Training needed for solo diving

[Michael Freeman]

I'm curious what type of training and experience everyone believes a solo diver should have before attempting a solo dive?

I’ve been out of the water for the last 2 years and plan on taking a master diver class (naui). I only have a little over a 100 dives of rec type diving (50/50 ocean/lake) and have taken a few refresher classes to practice my old skills in the pool.

I am entering a master diver class to help improve my skills and get some dives in since I am presently buddyless. I plan to head toward some deep diving and decompression techniques type classes through the same school, but was curious about solo diving as an option after I verify my skills are back up to speed.

Just want some opinions from people who have actually dove solo and will give me an honest opinion instead of flaming me for even thinking about diving solo.

 

[Nemrod]

Others here are more qualified than me to answer and I am sure they will but you seem off to a good start with all the extra instruction. To me, and it is my opinion, solo is something one undertakes when they have reached a very high comfort level in the water. It also involves a knowledge of the conditions of the site you will be diving solo and of the equipment you will be using and it's proper configuration. I also think, my opinion, that the solo diver must be a superb swimmer with great capability to sustain high effrots over a long period of time. One must have again high conditioning and good overall fitness. For the time being, I fail to meet those criteria as my fitness has fallen below what I consider appropriate for solo. You must be, to repeat myself, totally sure of yourself, confident and capable and yet cautious and have mature judgment to realize that somethings are beyond your capability and know when to say NO to a dive or condition or circumstance. There are apparently some solo certs, I don't think a solo cert means anything. Like the saying from KungFu, "Grasshopper, you will know when you are ready".

I would not do diving beyond recreational limits, no more than 130 feet (or a lot less even) depth and no deco only,open water only when solo. N

 

[pharmguy]

I'm curious what type of training and experience everyone believes a solo diver should have before attempting a solo dive?

Ditto what Nemrod said.

A solo cert. (SSI/TDI is the only agency that I know of) can allow you to dive solo on liveaboards or in areas where the "solo police" have enforced a no-solo policy. Since there isn't really anyone in Ontario that does this cert. anymore I can't comment on the course.

A thick skin and good diplomacy skills are usually a good idea - especially if you cross paths with buddy-system fanatics.

Know thyself and thy gear. I will be practicing in a quarry in 10 feet of water for my first 5-10 dives this year. Do not bring or use anything that you have not tested fully or have any reservations about.

I would not do diving beyond recreational limits, no more than 130 feet (or a lot less even) depth and no deco only,open water only when solo.

... and usually not at night - unless it is a shore-entry, very small quarry dive.

Jason

 

[Tom Winters]

I started diving solo after I moved to soutehrn Florida. Before that, as an instructor, I was always surrounded by students or clients and I dived with a military dive club and it took at least two of us to carry our inflatable on our shoulders to the launch site. Plus lugging a 40HP outboard was easier with the second guy.
Down here in southern Florida though, I don't teach or guide anymore - I actually dive for gasp! - fun again. I don't have a lot of patience for divers with marginal skills on dive boats - sorry if this is too judgmental, but life is short and I don't baby sit divers anymore. All of the guys I charter with don't even bring up the buddy issue with me.
I'll tell you though, the first time I solo dived at night was pretty strange. Gearing up was ok, but them after the giant stride into pure blackness and hearing the boat drive away was pretty eerie.
It's fun though, but you seriously have to have all your s#&t in one sock or you're dead meat. My wife and I solo dive all the time now off our boat - we take turns dropping each other. Although I had my choice of commercial boats for cheap diving, it was always a drop by consensus or schedule.
I tend to avoid long deco solo dives - hanging in the water column for longer than 10 minutes just gets too boring, and any serious deep tech or wreck dives, I like company - as long as they're competent. I probably did 200 rescues or in-water assists in my dive career, and enough is enough.
If you know your skills and your equipment, solo dive away. None of this diving-by-committee stuff.

 

[Michael Freeman]

Nemrod, Pharmguy and Tom, thanks for the information. I think I found one LDS that has a solo diving class listed on their website that I will look into once I get more recent experience and practice with my new equipment.

Tom, I have only had one (unscheduled) rescue dive and it totally pissed me off. (buddy was an idiot). I can understand why 200 would get old.

RE thick skin
No doubt, save for the above school, I would be called an idiot from all other scuba diving people and LDS that I know. LDS kept asking me why I wanted a solo entry drysuit.... "ummm, no reason, just seemed cool"

Anyway, I'm not to the level I need to be, so I will just lurk listen to what ya'll have to say.

 

[Timeliner]

Michael Freeman ~ There are a lot of people near you that solo. We were out at Clear Springs Scuba Park yesterday and everyone I was diving with enjoyed solo diving. The weather was great and we did 2 dives. The water was 49F but the air temp was near 70F and we all sat around during a long SI and talked. We talked about Solo diving. We like the company of other folks too but it seems that if we mixed it up we enjoyed things more. ( sometimes solo, sometimes with buddies) Naturally, that first solo dive is memorable. I did mine totally alone... not a sole for miles around. I knew if I messed up then that was it. It taught me a great deal. Now I feel more relaxed by myself and in a strange way I also feel more comfortable with a buudy too.
It's a leap of faith to solo... Faith in yourself. Only you can know how faithfull you really are.

 

[Michael Freeman]

Timeliner ~ I saw the dive listed in Texas Swamp divers, but am still waiting for my tank to be hydro'd. I only have a 3 mm suit anyway, so I'm going to have to buy something better do start diving before summer.

I looked at the Dry suits yesterday and a 7/5 mm Henderson at scuba toys. I want the dry suit, but I'm a little low on funds so I may have to get the wet suit.

What were ya'll wearing?

 

[Nemrod]

Where is Clear Springs scuba park located and info please? Thanks. N

 

[wreckedinri]

Michael Freeman ~ It's a leap of faith to solo... Faith in yourself. Only you can know how faithfull you really are.

Amen.

IMHO the best training is to do a good deal of diving and become so comfortable and confident that your anxiety level is no greater than if you were walking down the street. Unfortunately, with the visibility on many of the wrecks around here (NE), most of our dives are like solo dives unless you are tied to your buddy or are on top of each other. For me, solo diving came out of necessity when I started giving a friend of mine a hand as a mate on his charter boat. It was a smallish six-pack with paying divers and him and I. We could not both leave the boat so I would “solo” to set the hook in the wreck and take a quick look around to brief the divers. Afterwards while the paying divers were in the water I would have an ample SI and do another dive after they all returned. I would go back in to throw the hook after completing my dive. Now, when I’m shooting video I prefer to be alone. In some ways, I am more comfortable without a buddy.

Just be honest with yourself when deciding to dive solo.

 

[Timeliner]

Timeliner ~ I saw the dive listed in Texas Swamp divers, but am still waiting for my tank to be hydro'd. I only have a 3 mm suit anyway, so I'm going to have to buy something better do start diving before summer.

I looked at the Dry suits yesterday and a 7/5 mm Henderson at scuba toys. I want the dry suit, but I'm a little low on funds so I may have to get the wet suit.

What were ya'll wearing?

We were wearing a mix of things from dry suits (neoprene and not ) to Semi-Drys
I use a 7mm long john and a 7mm shorty w/ long sleves.
Hoods of course and gloves. I use Summer gloves and hood (thin stuff) I'm getting a thicker hood but I'm fine to 45F
We had a blast with good vis. ( 25+ feet) and the fish are back out as well so Spring is just around the corner.

Come dive with the Swampers sometime !

Look into the NeoSport brand. 'Pretty good stuff for the price. In Texas we don't get to Ice Dive much
see ScubaToys or Debra & Troy @ Surface Interval Scuba in Arlington.