solo diving as a beginner

[Doc Intrepid]

The short answer is that you probably won't die. The longer answer is that if something bad happens, there's a really good chance you will die.

It's really your call.

However I will say that when I had about 50 dives, I felt the same way you did, A terrifying encounter with a bunch of line tangled @90' and 1/2 tank of air changed my mind, and I don't dive solo anymore.

There are people that do, and in the end it depends on your risk tolerance and responsibility for others. There are a lot of things I did when I was 18 and single that I wouldn't even consider married at 52.

+1

Among other issues are 'presence of mind" and 'situational awareness'.

As a relatively new diver, you don't know what you don't know.

When problems develop the diver's approach may make a difference regarding whether the problem is solved relatively quickly, or becomes fatal. A diver who can keep his/her head, remain calm, and think their way out of a predicament can escape problems that might ultimately kill a diver who panics.

The issue is that being comfortable underwater to the point that you respond calmly to emergencies is not generally a trait new divers possess. You are not born with it. In fact, the emergency response instincts that work well for you on land are the same ones that get you in trouble underwater. The correct responses to underwater emergencies are somewhat counter-intuitive.

Responding calmly to life threatening circumstances underwater is a learned trait. Most divers become comfortable underwater incrementally, generally by diving frequently.

So do whatever you want to do...but I recommend you get some additional dives under your belt and do some research on the subject before you simply jump in the water solo as a new diver.

Best,

Doc

 

[Afakasi]

it's free to join.

Thanks. I'm in, and there is all the info I was looking for and more!

 

[Walter]

What kinds of things?

Two that come immediately to mind are:

Lost mask. Unless you're extremely comfortable with no mask breathing, you would likely panic and shoot to the surface holding your breath all the way.

Entanglement.

Are they likely to happen? No, but they aren't all that rare either. I personally don't believe anyone should dive solo until after they've experienced a minor diving mishap and know how they'll react.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Another vote for what Doc, Web Monkey and Walter said.

Since I solo dive fairly frequently I feel like a hypocrite advising that you wait a bit before trying solo, but really it is best to get some dives & experience under your belt first.

Best wishes.

 

[oreocookie]

Another vote for what Doc, Web Monkey and Walter said.

Since I solo dive fairly frequently I feel like a hypocrite advising that you wait a bit before trying solo, but really it is best to get some dives & experience under your belt first.

Best wishes.

That's not really hypocritical. In my mind, that's roughly akin to a driving instructor telling their student not to go to the DMV for their test yet because they haven't practiced enough.

 

[ce4jesus]

Short answer: Murphy wants you dead.
Long Answer: One day he will succeed.

On the list of things that can go wrong? Let's see...Murphy's Law pages 1-100

1. Kid with a huge spoon and trebble hook fishing for pike casts your direction when he sees the bubbles thinking...hey that's got to be a huge pike. He snags you in the scrotum. While the kid is yelling fish on, you're bolting for the surface just like the fish would..except you don't have gills.
2. Someone on a get ski doing 50 decides to drive over you as you surface.
3. You succomb to temptation and decide to dive a lot deeper because you're confident in your new found ability.
4. The valve in your 2nd stage decides to hang open/free flows, you suck enough water to gag a horse and lose your cool.
5. Said regulator stops delivering air.
6. A fishing boat comes quietly to rest and throws an anchor which hits you the head knocking you unconscious.
7. Your inflator valve gets stuck and fully inflates your BC. In your panic, you ditch your weights.
8. You fall asleep and get bit by a snapping turtle which in turn causes you to bolt to the surface.
9. A massive storm hits the lake while you're under. You come up and are promptly hit by lightening.

Okay.... I'm sure I've not covered them all and I'm not against solo diving. But I do think a few dives under your belt and a self-rescue course would be a minimum requirement.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

What kinds of things?

A chance encounter with something that scares the crap out of you (it doesn't even have to be particularly scary ... just unfamiliar) ... and the brain's "hard-wired" fight or flight instinct will have you on the surface faster than your brain can process what it was you just thought you saw. If you hold your breath (again, hard-wiring will take over momentarily) you will blow a hole in your lungs and seriously injure yourself.

Less than a year ago we had a young man die here while solo diving in shallow water in just that manner. If I recall correctly, he had less than 30 dives at the time.

Comfort in the water is well and good ... comfort with your gear and the conditioned responses that you will adapt to as you get more bottom time matter even more for the solo diver (yes, I do dive solo and for the appropriately experienced and equipped diver I think it's quite OK).

Question for the OP ... are you diving with a redundant air source? If not, how often have you practiced emergency ascents?

... Bob( Grateful Diver)

 

[Monkey_Gland]

My 2p (sterling)

Madness. You have been trained that diving in pairs/teams with your level of exp. is the safest way to dive. History, a couple of billion dives and your insurance says as much. Why would you then ignore that?

 

[krawlings]

I would strongly advise to stik with the buddy system . YOU never know what may come up
You

 

[oldflounder]

I have been certified since Sept 08. I do a lot of North Atlantic shore-diving alone [I am far from calling myself a solo diver] mostly because I have trouble finding a buddy on the spur of the moment, am a beginner and feel that I am scuba challenged. I read the solo forum intently and learn all I can of the dangers involved. I dive in the shallows and practice redundancy as much as I can afford. It's amazing how much you can perfect your buoyancy skills in a 4' deep pool trying to stay centered without touching top or bottom. I usually stay under 20' practicing some of the skills. When I dive I feel that I have a buddy with me. It's an angel sitting on my right shoulder. But it's not a guardian angel. It's Gabriel, the Angel of Death, and he is watching my every move, hoping I will screw up. I dive very carefully. It's like driving 80 down the interstate with cars passing on both sides. I try to stay extremely alert. I don't want to die, but I know it could only be 30 seconds away at any time. I don't like diving alone, I'd rather have buddies with me all the time, but it's a matter of diving whenever I want or else waiting who knows how long for buddies to come along. It's a very dangerous gamble. Just do as much as you can to be informed of what can happen, be extremely cautious, have redundancy, try to learn self-rescue and good luck. Like they say, at the very least, it'll probably make you a better buddy in the long run if you survive.