What is your motivation to solo dive?

[Wibble]

The "must be back on the boat with 50bar or 500psi" convention is probably to ensure that novice or inexperienced divers don't push the limits and run out of gas. As we all know, there's various reasons this could happen:

• "You didn't tell me that I needed a reserve"
• "You didn't tell me that my gauge reads from 30 bar / 300psi"
• "You didn't listen to me when I told you I was low on gas"
• "I was distracted whilst following all the others"
• "What do you mean there's a surcharge for returning with an empty tank"
• etc...

At least with the 50 bar / 500 psi "rule" there's no excuses for people on the bottom to push things past that arbitrary limit.

OK, idiots aside.

 

[SlugLife]

"Dumpster diving" taken literally lol

If I regularly found RayBans in dumpsters, I might pick up dumpster diving as well.

Well, you carry your buddy's back-up gas. But, conversely, your buddy carries your back-up gas. So, a solo diver needs to carry his/her own back-up gas.

I'm not willing to bet my life, that in an air-emergency, my swimming-backup-gas will be nearby, alert, available, and have sufficient gas remaining. I always dive with an independent redundant air-source, even when with a buddy.

Yes, I find it somewhat interesting that a 3L pony is often quoted as being insufficient redundancy (600L assuming 200 bar), but a 12L cylinder midpoint during a dive (let's say 100 bar) is considered just fine for two divers (600L per diver)! Of course, all redundant gas planning should be based on likely requirements.

I think 3L = 19cu, and 12L=80cu?

• 19cu: I carry a 19cu on most dives, up to about 90ft/30m. A 19cu would be sufficient (for me) up 120ft/40m, no-deco, and being careful. However, I'd recommend bigger past 90ft (30cu, 40cu, or 80cu) as an additional safety buffer for other issues (entanglements, panic, etc). Personally, I switch to 2 full sized tanks because I dive side-mount and due to wanting more dive-time.
• 13cu & 6cu: I'd love a 13cu for travel, but because I own 6cu (a $35 steal off CraigsList) that's what I usually take. For solo-divers, I'd recommend 19cu+, but these sizes can still (usually) save your life assuming you remain calm, and don't have some other issue (entanglements, panic, extreme depth, lost fin, etc).
• 3cu and smaller: I also own 3cu and 1.7cu spare-airs, and I tested them at 20ft while swimming, and both went "oh ****, I'm empty" in no time. I consider these sizes a hazard, due to a false sense of security, and would consider nothing (no pony) better than ones this small.
• 30cu to 50cu: These are great, but I know plenty of divers who own a 30 or 40cu pony and regulators, who always leave them at home, and "I don't need it this dive" for literally every dive. Borrowing from a concealed-carry saying, "The 13cu on you, is more valuable than the 40cu you left at home." If you're often in the 60ft to 120ft range on most dives, a 40cu probably makes the most sense.

Dive buddies make it difficult to dive with a buddy.

Then there's the "buddy hazard." Ever see an accidents-and-incident's thread where 2 divers die on the same dive? By my estimation, the majority of those involve the first buddy killing themselves, and doing something to heavily influence the other buddy's death.

 

[Cthippo]

My mentality is that I am going to be prepared to handle whatever happens on this dive by myself with no help from anyone. If there happes to be another person in the water with me and they need help I will offer what I can, but I am not making myself responsible for their safety.

For me, that is what "every dive is a solo dive" means. It means that I approach every one prepared to complete it with no help from anyone. If there is someone else in the water with me, I expect them to do the same. The idea of making my safety or ability to complete my objectives contingent on someone else is not one I am comfortable with.

 

[Bert van den Berg]

We have a boat, the wife didn't dive so solo was the only way.

Then the wife got certified and dove for about ten years. Her doctor won't allow her to dive anymore (she's 75 years old and can't handle the weight) so am diving solo again.

 

[JohnN]

Sorta like this (borrowed from Tom Waits)

"I like to sleep until the crack of noon
Midnight howlin' at the moon
Goin' out when I wanto, comin' home when I please
I don't have to ask permission
If I want to go out fishing
And I never have to ask for the keys"

 

[rx7diver]

... she's 75 years old and can't handle the weight ...

@Bert van den Berg,

A Luxfer Al 63 or a Faber LP 46/50 doesn't weigh very much, and either makes a nice cylinder for a very shallow dive. My children used both when they were very young. Has your wife considered using one of these? Maybe, doff/don it in the water? Should require very little Pb, maybe only a couple of lbs, if she wears a thin (e.g., 3 mm) wetsuit. And if these couple or lbs are worn on a weight belt, even better. Might be a way for her to continue diving if she would like to (and her doctor agrees).

rx7diver

 

[VikingDives]

I started diving believing in the buddy system. Then I saw that I was just my buddy's pony bottle. Then I became a more efficient recreational diver and I saw that my buddy wasn't my pony bottle. Then I became a technical diver and I realized that my buddy wasn't necessary but I liked having him there. Then I realized that I was the only one that I could trust to ensure my dive ended in the way I chose. Along the way, I became an instructor and realized that I was the only one I could depend on to save myself, and I was the only one who I could trust to save my students. Then I became a technical instructor, and I realized that I couldn't save my students, but I could only teach them to save themselves. Since then, I've embraced solo diving, but I miss my buddy...

 

[Twiny]

My mentality is that I am going to be prepared to handle whatever happens on this dive by myself with no help from anyone. If there happes to be another person in the water with me and they need help I will offer what I can, but I am not making myself responsible for their safety.

For me, that is what "every dive is a solo dive" means. It means that I approach every one prepared to complete it with no help from anyone. If there is someone else in the water with me, I expect them to do the same. The idea of making my safety or ability to complete my objectives contingent on someone else is not one I am comfortable with.

Hi,
Your mentality is OK and I also consider myself as a solo diver even if I dive with others. However when diving with a buddy, we automatically got the responsability to assist him in case he is out of air, so the gas planning is different and more gas has to be carried along.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Hi,
Your mentality is OK and I also consider myself as a solo diver even if I dive with others. However when diving with a buddy, we automatically got the responsability to assist him in case he is out of air, so the gas planning is different and more gas has to be carried along.

Why is it always them that you think is going to have the problem, what if you have a problem? What if you have a problem and go to your buddy and realize he’s almost out of air because (as stated in your post - in case he’s out of air), what if he IS out if air, and you’re out of air, Then what?
The buddy system is only as good as the weakest diver.
You need to find better buddies.

 

[Celt]

solo has some advantages over buddy diving, but safety isn’t one of them. Either people make bad buddies or have had bad experiences with buddies, but two divers who understand and conduct themselves properly will always be better than one.