Solo Diving

[marcopalla]

Marco, if that's you solo-diving in your avatar, then that's some fantastic trick then, setting up a camera on the andrea doria wreck to take a self-portrait photo of you. Can you teach us this trick?

(Just doing my part in keeping a 9 year old thread resurrected!)

you don't know the underwater autoclick?

there, we were 2-3 persons but everyone in solo
(not a joke, everyone mind his business...)

(in the old thread there's the old wisdom)

 

[FrogManMike]

Hi all,
I read articles about solo diving. I would be interested to have the opinion of others.
What do you have to say about it?
Do you support it?
Have you ever done it?
Would you do it again?
As an instructor, I have done it sometimes at the end of the dive, when all my students where back on the boat. It was a great way to decompress from the work load.
I wonder how the new solo diver certification is going to be accepted around the world?
Philippe

Yes, I support solo diving but only depending on the level of the divers experience meaning only after a couple of hundred logged dives and only shore entry dives and depths of 40' or less and only during slack tide and high visibility. Rock quarry dives are safe for solo dives also IMO
divers have no business soloing off shore, wreck diving or Tech diving, etc solo.

My last few dives were solo shallow shore entry dives taking snap shots and collecting a few shells. I am more comfortable diving solo than I am diving with an Insta-buddy and I am very selective who I choose as a buddy.
IMO it is safer to solo than it is to dive with an inexperienced diver, I know this first hand from having an insta buddy panic because their tank was running low on air and they yanked my second stage out of my mouth. luckily I did not panic and grabbed my octopus.
another thing I like about soloing is that if you are not comfortable about the dive you can abort the dive without ruining a potential buddy's dive
I also dive a lot of very shallow spots where I might dive in 10' deep in short 5 to 10 minute intervals where I will snorkel then if I see something interesting I will dive down for a closer look.
If something is going to happen It can happen just as easy with a buddy as it can going solo

Solo diving is not for every one especially inexperienced or someone who are prone to anxiety or panic attacks have no business soloing at all.

 

[FrogManMike]

you don't know the underwater autoclick?

there, we were 2-3 persons but everyone in solo
(not a joke, everyone mind his business...)

(in the old thread there's the old wisdom)

LOL
I realized how old this thread is after posting then reading your post
I will also proudly waive the banner

 

[ff1diver]

There is nothing wrong with Solo Diving...unless something goes wrong. If something went fatally wrong...ohhh how the scuba critics would arise stating that she should have not been diving alone.
I support solo diving...it is when I do my best diving...only having to worry about me.

 

[chokdeekap]

i dive most weeks solo but i always use a 5.5 lit pony bottle I am a photographer so it is not much fun diving with me anyway, as i could spend 10-15 mins in one spot taking shots

 

[Stoy D Dabbs]

I would prefer to dive with a buddy, If I can't find a buddy I will go solo.
I do not encouage it, And should not be taken likely, And popper equipment such as redundant air source.
Gas management for redundant air source, What is size of tanks vs SAC and or RMV and how deep going to, And do safety stops, This is the reason why I do not like Spare Air, Most of my solo dives are below 60' deep.
Due to my handicap, I don't social will with other people so I have a hard time trying to hook up to other's to dive with.

 

[Nemrod]

I solo a good percentage of my dives, I rarely use "redundant" systems because I use RELIABLE systems. I have been solo diving since I was 15 or 16. I think nothing off it, don't care what others think of it or the perceived dangers. I think my instructor said something about not diving alone, kinda like not swimming alone or you will get the dreaded, shhhhh, "stomach cramps" and other urban legends of nonsense but then I think I was like 12 or 13 or something. Then I grew up and figured I could make up my own mind free and clear. YRMV.

N

 

[FrogManMike]

On another note when I am talking about diving solo I am diving in heavily populated dive spots which will have at least ten other divers within my immediate vicinity therefore if I get in trouble I can always signal for help. it is not like I am loading up a boat and diving offshore in the middle of nowhere by my self.

If I were to be all alone I don't think I would entertain the thought of getting in the water by my self. besides due to my disability I require a little assistance getting my gear to the water so I am never really alone when I dive and I think it would be totally foolish to dive or even swim for that matter all by your self with no one around.

 

[FrogManMike]

OOPS Double post

 

[Nemrod]

On another note when I am talking about diving solo I am diving in heavily populated dive spots which will have at least ten other divers within my immediate vicinity therefore if I get in trouble I can always signal for help. it is not like I am loading up a boat and diving offshore in the middle of nowhere by my self.

If I were to be all alone I don't think I would entertain the thought of getting in the water by my self. besides due to my disability I require a little assistance getting my gear to the water so I am never really alone when I dive and I think it would be totally foolish to dive or even swim for that matter all by your self with no one around.

That is unorganized group buddy diving, not solo, solo is in the ocean alone, nobody but you. N