Solo quandary

[craracer]

I'm in a bit of a pickle and thought that I might find some help here.

I have an interest in learning more about being a safe solo diver. I've checked into the local SDI Solo Diver Course. My problem is that I live in Minnesota, which means that all of the checkout dives are cold water. I have no cold water equipment (dry suit, certification and whatnot) and frankly, have absolutely no interest in cold water diving. Using a chainsaw to cut a hole in the ice is just not appealing to me.

I'm wondering if someone might offer some advice or direct me towards finding reliable/useful information to help me be a more-safe solo diver?

 

[redacted]

There are a number of books on the subject including the SDI manual.

Unless you are looking at an operator that accepts the solo diver certification, the card may be of little use.

 

[craracer]

I found the SDI Solo Diving book on Amazon. I figured that the number of operators who would allow solo diving would be limited.
I just feel that the additional knowledge would be good.

I've done a few solo shore dives in <50ft of water and simply have a desire to learn how to maximize my safety through the experiences and knowledge of others.

 

[redacted]

The SDI book is OK. But their suggestion that the solo dive should follow the rule of thirds is excessive. Decide what redundancies are right for you, take it easy (conservative), and enjoy the solitude.

 

[nereas]

SOLO DIVING by Robert Van Maier. Try Amazon.

Basically it says:

Two of everything (independent backup breathing system, such as large pony or else twin tanks with twin regulators).

Dive only easy sites.

Dive only to easy depths (say 60 ft).

Dive only sites that you are already familiar with.

Dive only when conditions are good or ideal.

Be extremely aware of your surroundings at all times.

 

[craracer]

Thank you Sir. I will look it up.

 

[beanojones]

(Nothing I think, or say, or write, should be taken seriously. That said, here are some thoughts.)

First, there is no way anyone should be solo diving anywhere they are not local to.

Second, anyone diving anywhere they need to show a card is not solo diving. They are diving without a buddy under supervision, and they are someone else's responsiblity than their own.

Third, Seconding the Solo Diver book by Van Maier. I love his recommendation that you should not dive to any depth you cannot freedive to. When I read that, I went out and freedove my head off until I could hit 100feet/30 meters. Just because you can see the boat from 100 feet does not make it any closer than if vis is 3 feet.

But re-read one and two, and you will probably find that almost nothing in his book applies to you. You don't seem to want to dive solo, you just want to not have to buddy up. That's kind of a different thing than solo diving. Does an operator want to have to enforce buddies? No, but you want to dive without a buddy, when it is someone else's responsibility, and that's just not likely to happen (And if it does happen, it's not a good thing.) Operators don't really have an opinion on what's good practice, they have an opinion on what is defensible practice. Allowing someone to dive without a buddy (who is not an instructor working for them directly) leaves the operator legally defenseless. (Community standards)

If you walk into the lake near your home without a buddy, you are solo diving. If you want to jump off a dive operator's tour boat by yourself in an area you are unfamiliar with, you are just being a pain in the ass. And familiar does not mean 'dove here 10 times'. It means 'dove here hundreds of times on a fairly close to daily basis, under all possible conditions'.

Dive operators don't make the conditions, they just live with them. If they have to leave the site with you in the water (weather, medical emergency, have to yield the mooring), they will. An instructor/Divemaster knows an emergency (or even not an emergency) can take the boat away at any time, so they don't freak out if it's gone. Would you?

Of course if you are not talking about boat diving, then have at it. No one has to take responsibility for you, so have fun. But you are not likely to need to show a C-card much less a solo card in that circumstance.

 

[craracer]

Thank you very much for your in depth answer!

I appreciate your insight, which has brought up a lot of things that I need to think through.

 

[diverbob]

(Nothing I think, or say, or write, should be taken seriously. That said, here are some thoughts.)

First, there is no way anyone should be solo diving anywhere they are not local to.

Second, anyone diving anywhere they need to show a card is not solo diving. They are diving without a buddy under supervision, and they are someone else's responsiblity than their own.

Third, Seconding the Solo Diver book by Van Maier. I love his recommendation that you should not dive to any depth you cannot freedive to. When I read that, I went out and freedove my head off until I could hit 100feet/30 meters. Just because you can see the boat from 100 feet does not make it any closer than if vis is 3 feet.

But re-read one and two, and you will probably find that almost nothing in his book applies to you. You don't seem to want to dive solo, you just want to not have to buddy up. That's kind of a different thing than solo diving. Does an operator want to have to enforce buddies? No, but you want to dive without a buddy, when it is someone else's responsibility, and that's just not likely to happen (And if it does happen, it's not a good thing.) Operators don't really have an opinion on what's good practice, they have an opinion on what is defensible practice. Allowing someone to dive without a buddy (who is not an instructor working for them directly) leaves the operator legally defenseless. (Community standards)

If you walk into the lake near your home without a buddy, you are solo diving. If you want to jump off a dive operator's tour boat by yourself in an area you are unfamiliar with, you are just being a pain in the ass. And familiar does not mean 'dove here 10 times'. It means 'dove here hundreds of times on a fairly close to daily basis, under all possible conditions'.

Dive operators don't make the conditions, they just live with them. If they have to leave the site with you in the water (weather, medical emergency, have to yield the mooring), they will. An instructor/Divemaster knows an emergency (or even not an emergency) can take the boat away at any time, so they don't freak out if it's gone. Would you?

Of course if you are not talking about boat diving, then have at it. No one has to take responsibility for you, so have fun. But you are not likely to need to show a C-card much less a solo card in that circumstance.

You make some great points. Too bad I cant take what you said seriously.

 

[Nemrod]

I would not agree with most of what has been said here as usual. You do not have to have dived a place 100s of times, not even once, to solo dive with comparative safety to most other divers. The Solo Diving book is an OK read, it is worth while but don't expect to read it and be blown away. JMO, others may vary but they worry to much.

N