta-buddies when they had their moments of s*** hitting the fan.

When diving in general, including solo diving, it is difficult to quantify and comprehend the relatively low, but not none-existant risk of a final failure. You prepare yourself for most foreseeable problems and almost all of them are solvable. Atleast one wants to think so. What scares me somewhat is the possibility of losing consciousness, having a oxygen seizure or a stroke underwater. Diving with a buddy or a team might give me slightly better chances, but not necessarily significantly better. If for some reason I think I might be today more vulnerable to any such, I'll cancel or thumb the dive. There'll always be another day for diving. I hope to be diving even as pensioner someday.

I keep my wife informed of my general preparedness for solving underwater problems, but, I do not go thru all the details. As a routine I send her my dive site GPS coordinates and expected time to phone back. She has a general idea which emergency number to call if I do not phone in time. For lost/sunken boat, partial inability due to DCS etc, this could be life saving. But realistically speaking (unconsciousness, oxygen seizure or stroke underwater), it will only help the recovery operation. She might not be totally happy with this solo diving arrangement, but, she has got used to it and seems to accept it as a way of life. Likewise, I give her some freedom.

I would argue that occasionally keeping these things in mind prepares yourself better for the possibility of eventual fatality than trying to avoid all risks of life and suddenly dieing without any forewarning. Perhaps this is playing with the statistics, but I am willing to accept this slightly elevated risk of solo diving in return for the quality of life aspects I get from diving. This is not a rushed decision (as suggested by OP). I have to admit that this decision to dive and solo dive is affected by passion.

 

[Ste Wart]

I remember a few years back an incident with my father. He's diabetic. I was having a beer with him after he had been for a round a golf with 2 friends, all of sudden he had 'hypo' and I had to go get some sugar for him in order to get his blood sugar levels normalised. Funnily enough, although the 2 friends he was golfing with knew he had Diabetes, they had no idea what to do in case of 'hypo'.
So if my father had a 'hypo' while golfing solo or with friends apparently that would have made little difference.

Don't assume that because someone is there they can help you.

 

[redacted]

I see a lot of discussion about nothing, aversion of the topic. I am sorry to have interupted your regularly scheduled Sunday morning, or thought that anything could be learned here.
I brought this to you, the members of the solo forum, of which I have been a member, in the hope of finding a consensus. Other than Jax post about the paper details and repercussions the rest of it well.... It left me wanting more.
I will take away from this thread that the most of the members here
1. do not want to face it
2. beleive their superior skill or training will save them
3. beleive this is a troll from a solo diver who regularly solo's with deco
Eric

You left one off.

4. The members here can tell the difference between a post intended to start a useful discussion and a post intended to cause friction.

Maybe you are one of the few members who couldn't.

 

[waterpirate]

You left one off.

4. The members here can tell the difference between a post intended to start a useful discussion and a post intended to cause friction.

Maybe you are one of the few members who couldn't.

It is and was a simple question. Meaningfull discussion without friction is discussion dominated by one opinion.
Eric

 

[Dsix36]

I strongly believe that any diver not mentally prepared to be solo on a dive is inadequate to the task and using another diver as a crutch. However this fact doesn't stop me realizing diving with a competent buddy is always the best policy.

The only way to dive solo and remain safe, is if you refuse to dive with an idiot.

 

[lowviz]

I strongly believe that any diver not mentally prepared to be solo on a dive is inadequate...//.....

...to dive under any circumstances.


Don't confuse your point with extra words. You point is excellent.

 

[Ana]

I see a lot of discussion about nothing, aversion of the topic. I am sorry to have interupted your regularly scheduled Sunday morning, or thought that anything could be learned here.

Is not aversion of the topic... more likely is being tired of having people coming in to preach, with similar tone to the one you used in your initial post. It isn't about being Sunday either, I get the feeling the reaction would've been the same on a Wednesday.

I brought this to you, the members of the solo forum, of which I have been a member, in the hope of finding a consensus. Other than Jax post about the paper details and repercussions the rest of it well.... It left me wanting more.

Jax post was kind enough to ignore what was apparent to most of the reader and provide a sound reminder for all of us, not just the solo divers. Actually to anyone that wakes up alive, because in reality the only requirement to die is to be alive.

I will take away from this thread that the most of the members here
1. do not want to face it
2. beleive their superior skill or training will save them
3. beleive this is a troll from a solo diver who regularly solo's with deco
Eric

You can take anything you want, but if you didn't intent to preach or troll then it would be wiser to take the fact that your post was not interpreted the way you wanted to, go ahead an re-write it if you are still left wanting more.

 

[DennisS]

delete

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I worry more about driving in a big city (NY, Boston, LA) than I do about a solo dive.
So even though I am "reluctantly ready to meet my maker", it hardly registers as a risky activity that needs any more debate.....

 

[Mark Michaud SELAUSAR]

Wow what a tough crowd.

Is it that hard to address?

I personally am ready to face the choices that I make, I was just curious if everyone else was. Having a buddy to assist with an unexpected medical issue is the only thing that can not be anticipated while being a solo diver.

Yes I think that having a buddy in the context of a medical issue would give you an added edge, an advantage that is not open to you solo. As to the benefit of that edge?? That can not be decided, but the added edge is definately there.

Ego and an over estimated perception of your reaction to a given situation is a knee jerk reaction to a problem. Simply quipping about the querry is also a dodge. Care to elaborate about your true feelings about the original post?
Eric

Until you are a solid solo (self sufficient) diver, you cannot be a good buddy. Another diver being there in no way proves that this person will be prepared, much less any help, in a medical emergency. I watch people, on the street, stand there while others need medical help, or the police or what ever, and they just watch. Just because another diver is in the water does not mean they can or will do anything.

I agree, worthless post.