Solo Diving: PADI Worldwide's Position

[SleepWithFishes]

I have an interesting take on this. My job is in dealing with the outcome of accidents, and I think an analogy is in order. It is good to see PADI recognizing that many of us dive solo, and that it is not inherently "wrong". However, it is not so simple to parse out the rational from the irrational.
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Here is my analogy:

Seatbelts in cars.

1. Prior to seatbelt laws there was approximately 1 accident for every 25 people per year, the outcome was 15% fatal, 25% severe injury, and 70% minor injury with few having none.
2. After seatbelt laws there was 1 accident for every 25 people per year with 2% fatalities, 10% severe injury, 50% minor injury and 38% not injured.
(statistics are not 100% accurate, but a representation of one source)
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Solo diving is no more statistically dangerous than the factors involved in the statistics, equipment failure, environmental hazards, and personal health are still the same factors as with buddy diving but .5 of the amount of times (same number per capita). However the outcome of a failure in solo has a higher chance of fatality due to the inherent decrease of redundancy and bailout options. A solo diver has the same change of an accident as everybody else, however the risk of fatility is higher.
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Logic: The factors in diving that cause accidents do not change based the number of divers, just the frequency of them happening in proportion to number of divers. This may seem anti logical, but mathematically there are more accidents where there are more divers.
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Diving, like with driving and riding a motorcycle, it is not IF an accident will happen, but when. If you are properly trained (which for driving and riding we here in America are not), but fail to wear safety equipment, when that accident does occur, you will very likely get hurt worse than with.

The moral of the story is: Solo divers be vigilant, have redundancy, and make sure that somebody knows where you are going and when you are expected back, just like any other dangerous sport. You are taking the same risk, but gambling higher stakes.

I can tell you that I have only had one gear failure in 25+ years of diving (a minor matter), but I have had many, instant buddies that I had to drag back to the boat or call a dive for due to new dive gear, bad health, poorly maintained equipment, bad skills, poor preparation, inability to handle current, etc, etc. The preparation needed to be a solo diver would be a good thing for every diver, since it makes them soley responsible to their equipment, and more self sufficient for when you go buddy diving, and get separated.

Maybe some of the 500+ deaths involving separation would not have happened if maximum self sufficiency diving was a required course for OW.

 

[DaleC]

That's a pretty good post for your first on the board. Welcome to SB

 

[D_B]

Agree with Dale
.. Welcome to the board

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I agree with the others ... great first post. We need more like you on ScubaBoard.

One comment to inject ...

Maybe some of the 500+ deaths involving separation would not have happened if maximum self sufficiency diving was a required course for OW.

Solo diving and buddy separation are not the same thing. The former is planned while the latter is accidental. The diver who finds himself (or herself) alone because they lost their buddy isn't a solo diver ... they are a buddy diver who is involved in a broken dive. Those 500+ deaths are not indicative of solo diving ... they are indicative of divers who lacked skills, prepared poorly, and are most likely stressed out to the point of not thinking straight.

None of that has anything at all to do with solo diving.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[redacted]

I agree with the others ... great first post. We need more like you on ScubaBoard.

One comment to inject ...



Solo diving and buddy separation are not the same thing. The former is planned while the latter is accidental. The diver who finds himself (or herself) alone because they lost their buddy isn't a solo diver ... they are a buddy diver who is involved in a broken dive. Those 500+ deaths are not indicative of solo diving ... they are indicative of divers who lacked skills, prepared poorly, and are most likely stressed out to the point of not thinking straight.

None of that has anything at all to do with solo diving.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I guess I read his statement differently than you do. I don't believe SWF is equating, in any way, buddy separation (and the ensuing accidents) with solo diving. I believe he is saying that accidents in such situations might be less frequent if the buddied divers were also capable solo divers.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I guess I read his statement differently than you do. I don't believe SWF is equating, in any way, buddy separation (and the ensuing accidents) with solo diving. I believe he is saying that accidents in such situations might be less frequent if the buddied divers were also capable solo divers.

OK ... I can see that. Not sure I agree with that sentiment either. Being a capable solo diver isn't going to make you a better dive buddy. And if all you're going to worry about is your own safety, then why bother with a buddy at all? It really kinda misses the point.

Perhaps if the agencies are going to promote a buddy system, they could put more effort into teaching people how to dive as buddies. Based on a lot of threads I've read on ScubaBoard over the years, I get the impression that an awful lot of people don't really understand what it means. And for sure, following a divemaster around in a herd doesn't promote a buddy system at all.

I think the majority of those accidents occur because the divers involved weren't properly prepared ... or perhaps unwilling ... to put in the requisite effort to be a dive buddy. Learning how to solo dive isn't going to give you those skills.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

For example, a comparison of motorcycle accident reports before and after helmet law changes demonstrates fewer deaths/serious injuries per accident among those who ride without a helmet vs. those who ride with a helmet. While this is not indicative of the safety margin (helmet vs. non), it does suggest that when intentionally riding without a helmet, the motorcyclists in question may be operating at slower speeds or with greater care.

Just wanted to touch on a few non diving points that have not been brought up to my knowledge. Before I became a prolific solo diver I was a prolific solo cyclist. I rode my first road bike solo from Grand Junction CO. to La Junta CO. only stopping for fuel (350 miles), with a brace on my one month ago broken kneecap right leg (highway peg the whole way). I rode my last cycle solo from Denver to Keystone, SD for Bike Week only stopping for fuel (390 miles), arriving just before midnight and just after a bad hail storm that left big tree branches and drifts of ice on the road.

Crossing the Continental Divide is cold, even in Summer; I wore my helmet above 9000' elevation. Wyoming had a helmet law; I wore my helmet in Wyoming. I rode my first Sportster as my only form of transportation in Denver for an entire year; 10,000 miles. Cold, rain, hail and Wyoming were the only reasons I ever wore a helmet. And just like now with diving, I read too much.

Much of the statistical conundrum with the before after helmet law injury / death comparison has absolutely nothing to do with driving slow and cautious. Vision, hearing and the super ball nature of a helmet bouncing off asphalt have way more to do with the numbers. Helmets seriously restrict peripheral vision and hearing and many accidents are a surprise because of that, so taken unawares the helmet super bounces. When you can see and hear, the much fewer accidents are more realized and prepared for so even without a helmet the impact with the asphalt is often not so spine tingling.

Also, with everyone owning a helmet it is possible more miles are ridden in bad weather conditions.

In Denver I rode faster than any surrounding traffic whenever possible, thus eliminating the possibility of being hit from behind. I constantly looked in both mirrors and over both shoulders when I was impeded by traffic; the shoulder peeks sometimes meant when I looked forward I was late on the brake for slowing traffic, but both I and the driver I just looked back at were prepared for my quick lane change (loud pipes help too). If Colorado had had a helmet law back then I would be crippled or dead! I am also somewhat lucky :cool2:

I sold my last bike shortly after moving to Kauai; too much rust on my chrome and too hot to wear proper riding gear. I do not miss the nightmares about stupid drivers trying to kill me. Solo diving, even without redundancy, is so much less dangerous it's not really much of a thrill compared to most of my other thrill seeker pursuits, but at least I am still enjoying the second half of my life!

:focus:

 

[NAM001]

I thought i was going to get a lot of fire for my post. i am glad i did not. i would say sleep with fishes is as right as are most of the posts. perhaps better worded though . solo diving and diving solo are 2 different things as awap says. i agree with him. because separation is normaly an inevitable event. all the more reason to become skilled in solo diving. to be able to save yourself with out your buddy being an integral part of the effort. i dont abhor the idea of a buddy. buddy's are great buddying with someine skilled and equiped to solo is much better. i will say this new divers better use a buddy. get 50-100 dives in many holes. enough to see how many folks have problems down there figure out why and how you will not have the same. equip to support solo. not cheap but not a rebreather either. set limits when you will and WILOLL NOT solo. get the training and yo have it made. i wont cross 100 ft solo. i wont night / lim vis dive solo . i wont do penitration solo. pass through i will do (sunk bus). if i can see sunlight its a go for solo.

""""""In Denver I rode faster than any surrounding traffic whenever possible""""""""

i like that .......... nothing like 2-3 mph relative motion to keep you seen in trafic. that is a great skill.
i do it too.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

solo diving and diving solo are 2 different things as awap says. i agree with him. because separation is normaly an inevitable event.

No ... it is not! Separation is the result of buddies who are either poorly trained, poorly skilled, or who have decided that they don't need to put in the effort to dive as buddies properly.

Buddy separation is never "inevitable" ... it is always the result of choice, ignorance, or carelessness ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[NAM001]

No ... it is not! Separation is the result of buddies who are either poorly trained, poorly skilled, or who have decided that they don't need to put in the effort to dive as buddies properly.

Buddy separation is never "inevitable" ... it is always the result of choice, ignorance, or carelessness ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

that is why it is inevitable thanks for wording it better than me. if you have a buddy in sight can he perform the function. oops that was you point wasnt it. unless one knows thier buddy inside and out , you just dont really know, now does one .... may i add when i go on a regulator the only one i know can perform is me. i am my own first and second line of defence/rescue. i have seen too many non performing people sucking on a reg with dangling tanks, snagged equipment ect. oops there i go again that was your point also was it not??????????? whether you planned to be separated or it was an accident...... the end result is the same you are by your self in a solo environment. i chose to skill my self for that situation of being in a solo situation.

lets all go solo diving buddies welcome.......