OP
Scubaru_Steve
Contributor
Thanks to everyone who has posted. I really was NOT considering Solo diving anytime soon if I ever decide to go that route. I am very new to diving and even entering that murky water with a buddy has enough of a mental obstacle. I just wanted to see what people felt were the risks with some of these guys I see in 20' of water playin around.
Yeah I take part in pretty much all you listed. I taught climbing and help run a tower/high rope course at a Boy Scout summer camp the past 2 summers. I was in scouts for 7 years (Yes Eagle Scout), I climb, bike, hike, camp, etc still to this day. I know there are risks with all of those activities especially when alone. But to me scuba seems to carry a higher risk since you are even more cut off from the rest of the world and things down there happen much quicker than on the surface. Thanks for contributing to my thread on the safety of solo diving!
In just about every sport in which it is possible to go alone, there are people who choose to go it alone. That includes hiking, rock climbing, swimming, camping, canoeing, long distance bicycling--anything. Every one of those brings a risk--what if something goes wrong when you are alone?
A couple of years ago there was the nationally covered case of the man hiking in the desert. A rock slid and caught his arm. He ended up amputating his arm at the elbow with a dull jackknife.
Here in Colorado a number of years ago a solo hiker did something similar, amputating his leg at the knee to free his foot.
Similarly, a girl who once raced on the same ski team with me was solo hiking near Moab, Utah. She fell and broke her hip. She tried to crawl all the way out and only made it because she was "semi-buddied." Her dog pulled a Lassie and went for help.
We do a lot of rock climbing here in Colorado, and a couple of weeks ago a solo climber fell to his death.
A number of years ago a well known and beloved diver from my town was diving with a group of friends. On the descent he indicated that he was having some trouble and wanted to return to the boat. He indicated that his buddy should join another team so as not to miss the dive. He then ascended solo. He was never seen again. It is presumed he had a heart attack, passed out, and drifted away with the current.
Anyone who participates in any kind of activity like this is taking a risk. The amount of risk involved varies. Going for a half hour bike ride down an established trail? Not much risk at all. Taking a kayak down serious rapids swollen by spring rain? The risk factor just leaped up a few notches. Hopefully, everyone who participates in such activities makes an informed, calculated assessment of the risk and decides whether or not it is acceptable.
Nothing is absolute--you have to make a case-by-case decision. I will take my bike out for a spin unattended without a second thought. I will not hike in the wilderness alone. I will not ski the back country alone. In general, I will not dive alone. Now, I do practice in the pool alone, and I will briefly set up / clean up instructional materials in shallow sites alone, but that's about it.
Those are my decisions.
What are yours?
Yeah I take part in pretty much all you listed. I taught climbing and help run a tower/high rope course at a Boy Scout summer camp the past 2 summers. I was in scouts for 7 years (Yes Eagle Scout), I climb, bike, hike, camp, etc still to this day. I know there are risks with all of those activities especially when alone. But to me scuba seems to carry a higher risk since you are even more cut off from the rest of the world and things down there happen much quicker than on the surface. Thanks for contributing to my thread on the safety of solo diving!