How soon is too soon?

[Jaymeany]

Well played!!!!

[cummings66]

What the ready when you're ready is meaning is that when you feel comfortable with the idea you're ready. Why then? Because at that point you've probably thought through the problems and how to solve them.

However, there are people who don't think and will never be ready even when the think they are. They'll never know it either.

For me when I choose to solo I do it in areas I've been too previously and feel safe there. I don't solo in unknown areas because I don't like that much risk. There are various levels to a solo diver in other words.

[pnevai]

Hmmm it is a tough question for anyone to answer for you. Me? I did not start wandering off on my own until after I had finished my Naui Instructor training. By the end of that regimen, I was confident in my mind and skill set to know that I could pretty much get myself out of almost any situation. Even so, each solo dive is only undertaken with a absolute non deviating dive plan. The greatest killer of scuba divers is panic. Panic happens when you are not prepared to handle given stressfull situations, and this happens even with a buddy handy. Some people will never achieve the psychological state to be able to over come panic and only you can answer that question.

When solo diving you have only yourself to rely on, it helps be the type of person who could quite literally be able to hack a limb off to extracate yourself from a entrapping situation and do it in a relatively calm and rational manner.

Not that you shiuld ever find yourself in that hypothetical situation, you plan your dive so you avoid situations like that. But it is indicative of the mindset that you probably should have.

No scuba rule is more important in solos diving than STOP, Breath,THINK, Breath, and ACT. What I guess I am gettin at, you have to achieve a high level of self dicipline and comfort with your UW water skills before solo diving.

Then on every dive you have to ask yourself "On this dive at this location can I safely get to the surface, shore, no matter what happens? When you can confidentally answer yes to those questions then you do that dive and do not deviate from it.

Now that I have scared you witless Go out and have some fun

[cummings66]

Another way to look at it is this way. Before you can solo dive safely you need to be able to plan a dive. Then you need to be able to dive that plan accurately which means if you plan on 10 minutes bottom time then you have only 10 minutes and not 11 when you're done.

There's a lot that goes into it that many don't even realize they're doing.

[Flatliner]

Good advice. I would have to admit that I don't always stick to my plan exactly at this point.

[Darthwader]

Originally Posted by Jaymeany

I don't like the answer of "when you are ready you will know". I see what you mean but What about things people don't consider. Ignorance is not bliss in this case. I think someone that is ready asks that question. "I believe I am ready to solo but what might i be missing?". Its not like the whole sex advice on the first time "when you are ready you will know it" How many people really were ready? I Think you need a ton of experience but I know what Flatliner is asking for and I agree with the general idea of when you are ready you will know it. However I think that leaves some areas where there could be an issue. Ask a 10 year old if they can drive a car and they will say yes because all they think you do is turn the wheel and push down on the thing on the floor. In other words what might Flatliner or others be missing when thinking about going solo?

I too want to solo dive, and will. . . eventually. my worry is that at this point I figure I don't know enough to even asked all the right questions.
I'm tempted to dive the local wreck here which sits between 5' and 20'. I won't though because I just don't know what all the variables may be.
the answer "when you are ready you will know" worries me because some some beginner and intermediate divers may mistake confidence for experience, and it's this level that really gets people in trouble.
A bit of soapbox sermon, but I've been thinking a lot on this recently.

[hoop]

Originally Posted by pnevai

No scuba rule is more important in solos diving than STOP, Breath,THINK, Breath, and ACT. What I guess I am gettin at, you have to achieve a high level of self dicipline and comfort with your UW water skills before solo diving.

I think this statement pretty much sums it up. I started solo diving after about 15 dives. I just took my time and eased my way into it.. A lot of shallow dives were for training purposes anyway, such as navigation and buoyancy... Then it just kinda progressed from there. That, and a lack of a dive buddy. If you're comfortable with the idea, I would say do a couple of supervised shallow dives. If you're not comfortable with the idea, then don't do it.

[dmdoss]

Originally Posted by pnevai

The greatest killer of scuba divers is panic. Panic happens when you are not prepared to handle given stressfull situations, and this happens even with a buddy handy. Some people will never achieve the psychological state to be able to over come panic and only you can answer that question.

This is the statement Ive been waiting on. True many diver's can and have died without panic setting in. It is still the number one killer in my book. If you can reason and think your way out of an emergency without panicking, then thats the first step. Practice differnt drills, ooa, cesa, failed reg., failed bcd bladder, and so on.

[cgvmer]

Training won't make you ready, but it will help you know when you are ready. I suggest taking the Solo diver class, AOW and rescue. These should help you give yourself more of indication of your own skill level.

[Liv7301]

I do have one solo dive under my belt. We got in the water and my husband's computer decided to misbehave. We tinkered around with it for a while and decended, trying to work with it some more. After a while we looked out our watches and realized that he had to get back and change to go to an interview. When he asked if I wanted to stay in and solo for a bit, my immediate reaction was yes. I was in an extremely familiar area (the quary I got certified in) and purposely stayed at 20 feet where I knew I could execute a CESA if needed.

If I was in a new/unfamililar place that presented even minor challenges my reply would have been no.