The Pure Pleasure Of Diving Alone. [Poll]

[2airishuman]

So many deep thoughts.

I dive solo because the viz around here is always crap and it's just a nuisance to have to constantly check on another diver. Besides, nobody with any sense actually wants to dive here.

 

[lowviz]

...//... I'm in my late 50's, and I just feel better having a buddy with me.

...//... I also don't mind diving with inexperienced people.

There is a bit here that I find hard to tease out. Some people just like diving with others around. I get that.

Others have some 'win the lottery' sense that if things go bad then it would be their luck that their 'buddy of the day' is on top of it.

All plausible, but I find that this sort of thinking is just plumber's putty for convincing yourself that you don't need to attend to THAT level of detail because I HAVE A BUDDY.

 

[Samir is a diver]

I consider the vast majority of dives I do to be more dangerous that solo dives, due to the fact that I’ll be teaching absolutely newbies how to dive, so if I have any problems, good luck getting any help from them (at least until after they’re certified of course).

It’s not uncommon I’ll have a few hours with nothing to do, where I tend to grab a tank and just enjoy the serenity of floating around with the fish for an hour or so, something I don’t get to enjoy too much nowadays unfortunately. I don’t have a problem going on a fun dive with others, but I normally go out quite short notice.

 

[chrisch]

....
All plausible, but I find that this sort of thinking is just plumber's putty for convincing yourself that you don't need to attend to THAT level of detail because I HAVE A BUDDY.

I've yet to meet anyone that thinks having a buddy means not sorting out your own issues properly. A buddy can do all sorts of things you cannot do alone, for example tell you there are bubbles coming from your equipment that you cannot see as they are behind your field of vision. They can help you with entanglement and entrapment issues. All sorts of things. If you have a medical issue they can bring you back up to the surface.

All these sorts of reasons are why we are taught to take a buddy and to keep ourselves in top condition in case our buddy needs us. Your responsibility to your buddy is arguably more than yourself. You can choose if you want to endanger yourself but you should not endanger the buddy. So you need to attend to the fullest level of detail.

I dive on my own when I need to. I think any good diver should be able to do that. There is plenty of information to help overcome the shortfalls of diving alone and a redundant gas source is not hard to find or to learn to operate. Perhaps the industry drums in the need for a buddy too hard with new divers. I don't know - it's a long time since I learned to dive. I've never seen being on your own as a big deal and I don't see having a friendly helpful hand as a reason - or an excuse - to do anything other than do everything in my power to be safe in the water.

 

[lowviz]

Your responsibility to your buddy is arguably more than yourself.

Here is common ground for us. I agree completely.

I dive to relax, forget, and decompress. A buddy (for me) just doesn't add to serene solitude.

 

[aquacat8]

I also fret about buddies... being responsible for someone else is definitely “task loading” I think! Most of my buddy dives were with my ex boyfriend. Once we experienced buddy separation on a deep, cold, high current offshore dive and both of us surfaced panicked about the other, not at all worried about ourselves. Funny that buddies are not considered like other high task loads: as enhanced risks.

 

[2airishuman]

I've yet to meet anyone that thinks having a buddy means not sorting out your own issues properly.

Me neither. Most people utilize divemasters for that.

 

[aquacat8]

LOL

 

[Mark Archer]

i enjoy diving alone because my goal is to do what i want, when i want and how i want and when your alone no justification for any of the aforementioned is required

 

[Schwob]

...Pony bottles can and do kill people. ...

Considering the time of year, should I worry now that, one night, my 19cf and my 40cf might head up the stairs accompanied by creepy horror movie music and somehow conspire to off me in my sleep?