safyrewulfie
Guest
K so at what point do most divers go alone? I feel like a mooch bugging others to take me with them just so I can dive. So at what point do you think its ok? And what if at just certain depths? Curious question here.
Solo diving
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Only you can answer that for yourself. I know many experienced divers who would never dive solo.
You go solo at the point where you feel 100% capable of self-rescue.
I'll beach dive or kayak beach dive solo if it is a really flat calm day. I'll boat dive solo if it's 60-70' or less. I don't wreck dive solo due to the risk of entanglement.
Your mileage may differ.
You go solo at the point where you feel 100% capable of self-rescue.
I'll beach dive or kayak beach dive solo if it is a really flat calm day. I'll boat dive solo if it's 60-70' or less. I don't wreck dive solo due to the risk of entanglement.
Your mileage may differ.
If I can suggest you post this in the Solo Divers section of the Technical Diving Specialties area also so you can get more replies.
DebbyDiver answered it pretty well.
nereas
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With 0 - 24 dives to your credit, you definitely should NOT go diving solo.
Join a local or an internet dive club, and show up for the dives, then buddy up as an insta-buddy. For about a year, at least, first.
Or sign up for a D/M course at your local dive shop. A D/M is normally at the level where they are competent to dive solo. Setting floats as a DMC is usually your first taste of solo diving, at least shallow.
hansonian
Contributor
i started diving solo whenever i felt like going and couldn't find someone to partner up with. of course i've done a lot of stuff solo in my life so it wasn't that big of a deal. i figure i'm the best dive bud i can have (i always pitch in for gas, buy the beer afterwards and show up on time). i still dive with other people every now and then but i like the solitude of it just being me sometimes.
LeadTurn_SD
Contributor
Only you can answer the "when am I ready?" question.
A "standard" answer is "If you have to ask, you are not ready".
FYI: My 1st solo dive was about ten dives after completing OW in 1976. I was 18 years old. I felt ready. I'm sure in hindsight I was not ready, but kept the dive easy and shallow. I had a fair bit of experience free diving and was pretty comfortable in the ocean.
My most recent solo was a few weeks ago, at 50 years old. I have far fewer solo dives than buddy-dives, but still go solo when the mood strikes me.
Good luck, and stay safe!
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Jupiter31
Contributor
Many of the dive operations in Palm Beach County, b/c its drift diving, will put a dive master in the water w/ a flag, and you are welcome to follow the DM.
Often, you can find a buddy on the dive boat - just have a pre dive conversation to make sure you match - for example, at Jupiter Dive Center, nitrox divers have a 40 min bottom time vs air divers 20 - 25 min's.
Joining a dive club is another good option; you will meet many divers looking for a buddy.
At 25 dives (or less), diving solo is not a safe option.
Often, you can find a buddy on the dive boat - just have a pre dive conversation to make sure you match - for example, at Jupiter Dive Center, nitrox divers have a 40 min bottom time vs air divers 20 - 25 min's.
Joining a dive club is another good option; you will meet many divers looking for a buddy.
At 25 dives (or less), diving solo is not a safe option.
I have to agree with everyone else here. At your experience level I would say not to. That being said I did my first solo dive on my third dive out of OW class. Not by choice. I went out on a charter and that is the way they operated. I'm not complaining. It was a great learning experience but I don't recommend it.
Don't feel bad about bugging other people to dive. Most of us are just looking for a good excuse to get in the water anyway.
Don't feel bad about bugging other people to dive. Most of us are just looking for a good excuse to get in the water anyway.
Speaking as a responsible DM, I would say hold off on solo diving till ya have at least 10,000 dives. Realisticly speaking, heed the previous advice...wait until you have plenty of experience, pay close attention to conditions and set limits on yourself and stick to them. Never solo dive under less than ideal conditions just cause ya wanna dive.
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If the only reason you want to dive solo is because you can't find a buddy, then I'd say try harder. I mean that in a good way.
In our last SB beach dive we had one guy who drove from Orlando all the way down here to Hollywood just to dive with us. I'm not suggesting you drive 300 miles to dive, but I'm sure you can find buddies near by. There are over 600 members on this list alone who are willing to dive! Diving is a social sport.
Most divers love "showing you the ropes" sort of speak so don't feel like mooch or like you're bugging someone because you're asking them to tag along. If you get that from one diver, move on to the next one!
If you, on the other hand, think you would enjoy being alone then that's a different can of worms.
In our last SB beach dive we had one guy who drove from Orlando all the way down here to Hollywood just to dive with us. I'm not suggesting you drive 300 miles to dive, but I'm sure you can find buddies near by. There are over 600 members on this list alone who are willing to dive! Diving is a social sport.
Most divers love "showing you the ropes" sort of speak so don't feel like mooch or like you're bugging someone because you're asking them to tag along. If you get that from one diver, move on to the next one!
If you, on the other hand, think you would enjoy being alone then that's a different can of worms.
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