Why did you decide to start solo diving?

[papawhisky]

I never tried solo diving until I was a dive master candidate. I had to set up floats, etc for classes before the class started and recover the equipment after the class. I never really thought of it as solo diving, but I became pretty comfortable diving alone. As an instructor I have observed that diving with students is much more complicated and perhaps more risky than diving alone.
Solo diving is enjoyable, but I mitigate the risks by diving profiles that are relatively safe, and think thru and practice self rescue.

[RoadRacer1978]

I started out of necessity. Have lots of friends that are certified divers, but none own their own gear. All say they will go diving with me, but none pony up when the time comes to go diving. I started solo diving so I could dive. It was solo or nothing except specialty classes to get dives in.

[emcbride81]

I ditto everything that was said. I started soloing when I first got my gear. I went to a platform and got used to everything. It was nice! It is hard to convince some buddies to dive in the cold dark quarry just to practice skill too!

[WaScubaDude]

I have done hundreds of solo dives in my past, doing working dives. I never really thought much about it. I had objectives and went about completing them.
I am now gearing up to do solo dives for fun. Usually I am one of the more experienced divers on a dive and find myself looking after other divers...fix the tank slipping, help purge air so joe can get neutral etc. I think it will be so relaxing to just dive! Dive at my own pace, look at what I want, and not worry about others.

I will have a 19cf pony and reg, smb with spool, knife, surface signal (noise maker), and spare mask. I will also let my wife know what time to call 911 and where to look for my body, should I not make it back.

I will not limit myself any more then I already do...120ft max, no penetration and no mixed gases.

Some time over the next month I will go solo. I will let you know how it goes.

[mcc2318]

i lacked active buddies

[Airborne!]

I started when I realized that most of my dives with “buddies” were really solo dives anyway as far as they were concerned...or so far as they acted.

[kd5uwg]

I started solo diving due to lack of buddies, besides the only dive buddy ive ever been comfortable with is my brother and the shop he was getting his cert at closed before sending in his stuff so he isnt certified and he is now in another state.


Calvin

[Grin]

Me and my buddies didn't plan on solo diving, it just seemed to happen alot. We are always lobstering or spearfishing. And there is soemtimes alot of current, and sometimes not so great vis here in SE FL. You spot a lobster and stop to shag him and when your done your bud is MIA. After this scenario repeated itself over and over we all just sort of started preparing for it. Some of us more than others. I pony tanked up real fast. And one of my buddies also did the same. Some of our group, still stick as close as they can to the buddy system. Many of them are ponyless. Very few people, I dive with, have ponies actually. I just love diving and dive at every chance. I feel the odds of doing a ton of dives a year might find me being very happy I have a pony on my back some day. It's is a very nice piece of mind knowing your self reliant, all of the time. W/a pony, OOA situations are reduced, in seriousness, to a almost zero factor.

[cheebaweebie]

Originally Posted by Grin

Me and my buddies didn't plan on solo diving, it just seemed to happen alot. We are always lobstering or spearfishing. And there is soemtimes alot of current, and sometimes not so great vis here in SE FL. You spot a lobster and stop to shag him and when your done your bud is MIA. After this scenario repeated itself over and over we all just sort of started preparing for it. Some of us more than others. I pony tanked up real fast. And one of my buddies also did the same. Some of our group, still stick as close as they can to the buddy system. Many of them are ponyless. Very few people, I dive with, have ponies actually. I just love diving and dive at every chance. I feel the odds of doing a ton of dives a year might find me being very happy I have a pony on my back some day. It's is a very nice piece of mind knowing your self reliant, all of the time. OOA situation are been reduced, in seriousness, to a almost zero factor.

I'm in the same situation as Grin. While spearfshing, lobstering or stone crabbin you ALWAYS get seperated from your buddies. Everyone is on their own agenda. I never try to venture to far away from the boat but it happens. None of my buddies or myself have pony's or spare air. Which would be a good addition to the gear list. I have never gone down by myself but often I am hitting the surface solo.

It hasn't bothered me much to date... I gain comfort in knowing at least there is another buddy or 2 or 3 in the water with me at least in the same vicinity if not w/in sight.

[Roughwater]

I try to treat every dive as a solo dive (buddy or not). I think there's something to be said about being capable of helping yourself out!

BTW - as far as commercial dive operators go - how do you find them? Does the official "Solo Diver Cert" get recognised on these, or do they mainly disregard that, and force you to pair up anyway?