Issues with solo diving.

[Nemrod]

Originally Posted by captain

Learned solo and dived solo from day one, got certified after 13 years of diving.

I dived solo from the beginning also.

All I can tell you is that I never asked anybody if they thought I could do something, I always figured that out for myself, if I could do something, like solo diving. If you have to ask then the answer is no because if you don't know, I darn sure don't know if you can dive solo. I do know that I can.

N

[bigman241]

good info. I did not question it at all it seemed normal to me. I was discussing local diving with my dad last year he asked me why i wanted my own gear when there was no local diving. I told him i wanted to dive even in a strip pit or quarry. He said he did not realy want to. My reason was not to see all the fish or the wrecks there are no nice fish around here or wreak well maybe that old ford truck that rolled down the boat ramp. I want the experince from the dives. Seems i can do alot of practice like take off and getting back in my bc at the surface and at depth. What if type stuff. So when i went to florida or say cozumel i was more capaible and ready. He told me he did not think soloing was thought to be a good idea. He did not really know or think it was bad just did not think most thought it was a good idea. I asked on scubaboard. That was 90% of what made be stop going there. When i asked they jumped all over me for it and then starting getting alittle rude anytime i asked a question. Most would say why ask it now it will be covered in the cert class. Or you will not need to know that till later. I might have done bad in school but i love to learn and i perfer to learn before i have to.

Originally Posted by Nemrod

I dived solo from the beginning also.

All I can tell you is that I never asked anybody if they thought I could do something, I always figured that out for myself, if I could do something, like solo diving. If you have to ask then the answer is no because if you don't know, I darn sure don't know if you can dive solo. I do know that I can.

N

[scubaman450]

I no how you feel there bigman I had to do every thing I like to do alone as I was never able to find someone that would do these things as much as I needed to do them. Climping,camping,kayaking,diving,bike tuoring and the like. So all I can say to you is just get your $hit together and stay centered. take small steps and never push your luck. Only a fool will trust luck, rely on skill,planing and work out your dive befor you go and stick to the plan.
Dale

[bigman241]

I started hunting alone taught my self and so on I have never hunted with another person before. Though my 4th year i hunted a buddys land he was not to far away. About 500 yards. Though we never went in togather we did leave a few times as he came by to say hey when he left costing me a few deer a few times. But his land so owwell Just seems to be nature to me to do it myself. Though i think i will wait till i get a pony. Which might hold me off till next season. Though i think i would be ok at say 10 15 feet 20 max. If nothing else if i lose air head for the top not like i would need a safty stop when i got down to 15 feet. Whent that deep and back up in pools.

Originally Posted by scubaman450

I no how you feel bigman I had to do every thing I like to do alone as I was never able to find someone there that would do these things as much as I needed to do them. Climping,camping,kayaking,diving,bike tuoring and the like. So all I can say to you is just get your $hit together and stay centered. take small steps and never push your luck. Only a fool will trust luck, rely on skill,planing and work out your dive befor you go and stick to the plan.
Dale

[Nemrod]

OK

Step one, get certification to basic

Step two, get advanced certification

Step 2.5, become a very good swimmer, at least a mile in 30 minutes or more and faster

Step three, buy some basic gear to practice with if only in the YMCA pool

Step four, grow up, tell dad and mom good bye and pick a college near some diveable water and enroll and-------

Step five------and get an education so you can afford to dive wherever you want to and even bring dad along.

Somewhere along the way you may feel confident and comfortable enough to begin to explore solo diving, maybe, maybe not.

N

[bigman241]

GOod advise but step four well maybe it is still good advice. I get two years at IVytech then 2 years at ISU. Though if diving works out and i get into it. I might switch. Maybe florida or NC somewhere. I thought about the underwater welding stuff. But hear it is a hard line of work. I want the easy stuff.

Originally Posted by Nemrod

OK

Step one, get certification to basic

Step two, get advanced certification

Step 2.5, become a very good swimmer, at least a mile in 30 minutes or more and faster

Step three, buy some basic gear to practice with if only in the YMCA pool

Step four, grow up, tell dad and mom good bye and pick a college near some diveable water and enroll and-------

Step five------and get an education so you can afford to dive wherever you want to and even bring dad along.

Somewhere along the way you may feel confident and comfortable enough to begin to explore solo diving, maybe, maybe not.

N

[diverjay]

Originally Posted by bigman241

Seems everyone is advising me to wait till i have alot of dive logged. Alot are advising me to wait till i have the cdi cert.

Why do you claim solo diving is "not advised" ?

Not necesarily the number of dives logged but experience you have as a diver.

Having so many dives, doesnt mean you are an experinced diver. Where i work they get the trainees to log boat cleaning as a dive, pretty much anything. Just to get the Dives up for certification as they progress.

Solo isnt advised as well ure by ureself lol. Yea ppl have been trained and would know how to handle different situations if anything happened. But as for yourself, best to dive with a buddy, as if you get in the poo they can help and vice versa.

[ianr33]

How many dives have you done? (Or put another way,please fill out your profile !)

If you have 1000 dives ( trimix,caves,wreck penetrations) then you should be fine solo. If on the other hand you just got certified diving solo is a bad idea. Somewhere in between is the dividing line where it is OK. Knowing where that line is is the tricky part.

[bigman241]

I am getting my cert next month I have never said i will be ready before the ink drys on my cert card just thought i would bring up the question. I think it is like alot of things. Some diver may be ready with 100 dives. Some might take a 1000. some of us learn faster then others some slower. But do not take that has i am saying your learn slower then i would i am not. Question how does cave wreak diving go with solo diving. Let me ask you this. Diver A has a 500 dives All with dive ops on guide tours been diving for 10 years but has not learnt alot just goes to the shop says take me on a trip. Diver b Has 150 dives. Dives with his buddy who is a great diver does all the reading he can plans laysout and practices for his solo diving. What if stuff. He gets his aow and his solo from sdi. He setup his pony system and practices with it. Who is really ready in some peoples eye the first diver with 500 no learning no task loading dives. Or the diver who wants to learn. For some neither are ready. Maybe no one is really ready. But honestly I see myself trying it atleast once or twice. Now that might be before the ink is dry on my cert card. I doubt it. It might be my 1000s dive. Where see. I think it is alot like hunting. Alot of people say not to hunt alone. But i do always have. Sure if i fall out of my stand I properly will die or be there for some time. But lets face it if i am hunting with someone and my 470 butt falls out a tree whats the chances i will be getting up.

Originally Posted by ianr33

How many dives have you done? (Or put another way,please fill out your profile !)

If you have 1000 dives ( trimix,caves,wreck penetrations) then you should be fine solo. If on the other hand you just got certified diving solo is a bad idea. Somewhere in between is the dividing line where it is OK. Knowing where that line is is the tricky part.

[ianr33]

Originally Posted by bigman241

Question how does cave wreak diving go with solo diving.

An experienced cave/wreck diver will know much more about redundant gear configurations and gas planning than most divers.

I dive solo quite a bit (most of the time sidemount) Do not have a solo card but am cave and trimix certified. Seems like a reasonable substitute to me.