The Pure Pleasure Of Diving Alone. [Poll]

[MichaelMc]

I voted buddy, but it depends. Good buddy, solo, and good small group have different interactions. Company vs complete freedom to do my thing. Some of each is good.

 

[AJ]

I love to dive with good competent buddy's that I can team up with. When having to choose from not so good and competent buddy's or solo diving, I always would go solo. Coffee or beer after the dive is always an option

 

[lowflyer]

I like to dive solo for the same reason as some others: don't have to keep an eye on anyone else, making the dive more peaceful. I can also stop and practice skills or spend more time on something interesting when the impulse hits me.

If I'm with a group, I tend to wander off by myself and find my own critters and beauty unencumbered, enjoying the freedom. This way I avoid people, particularly photographers, from barging into my space. An exception is if I'm with my son. Then I will stick close. Or a DM tells me to stay with someone even if I protest.

As far as safety is concerned, an acute medical event is most likely to get me in which case I'm likely a goner anyway in that environment. And frankly I think recreational diving is a lot safer than some of the other hobbies I've had which involved me depending on myself for survival.

 

[Landlocked123]

I think diving with trusted buddies is the best answer but they are not always available. I dive a redundant air supply for this reason. I am not concerned about being out of sight. It happens often. Especially in low viz. Every dive, every single dive, in my mind is a solo dive at the core. When you dive you take responsibility for yourself, period. Short of a medical I carry the tools to handle myself under water and I carefully build as much margin of safety as I can in every dive. In my mind, if you do a dive, and feel you need your buddy to get you through it you are diving beyond your comfort level and endangering yourself and buddy.

 

[jlcnuke]

I've yet to start a dive solo, but I've finished dives alone when paired with a diver who sucked down air quickly (went back to the boat with him, then stayed near the boat by myself until another dive pair came back, when I'd buddy up with one of them generally for a bit more diving before we needed to come up). All on NDL dives and my "solo" time was relatively short and shallow, but still far from the recommended way to do things solo.

I do plan on getting my solo diver/self-reliant diver cert in the future and then I'm sure I'll do more real solo dives, and do them "the right" way instead. Personally, I think every dive is kinda a solo dive though, since most buddies aren't really checking on you that often. If you had a heart attack it would likely be a few minutes or longer before a buddy even noticed you had a problem. Sure, if you're running out of air or have a similar air problem you can go get to them, but a secondary air source is about all the safety I really think most buddies provide.

 

[Geobound]

I think that I would enjoy diving with somebody from time to time to share stories and talk about things seen underwater together, but I suffer from a yet to be diagnosed mental issue that always has me late for things. So rather than getting people annoyed at me by having them wait around, I tell them to make their plans without me and I will meet up with them when I can.......sadly you just can't do that with diving.

I'm pretty sure its an anxiety disorder of some sort (which is odd since I do public speaking all the time without issue), but whatever the reason I'm always late or just on time?

So with that said I just do my own thing, and get to it when I get to it.

I'm newly certified, but have already done a few shallow solo dives (as well as loads of pool dives with my LDS), so the confidence is certainly not lacking (though the experience may be).

Whilst I realize that there are risks to diving solo, so too are their risks to jumping out of an airplane (which I've done), so why is diving any different?

That's kind of a rhetorical question, but also a glimpse into how my mind works.

I won't do anything crazy like cave diving, deep depths, night diving or anything else that is a much higher risk than going on my own, because oddly enough I am teased about being Mr. Safety. Heck I wear ear protection mowing the lawn and snowplowing, so you'd think this would be a concern for me. LOL.......

I feel that the equipment (if new or maintained properly) will negate most problems, so it's mainly medical that I have to worry about. Yes I realize that if there is a moderate medical issue that a buddy "could" possibly help me, but I think we all agree that the chances are pretty slim with that.

Maybe over the course of the winter I can do something about my "mental issues", but if not, then its solo diving for me. LOL......

 

[CT-Rich]

I was doing a lot of solo diving, but over the last couple years I have taken on new buddies and my ability to to pick days in the middle of the week has been reduced. So I am diving with buddies most of the time now. I miss the simplicity of solo. With a buddy I take a lot more care navigating and making sure they are okay and having a good time. Solo diving is all about me. I can venture farther, linger longer and relax because I am only worrying about me.

Two totally different experiences.

 

[CT-Rich]

I think that I would enjoy diving with somebody from time to time to share stories and talk about things seen underwater together, but I suffer from a yet to be diagnosed mental issue that always has me late for things. So rather than getting people annoyed at me by having them wait around, I tell them to make their plans without me and I will meet up with them when I can.......sadly you just can't do that with diving.

I'm pretty sure its an anxiety disorder of some sort (which is odd since I do public speaking all the time without issue), but whatever the reason I'm always late or just on time?

So with that said I just do my own thing, and get to it when I get to it.

I'm newly certified, but have already done a few shallow solo dives (as well as loads of pool dives with my LDS), so the confidence is certainly not lacking (though the experience may be).

Whilst I realize that there are risks to diving solo, so too are their risks to jumping out of an airplane (which I've done), so why is diving any different?

That's kind of a rhetorical question, but also a glimpse into how my mind works.

I won't do anything crazy like cave diving, deep depths, night diving or anything else that is a much higher risk than going on my own, because oddly enough I am teased about being Mr. Safety. Heck I wear ear protection mowing the lawn and snowplowing, so you'd think this would be a concern for me. LOL.......

I feel that the equipment (if new or maintained properly) will negate most problems, so it's mainly medical that I have to worry about. Yes I realize that if there is a moderate medical issue that a buddy "could" possibly help me, but I think we all agree that the chances are pretty slim with that.

Maybe over the course of the winter I can do something about my "mental issues", but if not, then its solo diving for me. LOL......

My concern for a newbie diver going solo is that you won’t know you are in trouble until you are in trouble.

I was diving with a friend a couple of years ago and he was towing the flag. He had been speculating about solo, because he knew I enjoyed it. During the dive he disappeared all of a sudden. I found him on the surface tangled in the float line and starting to panic. I got him untangled and we finished the dive. Solo is no longer an interest for him. He got a good scare. At the time he just didn’t appreciate what he didn’t know.

Let experience teach you what you don’t know before you learn while you are alone.

 

[Landlocked123]

Get a pony bottle and carry it with you on every dive Geobound. It is in many ways more reliable that most buddies you will be paired with. It is not a replacement for proper training, sound judgement and risk management but it does carry a redundant source of gas that you can use to breathe underwater while buddy has time to react. Either way I have carried one for almost 10 years now. My training and experience has progressed but the pony has stayed with me all along. Its just cheap insurance.

 

[smudge13]

I prefer to dive alone. If I dive with another person who expects a buddy diving experience I tend to focus on watching that person and worrying about them and not enjoying any other aspect of the dive. That being said, the "group" dives I've been on in CA are essentially solo dives. We all get in off of the same boat and return to said boat but we're basically on our own from splash to re-boarding.