Solo Diving

[Davey Willo]

We've had a quite a few threads in the past and some very  recently discussing the finer points of solo diving a topic which I find very very interesting, not because I intend to throw my kit in the car and drive off to remote dives sites and dive alone, but because I've never felt comfortable with the percieved safety of the buddy system as we know and use it.

This doubt was instilled in me as a complete novice when I was taken down by various DL's who were supposed to be looking after me but who were quite often just enjoying their own dives, on one particular dive I got my first stage trapped under some steel on the wreck of the Breda, it wasn't a biggy but the clang of metal against metal and the knowledge that I couldn't move sent a shiver of fear through me and I watched wide eyed as the fins of my DL swam off into the gloom, I started to get very scared realising that a few more kicks and we were separated and I had no idea what was happening behind my head.... As I say it was nothing, I simply moved slowly down and backwards, cleared the object and then finned quickly in the direction of my supposed guide,buddy and instructor who was now out of sight.. When I caught up with him he was busy shining his torch down into a hold, he turned to point something out to me not even slightly aware that we'd just been separated or that his complete novice had just had a major sphincter loosening moment, and could for all intents and purposes still be back there all alone, stuck and having a major dicky fit...

I realised at that moment that this buddy malarky wasn't all it was cracked up to be, and with time and experience one begins to realise that even with good buddy's around you (and there are lots of good buddy's about) that the whole alien underwater environment and all of the problems that trying to exist in that environment bring, really really limits the capability of the 'Buddy Sytem' being something that one can or should rely on....

Bring on Self Sufficiency Bring on training to Dive Solo

Now before some of you start screaming Eeek and having a go, I'm not saying that we should all go off with the mindset of "I'm solo so bugger you jack" No not at all, infact I always want a buddy with me, I love diving with our Mark (my brother) or 2tanx or others too many to mention and having a right laugh underwater, I like nothing more than the excited post dive banter back on the boat and I would feel I was missing a lot if I were climb back onto a boat after my solo dive with nobody to have shared it with..

What I'm a great believer in is having the equipment and the training to become totally self sufficient, being able to handle all expected situations and hopefully handle most if not all of the unexpected ones, any that I can't handle I would then hope that the tentative link that is the 'Buddy System' would come into play, or if not, then  that part would have to come under the banner of accepted risk.

Although I stand up and pontificate about this issue, I'm not actually there yet myself, not with either my equipment or my training, I'm still reliant on the 'Buddy System' as it exists but I know where I want to be and one day I will be there, and as others have said I believe that once I'm capable of fixing any issues that I have than that will ultimately allow me to assist others more easily, ergo a better buddy.... So by right's if we all were capable of diving solo and being completely self sufficient we'd all be better buddy's...

Anyway.. this rant was brought on by an advert I'd seen for a Solo Diving course and the text that came with it seemed to describe things perfectly so I thought I'd use the magic of cut & paste and stick parts of it in here for all to discuss, personally I'd like to see many more of these types of course become available and look forward to the day when all of our standard organisations BSAC, SAA, PADI TDI etc teach and support a  solo course.


Going Solo

The diveboat arrives at West Caicos and the divemaster calls everybody together for a pre-dive briefing.

Welcome to the divesite. Who needs a buddy?

Several hands go up. Yours is one of them. The divemaster starts to pair everyone up in buddy teams and you approach your new diving companion cautiously. What are they going to be like in the water? Are they a competent diver? Will you have to help them out during the dive? As you shake your new buddy's hand you realize that they must be thinking exactly the same thing about you.

One of the traditional golden rules of scuba diving is, Never dive alone. From the early training manuals of the 1960's the buddy system has been regarded the single most important safety procedure yet conceived due to the fact that in an emergency situation a buddy can provide assistance to a diver experiencing problems. Having a competent buddy can certainly be useful in many situations and many divers feel more comfortable underwater when a buddy is close at hand.

In addition to this, one of the main reasons people dive is to share their underwater experiences with their buddy. When diving the incredible wall systems here in the Turks and Caicos Islands there is nothing more satisfying than re-living your close encounters with the creatures you encounter during the dive.

For years the buddy system has been considered practical, safe and fun.

But the buddy system can also become a double edged sword. What happens if the buddy you are paired up with is not a competent diver? In recent years there have been an alarming number of instances when buddy diving has not always proved to be the safest way to dive. During a vacation divers can often find themselves buddied up with complete strangers upon the dive boat and are expected to be responsible for this diver throughout the entire dive. Sometimes you may be unaware of the divers level of experience and comfort-level in the water. The dive turns into a lottery and the stakes can be high. In some instances an unknown buddy can actually cause more problems during the dive and in extreme instances recreational divers have actually found themselves being sued by their incompetent buddies for not providing adequate assistance in an emergency.

Many experienced divers are now asking themselves if it might not be safer to sometimes conduct their dives alone, well away from a buddy they have only just met and who may actually endanger them during the dive. Scuba Diving International are now offering Solo Diver Specialty courses for any experienced divers who wish to dive solo and these courses are now available to divers visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands. The course is open to all advanced level divers aged over 21 who have logged over 100 dives and who have passed a full medical examination.

The course has generated a lot of debate recently and divers are expected to make their own informed decision on whether solo diving is for them. It is not a decision to take lightly.

Arguments against buddy diving center upon the belief that each and every dive we take is actually a solo dive. The one person you should be able to rely upon completely during any dive is yourself. Advocates for solo diving claim that far too many certified divers are dependant  divers. The dependant diver relies upon the buddy or dive master to help them out of any problems they may experience. The dependant diver may be unable to help himself or herself in an emergency and may actually place their buddy in more danger. Solo divers believe that all dives (even buddy dives) should be planned and executed as if the diver were conducting a solo dive. They believe that if you are not 100% confident in being able to complete the dive alone, then you should not be considering the dive at all.

The Solo diver Specialty is a one-day course designed to train divers in the benefits hazards and proper procedures for solo diving. Upon successful completion of the course the graduates may engage in solo diving activities once the correct waivers have been signed and approved by the dive boat.

The solo diver candidate is introduced to the principles of redundancy and self rescue throughout the course. They are expected to dive with a pony bottle or double cylinder configuration. These include two independent regulators that the diver could use should an equipment malfunction or low air situation develop. They are expected to be proficient in the use of several items of specialized equipment that are carried as standard by the solo diver. These include compass, delayed surface marker buoys, audible signaling devices, EPIRBS, and various cutting tools.

The skills required during the two-certification dives are demanding. The solo diver is trained to demonstrate excellent pre-dive planning skills, which include planning their own individual air consumption. There is also a fitness test required which involves a surface swim of 200 meters in full scuba equipment. A simulated out of air emergency is conducted at 100ft and various stress management techniques are practiced throughout the course.

The objective of the Solo Diver Specialty is to produce a diver who can asses each individual dive for themselves and then decide whether they wish to dive solo or not. There are many instances when Buddy diving is both appropriate and necessary. The solo diver certification simply offers divers the freedom to choose for themselves whether they wish to dive with a buddy. There is comfort in the fact that even if the solo diver elects to continue diving as part of a buddy team, the skills they have learnt and practiced as part of the solo diver course will always be useful in the unlikely event that a diving emergency should occur.

[Scuba1]

Dave I dont think,that a one day course can give you the trainig one needs to dive solo. I take customers for dives every day and look after them. So After work i like my solodives and have no one i have to look after.
Michael

[Davey Willo]

I'd have to agree with you Mike, a one day course doesn't seem enough, but the idea of such a course does appeal to me and I hope similar courses, albeit more extensive become the norm.

You're a lucky git being able to dive all day every day... I'm seriously jealous ;)

Best regards
Dave

[andy2tanx]

Aside from the obvious redundant equipment considerations, would you not say the most important aspect of solo diving is the correct mindset?

[Davey Willo]

Absolutely Andy, but remember I'm not really advocating solo diving but rather advocating being trained and equipped to be capable of solo diving or self sufficient diving if you will, so that one can still dive with buddy's but no longer having to be reliant on those buddy's

(Edited by Dave Williamson at 3:13 pm on Oct. 19, 2002)

[Jay]

Whats the difference?

[Davey Willo]

Advocating solo diving would mean that I think divers should train to be completely self sufficient for the purpose of going off and diving alone....

I wanted to make sure people didn't think that that was the aim of this thread, and that was why I made the comments to Andy...

I've tried to reword my previous post so that it makes more sense but I'm afraid I just keep saying the same thing in slightly different ways.. to me, the statement make sense.. sorry big fella

[Jay]

No need to apologise - I was, in fact, agreeing with you. By training to dive solo, you are doing so not to rely on a buddy. So no real difference between solo and self-sufficiency except you are sharing the experience with someone else with the latter.

[JohnK]

Aha - at last some interesting debate.

First off, I believe the buddy system is a cornerstone of diving, both during training and beyond - a kinda safety/social event.

As I dive more and more, particularly more challenging diving such as cold water/crap vis in the UK, I have learnt to both respect the buddy system AND self sufficiency/redundancy. Self-confidence in my own abilities is a state of mind. Example - I always (even 6m hops in the local dock) have my pony available, always carry a spare mask & knife. Why ?? - I have learnt from this and other forums of what has actually gone wrong and try to build in back up. You cant always rely on your buddy who has disappeared in the 2m vis so you have to rely on yourself. My pony is rigged for ME, yes my buddy can use it but if my life is threatened then the buck stops with me.

I will develop this further in the future by getting twins, dual bladders etc etc - BECAUSE IT HELPS MY STATE OF MIND AND HELPS ENJOY THE DIVE without the potential for anxiety ruining a dive. This may reflect on my state of mind - but hey, each to thier own. So yes, agree with self sufficiency

Given that I am/will become more self sufficient, will I try solo diving ?? - Yes I will. Bear in mind my idea of solo diving is not to jump into an unknown pit/sea and go for it - I would have to know the site well first which means I will start by buddying up a few times. Even then, I would not dive solo in a site where I was the only diver - I would dive solo in a site that I both knew well and had other divers present - again I guess its a state of mind.

So, to conclude - yes to buddy diving, yes to self sufficiency and yes to solo diving within the bounds of ones own ability and mind state.

Finally, when I am DM-ing on courses I am solo all the time whilst keeping a close eye on students who are being instructed - is this solo ??  

[Andy Winterburn]

An interesting thought Kirky about that fact that DM's and instructors are diving solo. But are they? I would hope that students by the time that they are in open water will have sufficent training that they would be able to render some sort of assistance.
I do believe that every diver should be self sufficent, I can think of no-one who I would trust my life to, its mine and I want to keep it. Nor would I give it up to save you.
The problem with solo diving is, that if it becomes acceptable/the norm, we will see those students you feel are not up to buddying you, diving and dying solo.
The powers that be will then clamp down on/stop all diving.
At what stage would you let some-one dive solo? After a 2 day PADI course?
A good debate and one which needs sound arguements on both sides, what would we, the diving comunity gain except an occasional dive when no-one wants to go out to play.
What we stand to loose is incalcuable.