>there are no excuses for doing a solo tech dive.  

I agree this would be a good place to draw the line. An experienced OC diver
within the NDL's is at greater risk, then she might be with a good buddy but
could always "cut and run" in the event of an emergency. When diving under the
cave or decompression ceiling this is not always a viable option. 




-----Original Message-----
From: "Bill Wolk"<BillWolk@ea*.ne*>
To: "g.wentland"<wentland@no*.ed*>, "Tech Diver
List"<techdiver@aquanaut.com>, "Trey"<trey@ne*.co*>, FlTechDiver@mikey.net
Date: Sun Sep 23 09:15:15 PDT 2001
Subject: Re: Dead Diver

>George
>
>You are completely missing the point of what Trey and everyone else on 
>this list is saying about dive teams: no one is telling you to buddy up 
>with the least experienced diver. That's the usual (very weak) 
>rationalization for solo diving and that gets even experienced divers 
>killed.
>
>We're saying -- to EVERYONE in the technical diving community -- whether 
>they're DIR or not -that the easiest, best, cheapest, and most sensible 
>way to reduce the inherent risks of technical diving is to dive with a 
>team of one or more divers with the same objectives, training, and 
>ability that you have. That way when the rare SERIOUS problem happens -- 
>catastrophic equipment failure, entanglement, tox, hypercapnia, 
>unrecoverable RB failure, there is another diver there to help get your 
>ass to the surface. 
>
>DIR is not about equipment -- it's about using your head to minimize 
>risk.  If you throw out every other DIR tenet and piece of gear, but 
>still dive with a strong team member, you've vastly increased your 
>chances of coming through a problem alive.  It's that simple and that's 
>why it's Rule #1 
>
>There should be no argument here when it's plain to everyone that the 
>vast majority of tech and cave deaths over the past decade have been solo 
>divers.  We have this same discussion each and every time someone dies. I 
>don't know why you still don't get it.  THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO CREDIBLE 
>REASON FOR NOT DIVING AS PART OF A TEAM -- certainly none that would give 
>any comfort to Eric Reichardt's family now.  Think about that next time 
>it's too much trouble for you to find someone to dive with.
>
>If you and Mike Pizzio are telling the list that you can't find another 
>skilled diver who will dive with you -- and I don't think you are -- then 
>the first thing you need to do is figure out why no one else is willing 
>to trust you. Otherwise -- and I can't make this any clearer -- there are 
>no excuses for doing a solo tech dive.  
>
>Best regards -
>
>Bill Wolk
>
>
>>Hi George:
>>After experiencing lots of diving down here as a divemaster doing
>>recreational charters, I know where Mike is coming from. I got so that I
>>found diving more relaxing and safer diving solo than with a buddy picked at
>>random from the dive boat. A lot of times I would end up diving with the
>>least skilled of the bunch. I would get to repeatedly save their butt, do to
>>things like not being weighted properly, losing a tank, not watching their
>>air supply, or a host of other barn yard stupid things that can be expected
>>if one dives a couple times a year. These kind of people/tourists are the
>>bread & butter of  most dive boats in S. Florida. In my mind one is safer
>>diving alone and one has more of a worry free dive when you don't have to
>>worry about your buddy attacking you to get at your air supply or rushing to
>>the surface in a state of panic after seeing a nurse shark.
>>    I saw Mike dive with people like this repeatedly and I can say that this
>>sort of thing gets old. It starts to take the fun out of diving. Your nerves
>>start to frazzle and you wonder how people can take such risks with their
>>and your life, and you wonder who the hell trained this guy or girl. It can
>>get pretty frustrating as there seems to be an endless supply of these twice
>>a year, poorly trained divers out there.
>>    I found that if I dive as a divemaster solo, I can make the rounds and
>>save more barnyard stupid new divers from themselves.
>>    It is a great thing to always have a good buddy to dive with, but
>>someone needs to look out for the newbies of diving or the death toll &
>>insurance rates will sky rocket. Due to these continual experiences I find
>>diving much more relaxing solo too. I have jumped countless wrecks solo. I
>>will admit that it is not the safest act in the world, but it gets the job
>>done. No one wants to go for a sand dive. Most buddies can not keep up with
>>me going down. If your buddy stops because he can't clear his ears, that is
>>the end of the dive, maybe for the whole boat. Grappling is a good idea as
>>long as you do not grapple debris off the side of the wreck somewhere, or
>>the grapple does not unhook. Remember recreational divers don't carry lift
>>bags. If they did it would be a nightmare. I guess I'm done ramblin' on for
>>the moment.
>> This is the reactive mentality that both I and Mike became used to. George,
>>I would bet that you have been in our shoes at one time. You know, where it
>>is safer to dive by yourself than with the people on the boat? Have a great
>>day &
>>Good Diving,
>>Bye,
>>George
>>
>>
>>--
>>Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
>>Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
>
>
>Best regards --
>
>Bill
>
>--
>Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
>Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.


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