What are the Essential Skills you need to have down before considering diving solo?

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TheCoolBeans

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Messages
113
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Location
Derbyshire, UK
# of dives
200 - 499
Hypothetical question for now, I’m nowhere near ready to consider this, however I wondered what skills one should work on and have absolutely nailed prior to considering this type of diving?

What gear choices should be considered?

Things like cutters, redundant airsource(s) and someone on the surface to raise alarm if you don’t come back are obvious, but what are some of the things one might not be aware of?
 
You need to be a competent, self aware diver who is comfortable diving alone. I suspect that many or even most recreational divers are not. The only redundant piece of gear you didn't mention are signaling devices, both auditory and visual. PLBs are becoming more of a consideration and are being discussed more often, especially after the recent loss of Cameron Donaldson.

By the way there isn't always someone waiting on the surface for a solo diver to return.
 
Yes, agree with above and with all upcoming posts regarding equipment, experience, possibly solo ("self reliant" if you will) cert., confidence, etc.
I will add that a lot depends on depth. My BCD is ancient and falling apart. My reg. is old. My solo dives rarely exceed 30 feet and I practice CESA from that depth starting with half full lungs. I will occasionally exceed that depth, but rarely by much. If I were to routinely dive any deeper I would get new gear. If I were to dive solo really deep, like 100', I'd probably take the course, or at least bring along my pony bottle (and perhaps replace the 13cf one with a 19).
I did my first solo dive after dive #75, simply because my regular buddy moved and it was the only practical way for me to continue to shore dive regularly without driving 100 miles round trip to possibly meet with a buddy.
 
For me it's an extra degree of conservatism when I dive solo. In other words avoiding places and circumstances I might otherwise feel comfortable in with a competent buddy.
 
Also included in the list of essentials for solo diving is being fit. You don't want to be alone and suffer a medical incident because you're one of those out of shape divers who weighs close to 300 lbs and hasn't seen the inside of a gym in 10 years who is short of breath climbing a flight of stairs.
 
For me it's an extra degree of conservatism when I dive solo. In other words avoiding places and circumstances I might otherwise feel comfortable in with a competent buddy.
Good point. I forgot to mention one of the biggest solo problems to avoid-- any POSSIBILITY of entanglement in anything.

Good idea to check out the Solo forum which (still for some reason--there was a thread on that) is still under "Technical Diving Specialties" just below.
 
Good point. I forgot to mention one of the biggest solo problems to avoid-- any POSSIBILITY of entanglement in anything.
That's a great point. I got caught up in fishing line while underwater metal detecting and had to remove my gear to cut myself out. Do everything you can to mitigate the possibility of entanglement, but realize the possibility is always there.
 
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