Posted by seahunt on September 08, 2000 at 21:25:09:
In Reply to: Good points worth discussing posted by MHK on September 08, 2000 at 16:15:11:
I do try to figure out what issues are and address them without sweating the small stuff. Some people have posted strong opinions that were rather unclear at the time and there was a lot of bickering about what was actually being said. Really, even some serious mistatements of fact, if there were such, do not invalidate a persons points. Actually, I am impressed that you pretty much dredged up the 7 cases that you mentioned.
That said...
Most buddys I have had, not just some, were not highly competent divers (no matter what they thought or said) and I don't think they would have been likely to help me if I needed them. The ONE case in 30 years when I could have used help, my buddy saw me lose my regulator (an unfamiliar rental with a long hose) and still swam away while I w grbbing for it.
Per, an instructor did a test with an AOW class to see if they could help a buddy simulating distress during a class. Failure rate was 100%.
I can't effectively hunt with a buddy, especially if vis is limited.
It is difficult to photog with a buddy.
I have to devote a lot of time and attention to a buddy, attention that I would rather focus on myself and my dive.
Just as in war, you cannot judge who will help you in an emergency or fall apart.
Limiting myself to buddy diving would have precluded very many of the dives I have done.
What do you want to do if you want to dive a spot and it's just too hazardous to take anyone but a strong highly experienced diver? Those are just usually not available, so I couldn't dive. I just don't do many dives anymore that are not to places that few divers have gone before. That is my goal, because they are the most pristine spots. I would simply be taking most divres into trouble.
But the number one reason I defend solo diving is thay I enjoy it more. It brings to me, more of what I dive for. I have done other far more dangerous things (like tree skiing) for the same reason. I am glad that I have that right.
Enjoy the diving, seahunt
PS. I never abandon a buddy. That may be partly because I mostly only buddy with newbies. I will tell an experienced buddy before diving that if I run out of air, I will wave good-bye and they have the option of following me up or stay... and I do what I say I will.
PPS. When I used to do very long swims offshore to spots (Pt. Dume, etc.) I did like having a buddy because of the hazards presented on the surface, by the dive.
PPPS. Maybe the trouble is really the instruction, but then I think you might have mentioned that before.
PPPPS. When I used to do electrical, I was the one that did the dirty dangerous jobs, cuz I was the one that could. If I'm going to take the risks I took for my job, why can't I take risks for my fun. It seems like better reason. If you feel like responding to anything, answer that... Note that in much of LA, the squirrels have eaten all the insulation off the power lines to houses. I learned from those jobs what the smell of fear is. That was more of a challenge than hot 440.