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>There is just no way i am buying any of this solo diving stuff, i know that >this has been covered too many times and alot of you don't want to hear it, >and i don't have the time to follow and responses (rich and i have spent >hours talking about it already in person, it could take weeks here) :-) > >my comment is that it's ridiculous to think or say that it's better to be >in the water without a buddy. yes the buddy can be a liability... but only >if he or she isn't trained well enough to <<be>> a buddy... and alot of >people (imhe) don't want to take the time or efforts to reach this level of >proficency... if you can't deal with being in the water with a buddy and >all the concerns that go along with this system then you are not ready for >diving this environment. period. > >it's almost as bad as not having a tender/captain on the boat... you guys >are gonna get into trouble, you're gonna get bent or killed. >for what!!! > >dennis pierce > I missed preceding arguments about solo vs buddy diving as I just recently subscribed to this listsever. I also believe there are some things that merit discourse and rethinking. I am not advocating that solo diving is better than buddy diving. I'm not going to go through ALL the pro and con arguments either. However, I do believe there is a place for solo diving, and that there should not be an across-the-board taboo against it. Obviously solo diving is not for everyone but too many people put way too much dependence on the buddy system, I did it myself when I first started diving. Even with the buddy system you should be prepared to respond to emergencies yourself, particularly the ones where there is very little time for a response. Unfortunately I change jobs quite often, therefore I usually end up in parts of the country I haven't been before. This means I am generally in a position where I do not know anyone in that specific area. My choices here are to dive or not to dive, and I refuse to not dive merely because I do not have a dive buddy. Two important factors enter in here. 1. I generally will not buddy with someone I do not know. I do grant that you can usually tell a divers experience by there gear setup and a five to ten minute talk. This also assumes you are in a situation where someone else is looking for a dive buddy. In most cases I'm on a dive boat (I generally wreck dive) and everyone else is already paired. 2. My dive philosophy is I am ready to respond to almost any emergency on my own. Most people are aware that with a catastrophic air emergency, a partner 30 to 40 feet away might as well be a mile away. Anything below 40 feet I have a fully redundant air supply. That can mean anything from a 20 to 30 cuft pony (two independent systems), to a twin setup with the tanks independent and a 30 to 40 cuft pony (three independant systems). I carry two or three knives on different parts of my body in case I can't get at one or another. I'm a conservative diver to begin with, I am much more conservative when diving solo. While soloing, I haven't done a dive below 130 feet, nor do I plan to at the present. Again, I don't believe there needs to be an absolute taboo on solo diving. For those weighing this philosophy, try reading "Solo Diving, The Art of Underwater Self-Sufficiency" by Robert Von Maier. As a general disclaimer, "I have nothing to gain in the selling of this book". Safe diving. Bill Wesemann billj@ne*.co* >There is just no way i am buying any of this solo diving stuff, i know that >this has been covered too many times and alot of you don't want to hear it, >and i don't have the time to follow and responses (rich and i have spent >hours talking about it already in person, it could take weeks here) :-) > >my comment is that it's ridiculous to think or say that it's better to be >in the water without a buddy. yes the buddy can be a liability... but only >if he or she isn't trained well enough to <<be>> a buddy... and alot of >people (imhe) don't want to take the time or efforts to reach this level of >proficency... if you can't deal with being in the water with a buddy and >all the concerns that go along with this system then you are not ready for >diving this environment. period. > >it's almost as bad as not having a tender/captain on the boat... you guys >are gonna get into trouble, you're gonna get bent or killed. >for what!!! > >dennis pierce >
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