Posted by kelphead on September 01, 2000 at 15:34:09:
In Reply to: Criteria for Solo Diving posted by Ken Kurtis on September 01, 2000 at 11:15:53:
yes, i, too, have dived solo when i should NOT have.
i know that i'm lucky to not have gotten into trouble
and did 'fine'.
however, based on that 2-dive experience (both in
the same day) and after thinking about the pros and
cons of diving, i would have to say the following:
**i have come to a decision that i am certainly not
'ready' for solo diving and i would actually choose
to dive w/someone i know and feel comfy with. BUT
i would still want to be as self-sufficient as possible
and i certainly don't delude myself into ever thinking
that my buddy can save my life. i know i've written
this before in another post elsewhere, but at the very
very very very very least, my buddy can bring my
unconscious/dead body up sooner than later. that's
where i see an important, but not necessarily exclusive
role of the buddy.
**if i'm buddied up w/someone i have never met or
even talked to before (say, on vacation), i will
treat that type of dive as a so-called solo dive:
carry a redundant system and some emergency stuff
w/me (ie, sausage, mirror, whistle) and be extra alert.
i agree w/your perception, and the perception of
others, that if you are diving w/very inexperienced
people or w/someone you don't know, you can't but
believe that you are solo diving in that situation.
**i believe that even in a competent and comfy buddy
system, both (or all) buddies must have a redundant
system and consider themselves self-sufficient.
**i don't dive regularly below 80ft, so as far as i'm
concerned at this point in time, depth and solo diving
are a non-issue.
**i don't wreck dive, wrecks do not turn me on, and
i honestly do not foresee myself doing wreck penetration
dives in my diving regimen--i do foresee myself doing
caged shark dives looooooong before i will ever
consider wreck/tech diving, so that is also a non-issue
for me in regards to solo diving.
**i think if i WERE to do any type of solo diving, it
would have to be at a site that i have dived plenty of
times before w/buddies, and in daylight hours only, but
i have not met that criteria, so, i don't foresee myself
solo diving even in somewhat familiar territory.
**i have yet to afford an u/w camera, and if i do get
one, i will have to address solo diving at that time.
**i don't hunt...though i do have to admit that
knowing the fat tuna steak that another diver
gave me recently was not store bought, was a great feeling!
so, IF!!!!!!!! i ever do get into spearfishing (and
that's a big "IF"), i will have to address the issue
of solo diving at that time as well; but perhaps a
buddy is 'safe' to have during hunting in the event of an
unexpected shark visit...(??)
**one thing that i don't think i've read in any of the
posts below mine is that rescue training/certification
should be considered before taking up solo diving.
i do agree that having more dives under one's belt
should also be a (official/unofficial?????) prerequisite,
but from what i understand, rescue training is invaluable
in teaching divers what to look for BEFORE problems
arise, as well as aiding other divers. so, i definitely
would promote rescue training before anyone considers
solo diving.
ken, i also think that all the opinions offered
by experienced as well as not so experienced divers
on this bbs are WONDERFUL!!!!!!!! i think we all learn and,
hopefully, we will all make the right decisions for
ourselves based on our limits and capabilities.
discussing and debating can be very healthy if we
stick to the issues and use facts to back up our
claims. i don't think anyone is here to push their
own beliefs onto others (at least i hope not), but
it is very valuable and helpful to see all sides of
an issue.
not to get mushy on you, but i do appreciate being
part of this wonderful community that obviously cares
about divers--in more ways than one--and i KNOW that
i'm learning from everyone here.
= : )
kelphead.