Solo dives

[nanadiver]

I agree that diving is not a group sport. I don't have to point out everything I see to everyone around me. In fact, the less people darting about, the more I get to see. Many divers have to move from one "cute" or "fascinating" thing to another and they scare off the natural wildlife. It's like hiking for me. I prefer to hike quietly and alone. Just like diving, hiking alone has it's own set of dangers, rules, and precautions.

If you take the necessary precautions, get the appropriate training, and don't push yourself beyond your ability and comfort zone, solo diving is the most awesome diving experience.

 

[TSandM]

The most dangerous thing you can take in the water with you is a buddy.

I really hate to see posts like this.

Yesterday, I did a wonderful dive with one of my regular dive buddies. Throughout the entire dive, Doug was EXACTLY where I thought he was, and expected him to be. He picked up every signal I gave him essentially instantly. The communication from him was clear and distinct (including a newly coined signal for "rock pile" ). I know, from his training and from diving with him, that he has the sense to plan a dive that won't get him into trouble, and the skills to cope with virtually anything that could go wrong all by himself -- but if anything DOES go wrong, he's got me to make life a little easier, and I have the same in him. And each of us has a sanity check.

Part of the fun of the dive was finding something really cool, and calling him over to see it, and seeing the emphatic signals of excitement and fun coming back.

I will admit that dives where I have to chase down the person I'm diving with, or dives where that person is silting heavily, or dives where I have to repeat every signal a half dozen times before it gets through, are not as much fun as yesterday's dive. But we can ALL be buddies like Doug, if we want to. It takes experience, work, and a commitment to that degree of awareness and skill, but it's within everyone's reach.

And when you dive like that, you are NOT the most dangerous thing I could take with me in the water. Far from it.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

The most dangerous thing you can take in the water with you is a buddy.

... actually, that's not true anyway.

The most dangerous thing you can take diving with you is the wrong attitude. Safe diving's all about making good decisions. That's true whether you're buddy diving or solo diving. And good decisions start with choosing the right reasons for doing the type of diving you choose to do.

Deciding to solo dive because you think buddy diving's dangerous is the wrong reason. All that really means is that you didn't do a very good job at selecting the right people to go diving with ... which indicates that maybe the problem isn't really with your buddy.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[nanadiver]

Even though I love solo diving, I usually dive with a group of dive buddies. We all know each other's style of diving and ability. When photography is the object, I dive with a couple of them who are very interested in photography. When we are working on someone's skills, we all take the time to allow them to practice and perfect their skills. We are friends above and below the water.

When I am diving in a situation where I may be paired with someone I do not know, I immediately become more vigilant, more attentive, more of the divemaster instead of the just-for-fun diver because I know my skills and I trust my abilities. My new buddy has to earn that from me. It feels more like a solo dive because I don't know if I can trust that new buddy to have my back if there is a problem.

There have been times that I have been paired with divers without the skills for the dive, althought their certification is complete for the dive. They just need practice and confidence in their abilities. We have done well because I have been aware and because we have talked before the dive about our expectation and interests for that dive. When we are on the "same page" we have a really enjoyable dive and both can come away with a new dive buddy.

I completely agree that attitude, and not a buddy, is the most dangerous thing you can take in the water. When you are at 60 feet is no time for a bad or superior attitude.

 

[ScottyJoefish]

I have to respond to Grateful Diver - life is short - break the rule? - I believe training is essential in scuba - how much depends on the person. To tell a novice that they need more time under water and end your lecture with your Quote baffles me. No disrespect but you have enough dives to have encountered a few emergencies so do you break the rules? I dive solo because I like it and although Death enters my mind it is not a concern - diving and enjoyment out rule it all. Everybody wants to go to Heaven but nobody wants to die!! Peace fellow divers

 

[DevonDiver]

Opinions about the risk of death change when you are confronted with it. The question to ask is whether your opinions stem from complacency or the simple fact that you've not the 'scare' yet. Most divers get the 'scare' at some point in their first few hundred dives...and it changes their mindset. Of course, they still have fun..and enjoy their diving... but they learn to respect the unpredicatables...

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I have to respond to Grateful Diver - life is short - break the rule? - I believe training is essential in scuba - how much depends on the person. To tell a novice that they need more time under water and end your lecture with your Quote baffles me. No disrespect but you have enough dives to have encountered a few emergencies so do you break the rules? I dive solo because I like it and although Death enters my mind it is not a concern - diving and enjoyment out rule it all. Everybody wants to go to Heaven but nobody wants to die!! Peace fellow divers

Not sure which post of mine you're responding to here ... perhaps a use of the "quote" button would be helpful.

That said, I'm wondering if you've ever been faced with a situation underwater when you honestly thought that you might not make it to the surface alive. It's quite a different feeling than one can imagine from the safety of a keyboard ... tends to change how you look at things.

It's a common sentiment when someone dies diving that "he died doing something he loved" ... I can assure you that during the last moments of that person's life, they were not loving scuba diving. In at least one solo death that I know of, the diver was found with the words "I'm sorry" written on a slate. As the guy said in the Indiana Jones movie ... "he chose poorly".

Like you, I solo dive because I enjoy it. I do not solo dive to mask inadequate skills ... that's the wrong reason. I don't take it lightly ... not even with hundreds of solo dives, and thousands of dives overall. I've learned a few things ... and I'm willing to share those with others. It's not because I want to lecture them ... it's because I've lost a few friends to diving along the way, and I'd like to help others not make some of the mistakes that cost those people their lives.

If you want to consider that a lecture, that's your choice ... diving's all about choices. Take it for whatever you think it's worth ... as with all the advice on ScubaBoard, it doesn't cost you anything ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[stakanak]

People that believe no one should ever solo dive should absolutely never dive solo.
People who think they have diving "wired" should not dive solo.
People who do not deal with high pressure situations well should not solo(no pun intended).
To the OP: Thanks for the thread. While most of the solo threads turn into a war of words, this one has sent some heavy thoughts into the good ole' noggin.
Get Wet!

 

[ScottyJoefish]

Like I said no disrespect - It's the end of your post I was referring to. Life is short - Break the rules - Kiss slow ect I was referring to. I always wonder if I'm going to make it back. Don't you? It why I train - redundancy- right. With over 20,000 posts a novice might get the Idea that you know what you are talking about and you sound like you do. But you end all your posts with Break all the rules. Is that a keyboard thing? Practice what you preach Brother of the water.Peace and safe diving.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I always wonder if I'm going to make it back. Don't you?

No ... I don't wonder that at all. I give the "make it back" part of the dive enough thought before I enter the water that I'm pretty confident I can deal with whatever I'll need to.

If I didn't feel that way, I'd be making a less aggressive dive plan ... or deciding not to dive at all. Sometimes that happens.

It's one thing to occasionally find yourself in a situation you couldn't predict. But if you find yourself always wondering if you're going to make it back, that's a pretty good indicator that you're probably diving beyond your ability.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)