Views on solo diving?

[ray]

Hi.

bubbling 33 years, silent now 4 years, its still the quiet life for me, is my YD tag line.

All diving with buddy's some good some bad, which would include me at times.

Its a bit like driving, every body on the road is an idiot, sometimes us idiots need a helping hand, you haven't got one when you are solo diving, folk are dying when buddied up what chance have you when you are alone.

And just imagine the coroner and press would have a field day, along with you lot on here, "Why was he/she diving alone, should have known better".

The choice is yours.

[Okeanos]

Originally Posted by ChristianG

Hmmmmm,

Does that include in-water instruction?

It does actually

[Scuba Steve]

as an instructor I/we dive with brand new divers who know nuthin about their or your own gear . this imo is worse than divin all alone as i trust myself with my own life and i trust my gear . do i trust the guy whois on his or her first dive with gear that has probally been found in their attic and that was their reason to start .

it is a serious decision and as said if you hav to ask the question you are not in that place to dive yet .

[stevechesh]

I never ever solo dive. It's just stoopid


I always dive with Noddy!

[ChristianG]

Originally Posted by David Tombs

Its like so many things its what you do not know that often does you harm. Certainly doing the Cavern and intro cave courses with MF has made me much more aware of the kind of situations you may find on solo diving. Certainly you have to pick a safe site at first. Things still crop up that I would not expect,and we all have dives when things are not quite right. But I can see that a poor buddy may lead you into a false sence of security,and indeed raise risk.

A poor buddy simply increases the risk. No more, no less.

A Cavern course is a good way of reducing that risk as best you can but there is also a very good case to be made to not dive with a poor buddy at any time, that diving "self sufficient" is a much better alternative.

[David Tombs]

I cannot agree more.

[The Duck]

Originally Posted by ChristianG

...there is also a very good case to be made to not dive with a poor buddy at any time, ...

Summed up as "Rule 1. Don't dive with ..."

Ok, my comment, above, is made in jest - but I do agree with the point made.

[SCILLY DIVER]

Quite often dive solo if only two of us diving, one up one down. Did a wreck in 87 metres sunday.

[Volute]

well, its a toughie. iv never done it, but true, it would be a sweet alternative to some buddies! I guess if you have plenty of backup gear on you, and know you can cesa from the depth you'll be, maybe. hmm, still dunno!

[MATTBIN]

I have done a couple of drift dives solo, when the buddy got swept away, done a couple of ordinary dives when we got seperated (and therein I lay myself wide open to criticism of my buddy skills). Enjoyed the solo dives, but like others I enjoy the social side of the buddy 'system'. You need to be critical of your abilities so that you know you can survive without a buddy and selfish enough to do the dive knowing if it goes belly up you'll upset someone.
Other than that I cant see much wrong with it, we are selfish if we dive, even with a buddy, we know it can go belly up and its unlikely the buddy will be of much use, after all would you kill yourself for your buddy, I dont expect mine to do it for me.
(another thread perhaps?)

Matt