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ScottBonis@ao*.co* wrote: > That last statement of John's is a beaut, in fact a classic as far as I'm > concerned. And IMHO, needs to be repeated in all discussions about solo > diving. > > << I think about the guy who just died in the quarry, and I have to believe > that no matter what caused his death, one of his last thoughts was HELP. No > one heard. >> I believe that quarry diving (as a generality) *should* always require a buddy. I've never dived a quarry, but from all I've read they're nasty, dirty, cold, dark places. I've dived a cuppla lakes here in Oz. They were also just that. Having said that, Scott, without in the least wishing to single you out ... but ... There is a lot more to this question than meets the eye: - different locations - different values - different conditions - different divers - different equipment - different interests - the list surely goes on Yes, it is very easy to say, with your trusted buddies around you, that non-buddy diving is not a good idea. I suspect that most of the advocates of this tend to have a somewhat closed mind to non-buddy diving. I have a number of buddies with whom I will dive at the drop of a hat, some I don't even much like above water, but they're, by my standards, pretty good buddies. However, there is a very real world out there which is NOT populated by DIR/GUE divers and/or divers that you have established rapport with. It's called the Recreational Diving Community (RCC) and, often, this RCC has little knowledge of "proper" diving. I'd say that every Pacific liveaboard I've been on, without exception, even when I've been there with my club, has had its share of "divers" who are anything but. Whilst this might seem selfishness on my part, I do not wish to have to part company with *my* hardearned money as well as *my* hardearned holiday break to have to hand-hold some turkey who shouldn't be in the bath, leave alone the tropical Pacific bath. As well, my preference is to photograph and, unless I'm lucky enough to have a model (exceedingly rare), I am just not interested in other people, in fact my concentration is very much elsewhere. My name is not David Doubilet (and his like) who often have a brace of assistants with them in the water carrying other camera systems ... hmmmmm ... I rather doubt that that is a (proper) buddy situation either. Now that's in warm, clear Pacific water. I'm absolutely NOT talking about an 18,000 ft penetration in Florida nor am I talking about a penetration of the Doria nor, well not mostly, am I talking about non-recreational depths or nasty water like sinks, quarries etc. There are a number of other issues to be addressed here as well: - unless both of you are DIR/GUE trained: - can you absolutely trust that other turkey you've only just clapped eyes on? - are you absolutely certain that this turkey can handle your equipment, and vice versa? - are you absolutely certain that you have your signals down pat? - are you absolutely certain you are even compatible? I doubt that anyone can say yes to any of the above. In those circumstances I'd much rather look after #1, and only #1. I've dived with not a few people with whom I've had instant rapport. Yet I've dived with many others, good divers by any standards, with whom I simply did not get along, nor they with me. That kind of thing happens all the time, that happens to be life. Having said all that, and invited the flak, I strongly disagree with anyone who says that "solo diving" (I much prefer "self sufficient" diving) is something that can be learned. In theory yes, in practice, no. For one thing, there are many out there who simply do not have, now or ever, the mindset to practise this properly. The conundrum is that these might possibly also not make good buddy divers, largely being dependent types. I happen to believe that dependent types do not good buddies make when it goes pearshaped. I doubt that any serious diver would disagree with that. I've noticed, empirical or not, that the best buddies are also those divers most comfortable in the water by themselves. Hello? Anyone disagree with me here? I very much doubt it. Locally I mostly dive off a private dive boat, which means that we have our own rules. One such is that if we invite a "stranger diver" along, that diver gets to dive with one of the regulars, never mind that person's qualifications. Period, no discussion will be entered into, and we treat them as just out of, pick your personal favourite Idiocy Dive Training Agency here, school - although, quite certainly, not overtly so. And if they've brought along (and we've allowed on board) their favourite dive buddy, sorry, they separately get buddied up to one or t'other of us. In those circumstances (rare) we forget our personal dive preferences and leave, as an example, the camera/s behind. Sorry for the rant, I'm busily donning the flak jacket etc but please note and understand the conditions under which I would prefer to dive with just #1 before you have at me. :-7 Cheers, Christian -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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