Well I have been on Vancouver Island now for two weeks without a hit from any locals on buddying up for a shore dive.
I currently have 22 dives and an AOW certification.
I was thinking of diving Ogden Point in Victoria on Sunday solo. It is a very popular spot with little current and diver markers on the breakwall. The LDS is in front of the dive spot.
Questions:
Should I have concerns on diving solo and if so, what are those concerns?
Thanks!
Mark
I don't usually resort to unequivocable answers ... but in this case it's appropriate. You should not consider doing this dive solo.
The breakwater looks like a really simple dive ... and it can be. It can also break you in ways you probably haven't even thought of yet. Even if you are ready, skills-wise ... which you probably are not ... this isn't an appropriate place to cut your teeth on solo diving.
Ask yourself a few questions ...
- Are you prepared for entanglement? There's a ton of bull kelp at this site, and while diving in bull kelp isn't particularly difficult, it can be intimidating for someone who's not used to dealing with it. Do you even know how to "break" a kelp stem? Trying it in the usual manner only bends the stem.
- What about redundancy? Do you have a redundant air supply, in case you experience a problem with your normal one? Because if anything causes a cessation of your normal gas supply, you're only going to have a few seconds to come up with Plan B before it becomes a really serious problem. And don't just assume that because you are carrying a pony or other alternate that you've solved that issue ... you'd better have practiced deploying it underwater a few times to make sure you can do it consistently. And make sure you've paid attention to potential "gotchya's" ... like trapping your reg hose.
- Have you dived in surge? Waves coming into the area, particularly in the shallower sections, can move you around in ways that are disorienting. Again, not particularly difficult for those who are experienced enough to have learned how to deal with it ... but can be a real stressful issue for the inexperienced.
- Getting into that site is easy ... you just step off the wall just about anywhere you want. But how will you get out? Climbing up onto that wall in your gear isn't as easy as it looks ... especially if there's any wave action. The easiest way is to swim to the beach ... but it's a pretty long swim. Will you have enough gas to make it? Surface swimming is an option ... but remember the kelp ... it's a real bear trying to make your way anywhere on the surface when kelp's in the way.
The breakwater's a great dive ... actually it's a great few dives because it's so big ... but go the first few times with someone who can show you the answers to the questions above. Don't risk learning the hard way ... it can be a really stressful experience, and stress is what usually causes people to make bad decisions that can get them in trouble.
Sorry you're having trouble finding a dive buddy ... if you were down my way I'd happily dive with you and show you a few "tricks" that'd make life easier. But no way would I recommend you try that site solo ... not without having dived it first with a buddy, and particularly not at your level of experience. You MIGHT be OK ... but it would really depend on the conditions and on how well you can handle things that might not quite turn out the way you expect them to. Best you find out about those things while diving with someone who can help you learn the site.
Diving solo isn't an option you want to consider until you're completely comfortable and confident with your basic skills ... and until you can perform self-rescue with as little thought and as much confidence as you currently give to walking. And it involves a bit more than just the skills ... it also requires you to make good decisions, which is why it's not something that most new divers should consider ... because they usually don't even know the right questions to ask yet, much less the right answers.
Here's a good place to start learning about the things you should know before coonsidering solo diving ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)