# Do you dive solo?



## bigspoon17

Just curious how many of you ever dive solo in the gulf. I know a couple of people that do it, but the diver OOG scenario seems pretty much like a death sentence if diving solo. Those of you who do it, do you enjoy it as much as diving with a buddy (or more, maybe)?


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## aquatic argobull

I prefer it sometimes. I know the dangers of course and I'm taking my chances, but especially when lobstering, I can go my speed, only pay attention to my air and come up when I'm running low. I like to haul ass from ledge to ledge and having to worry about somebody else slow me down. 

When I'm shooting fish, I do like to have somebody there in case I need help with the fish or to fend off the man in grey. Also, more likely to have OOG scenario when shooting big fish.


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## bigspoon17

Thanks for the reply. I'm just thinking it might be cool to check out new numbers for my bother (who doesn't dive). It's a calculated risk, no doubt, but so is diving in general.  Thanks again!


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## WhackUmStackUm

This may sound odd, but I prefer to dive solo whenever I am doing a risky dive for the first time. I stay 100% focused and "in the moment." 

I prefer to dive solo unless one of my friends or family members needs a buddy.


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## naclh2oDave

Are you talking on the boat solo too? 

I do spear solo, have learned that the fish act less spooky, better chance at shooting the big ones.


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## bigspoon17

WhackUmStackUm said:


> This may sound odd but I prefer to dive solo whenever I am doing a risky dive for the first time. I can stay 100% focused and "in the moment" when I am diving solo.


Makes sense. Just like anything, though...I think an argument could be made to the contrary. Interested in seeing just how many people actually dive solo. Thanks!


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## bigspoon17

naclh2oDave said:


> Are you talking on the boat solo too?
> 
> I do spear solo, have learned that the fish act less spooky, better chance at shooting the big ones.


Nah, there would be at least one bubble watcher.


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## sealark

bigspoon17 said:


> Thanks for the reply. I'm just thinking it might be cool to check out new numbers for my bother (who doesn't dive). It's a calculated risk, no doubt, but so is diving in general.  Thanks again!


Get more experience if you have to ask about Diving alone you don't have the experience or confidence.:thumbup:


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## polar21

I dove solo once, and almost got ate by a big shark on Tex. I didnt realize NB&TWill was up top chumming....


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## coolbluestreak

I don't prefer to solo dive but it beats not diving. 
If there is 3 of us and no bubble watcher, I would rather go alone than have one of the others do it.


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## tbaxl

Realistically how much good is a buddy if trouble arises. If you have air problems are you going to swim around looking for him or her or are you going up, shark sneaks up on you for a taste what is your buddy to do. If you do something stupid like dropping in a tank and getting yourself stuck, then the buddy is priceless. My must have is a bubble watcher after that have fun.


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## jspooney

tbaxl said:


> Realistically how much good is a buddy if trouble arises. If you have air problems are you going to swim around looking for him or her or are you going up, shark sneaks up on you for a taste what is your buddy to do. If you do something stupid like dropping in a tank and getting yourself stuck, then the buddy is priceless. My must have is a bubble watcher after that have fun.


My buddy sure did come in handy when I ran out of air at 120' last month.


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## Turtlebait

*solo diving*

I learned to dive in 1974 on the Navy Base (Navy Brat!). I was taught self rescue in every condition imaginable by Navy Seals, and my instructors favorite saying was "If you don't almost drown every night in my pool, I'm not doing my job!" We did all our skills with a buddy, but one of us had a short tank (no pressure gauges). When one of the buddy team ran out of air, we continued to do our skills and swim the length of the pool repeatedly while buddy breathing (no safe second either!). While a buddy is an invaluable tool, I would not rely solely on that buddy to keep me alive. Master your skills. Trust yourself. Monitor your AIR and DEPTH CONSTANTLY! Have fun and be safe! - Ric


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## jspooney

Turtlebait said:


> I learned to dive in 1974 on the Navy Base (Navy Brat!). I was taught self rescue in every condition imaginable by Navy Seals, and my instructors favorite saying was "If you don't almost drown every night in my pool, I'm not doing my job!" We did all our skills with a buddy, but one of us had a short tank (no pressure gauges). When one of the buddy team ran out of air, we continued to do our skills and swim the length of the pool repeatedly while buddy breathing (no safe second either!). While a buddy is an invaluable tool, I would not rely solely on that buddy to keep me alive. Master your skills. Trust yourself. Monitor your AIR and DEPTH CONSTANTLY! Have fun and be safe! - Ric


Exactly. This was my problem last month. Switched to a new wrist computer instead of a console computer (next to my pressure gauge.) Every time I checked my wrist I totally forgot about my pressure. Only realized it after I took my last breath. Very scary but thankfully my buddy was 20 feet away and he gave me his second so we could ascend.


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## bigspoon17

jspooney said:


> Exactly. This was my problem last month. Switched to a new wrist computer instead of a console computer (next to my pressure gauge.) Every time I checked my wrist I totally forgot about my pressure. Only realized it after I took my last breath. Very scary but thankfully my buddy was 20 feet away and he gave me his second so we could ascend.


Holy crap, man! Glad you had a buddy that day and everything turned out well.


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## tbaxl

jspooney said:


> Exactly. This was my problem last month. Switched to a new wrist computer instead of a console computer (next to my pressure gauge.) Every time I checked my wrist I totally forgot about my pressure. Only realized it after I took my last breath. Very scary but thankfully my buddy was 20 feet away and he gave me his second so we could ascend.


And you accepted that was your error and moved on, mistakes can kill you thus be on alert when solo. But what if your buddy is 30 or 40 away and you don't know where to look, remember your training and keep your head about you and handle the situation. Accend from 120 with your last breath, you should be purging before you break the surface, just do not get stupid and rush up or again problem.


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## jspooney

It was absolutely a boneheaded mistake on my part. But...I was also aware of where my buddy was. In the end...huge lesson learned...and I kept my fish. It did scare the crap out of me, though.


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## bigspoon17

jspooney said:


> It did scare the crap out of me, though.


No kidding! That seems like a hiatus-generating event! I think I'd have to take a break for awhile after that one...


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## jspooney

Didn't dive the rest of the day. I am better now!


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## RockB

I used to do it all the time but I had a 13cf pony tank so I had redundancy without a buddy. No overhead environments and was cautious. I would rather have someone on the boat than with me. But I used to dive A LOT and was in good shape ( oh the good old days).


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## countryjwh

I dive regularly solo. I like to dive with others but really like to dive solo when flounder diving. Usually under 80 ft and when I am by myself I can focus and not worry about anyone else muddying up the bottom


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## polar21

bigspoon17 said:


> Holy crap, man! Glad you had a buddy that day and everything turned out well.


My dive buddy likes to dump his weight belt at 80' and leave me stranded :whistling:


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## ABailey

polar21 said:


> My dive buddy likes to dump his weight belt at 80' and leave me stranded :whistling:


I did that on my first open water dive while taking my class in 60'. Not sure what caused it to come off, but I remember grabbing at it frantically. I was so pissed. Ruined my first dive. I still remember my dive instructor coming up to the boat asking me if I had lost something.


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## SaltAddict

IMHO, if diving solo, you better know your gear without thinking about it. It is about redundancy. If you don't have a pony, or doubles, you better have intimate knowledge of reaching the tank valve. Before I hit 20fsw on descent, you bet I've reached and confirmed where that valve is sitting. You really need confidence in your skill set to dive solo. 

That being said, I dive solo and have for 
decades. When you're down there solo and the tax man shows up with a few of his buddies, you learn what kind of nerve you truly have. Good times.


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## Firefishvideo

At one point you will be a solo diver whether you want to be or not. Be sure you can self rescue.
The only good thing about running out of air at 120' is that there is actually quite a bit of volume left in the tank....which will be available at shallower depths. 
I know from experience.....gauge failure.....that you can slowly ascend from 120' without seriously violating the ascent speed......AND still do a 2-3 minute safety stop! The key is to STAY CALM ....and keep your heart rate LOW. You don't need to breath more than once every 30 seconds.
There are a couple more tricks that can be used in an emergency to stretch any available air....they were taught in my open water class...but I doubt they are taught now.


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## bigspoon17

polar21 said:


> My dive buddy likes to dump his weight belt at 80' and leave me stranded :whistling:


That buckle was faulty! And at least I pulled myself down the anchor line just to tell you I was going back up!


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## fishFEEDER9697

I have done some solo stuff and enjoy it. Did a recon dive to 140-- incredible. Did an anchor salvage for a buddy-- low vis, lift bag, little narcosis going; at one point was strung upside-down between the anchor and lift bag at 90ft with 800psi. And I'm generally alone at the end of every dive after sending buddies back up the rope due to air (we usually make a "leaving the bottom" psi-benchmark commitment during dive brief.) 
DO the big do's, and DONT do the big dont's- everything thing else is gravy.


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## polar21

bigspoon17 said:


> That buckle was faulty! And at least I pulled myself down the anchor line just to tell you I was going back up!


I wish we could go back and find that thing. Prob $60 sitting on the bottom...


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## surfdiver

I dive solo most of the time. Depending on a buddy to bail you out can make you careless. I am anal about watching my pressure gauge, I give my self a nice cushion for ascent and I won't shoot a big fish close to ascent time. Carry a knife and don't get under stuff. If your buddy isn't right next to you he probably won't be able to help you anyway.


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## bigspoon17

surfdiver said:


> I am anal about watching my pressure gauge, I give my self a nice cushion for ascent and I won't shoot a big fish close to ascent time.


Thanks for the reply. I watch my air pressure like a hawk too, but have a tendency to not give myself a lot of cushion and surface with < 500 psi.


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## ul412al

Okay, I'll be the grandpa here...No, I do not dive without a buddy. It removes a level of protection from a pretty well documented sport. Every time I see a diving event gone bad, it revolves around one of the basic things we were all taught (dive with a buddy, etc).

The only time this gets tricky for me is when you get an "instabuddy" that overstates his ability. Once he gets into trouble (and he will) your risk goes up...at that precise moment I would have preferred to dive alone...


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## eodryan

One of the things I figured out early on was it's always better to shoot into the structure than from inside out. Seems like it's easier to get wrapped around stuff if there is something between you and the fish.


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## AndyS

I only have about 50 dives under my belt and would not feel comfortable diving solo unless water conditions were optimal; I knew the dive site very well; my depth was limited to 60' or less; and I had a pony tank.

That said ... I have dived solo a couple times in a spring fed scuba park at shallow depths 30' - 35' with no overhead or entanglement hazards (and also in my pool at home scrubbing algae ... not sure if that counts)

I also found myself buddy-less once in Playa Del Carmen when I had about 25 dives under my belt .... the dive operator said "_no worries - we'll find you a buddy on the boat." _Turns out the only other divers on the boat were an Instructor (no assistant or DM) from a nearby resort with five Discover Scuba customers who had never been in open water before. I tagged along with them & ended up spending both dives helping the students out with their equipment, buoyancy, trim,etc .... I'd have been safer diving solo!


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## WhackUmStackUm

WhackUmStackUm said:


> This may sound odd, but I prefer to dive solo whenever I am doing a risky dive for the first time. I stay 100% focused and "in the moment."
> 
> I prefer to dive solo unless one of my friends or family members needs a buddy.


A few side comments for anyone who has not been diving with me. I dive a rebreather with a complete backup scuba system. So even when I dive solo, I have 100% redundancy. In fact most of my backup systems have backup systems! I guess it's just part of the "tech diver mentality" or perhaps a healthy pessimism which assumes that something will go wrong on a dive, especially on a deep dive. The only question is how I will deal with the inevitable problem(s).

To be honest, I get nervous when I dive conventional (non-tech) scuba gear these days. Many may laugh at this. However, there are so few backup systems that I always have a vague sense of being exposed to additional risk. 

I guess my philosophy on dealing with diving emergencies can be summed up in this way:
I carry the gear I need in order to perform a self-rescue in all situations that I anticipate, and many that I don't.
I obtain the training and practice needed in order to operate the gear I dive with, including self-rescue gear and emergency procedures.
Keep a cool head in emergency situations. Panic kills. You need your brain to be fully functional in order to find a way to survive.
Never lose hope. Cling to life. Although the situation may seem hopeless, you have loved ones at home.
Take along a buddy when your safety will be improved by doing so. A good buddy is the next best thing to self-rescue.


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## bigspoon17

Good responses in this thread! It's nice to see the varying thoughts on the subject. Thanks, everyone!


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## ghost95

I realized back when I was teaching that I always dove alone, even with students. If I got tangled they would just stare at me and wait until I ran out of air and then one by one they would run out of air too. 

The best attitude that you can have is that you are always diving alone. 

That being said. I love to be in the water alone. no one to watch and only myself to blame if something goes wrong. I make sure nothing goes wrong. I also dive with a separate pony bottle, 3 knives, and a reel. 

Solo is nice but you better watch your ass.


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## WhackUmStackUm

ghost95 said:


> ...Solo is nice but you better watch your ass.


:thumbsup:


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## bigspoon17

ghost95 said:


> I also dive with a separate pony bottle, 3 knives, and a reel.


What size pony bottle do you use in this case?


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## SaltAddict

bigspoon17 said:


> What size pony bottle do you use in this case?


I prefer a 40cf slung under my left arm. I have an 18cf that straps to my back gas. The 40 under the arm gives me more ease of reach if I need to make adjustments or corrections. The 18 is enough to get me to the surface on a non-decompression ascent.


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## Native Diver

*Free Diver Death*

I just read about a fatality on spear board and this thread came to mind.

Scroll down for the story....SAD!

http://spearboard.com/showthread.php?t=164213&page=7


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## SaltAddict

Native Diver said:


> I just read about a fatality on spear board and this thread came to mind.
> 
> Scroll down for the story....SAD!
> 
> http://spearboard.com/showthread.php?t=164213&page=7


This is very sad. 
They did however violate the cardinal rule of free diving, one up one down.


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## WhackUmStackUm

bigspoon17 said:


> What size pony bottle do you use in this case?


I use a 40 cf bottle for shallow dives and short deep dives and two or more bottles for longer or deeper dives.


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## ghost95

Sorry for the late reply. I use a 13 cf pony bottle mounted upside down to the main cylinder so I can reach the valve easily. I also use a long hose to the second. I run the hose up between my tank and BC and over my shoulder to my chest. It has worked very well for me. I usually practice with it on my asscent if it's my last dive even if I have enough air in my main. 

If a situation arises and I'm on this tank I am on the way up. It will give enough air to easily assend slowly from 120' and do a safety stop or even a brief deco.

I have gotten in the habit of diving this system most of the time even with a "buddy". The long hose gives plenty of room to move around if you have to pass it off to someone else and having a seperate air supply keeps them from draining your supply down.


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