Solo Diving: Clout, Convenience, and Caution

Sparking the Debate

Recently I was dropping equipment off at a well-established dive shop in cave country.  While interacting and discussing recent dives with the staff, as patrons at dive shops do, (and admittedly, I was killing time before a flight), my participation in solo diving came up.

“You’re one of those?” the staff member asked. 

I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t realize solo diving was so negatively viewed.  While I normally dive with a buddy, there are instances where I do solo dive.  That staff member’s reaction is what inspired me to put words to proverbial paper and write this reflection.

Many agencies offer courses covering the necessary skills to dive solo, or more aptly described as self-sufficiently.  There are numerous considerations when it comes to determining whether to engage in this type of diving; however, this article will specifically not cover skills, logistics, or the necessary steps to ensure a safe solo dive.  That information should be reserved for a course, a conversation between a student and their instructor, or a mentee and a mentor.  The goal of this article is to provide a foundation for the appropriate headspace of someone considering solo diving.

The first question to ask is “why do I want to solo dive?”  Be humble and consider this question honestly.  There are three reasons that immediately come to mind; two that are negative and one that is acceptable in my opinion. 

The Risk of Ego

First reason is clout.  Solo diving is often riskier than team diving and can provide a level of independent experience that someone may feel elevates their ego.  This can be exacerbated by increasing dive complexity, specifically regarding CCR diving inside of caves or wrecks.  My suggestion, in the most non-confrontational way, to those who may chase glory in this way is to consider the consequences and be willing to share your experience with someone else, or it may be your last.  Be humble and stay paranoid.

The Risk of Convenience

The second temptation of solo diving is convenience.  I am no saint and am willing to admit that I have solo dived for convenience… unfortunately it’s just not an acceptable reason.

Consider the following instances that may provide convenience:

·      Taking a dive center’s word on the gas they’ve given you, and not analyzing it yourself

·      Not performing pre-dive rebreather checks between dives on the same day

·      Rushing, avoiding, or merely checking off steps while building your CCR

·      Skipping an S-drill or bubble check prior to an overhead dive

Or, as an extreme example of convenience over mitigating risk…

·      Blowing a decompression obligation due to a ceiling or acceptable theoretical surface gradient without extreme and extenuating circumstances

I’m going to take a wild guess and assume that YOU would never do any of the above points.  While these may not necessarily be harmful, they unnecessarily increase risk while only marginally improving convenience.  The same could be said for solo diving.  There are an abundance of buddies and guides available to dive with – don’t take the risk and miss the opportunity to make a new friend who may end up saving your life.

When it Might Make Sense

Finally, the only marginally acceptable reason for solo diving may be to mitigate risk.  Vehemently anti-solo diving readers, hang with me, because this is a serious consideration.  If you are qualified to enter areas of a wreck or cave that may be extraordinarily challenging (due to size, navigation, or environment), there are instances where having a buddy may pose additional risk.  Consider the following example:

I was diving with my buddy Alex on Lake Erie in 2021.  The plan was to perform a penetration of the engine room of the George Whalen, a steel steamer that sunk in 1930. She currently rests on her port side, in 150 feet of water, with a bottom temp in the low 40s.  The environment was already challenging, though we weren’t prepared for what we’d find inside (because we had never been there).  After penetrating the engine room, we found a mess of hanging wires, debris, and an ingress of silt from the bottom of the lake.  Being in the lead and running the line, I made the determination to call the penetration and exit.  The time that it took for me to turn around, signal Alex to turn, for him to turn, and then perform the exit felt like an eternity.  In a mess of piping, collapsed catwalks, and relatively low visibility, we were eventually able to navigate our way out.  As we approached the exit, the muted green glow from the little sunlight that makes it to the bottom of Lake Erie was a welcome sight.  Ultimately, we used the rest of our bottom time elsewhere outside the wreck.

The moral of this story is that a solo dive into that area could have been more manageable.  Due to the environment, if an emergency occurred, it’s highly unlikely that either of us would have been able to assist the other anyway.

Always be Self-Sufficient

Effectively, because Alex and I could not realistically help one another, we were both performing solo dives with the added risk of the other diver obstructing an egress.  This is where the distinction between solo diving and self-sufficient diving is clearest.  Both my buddy and I ought to be self-sufficient, on ever dive, every time.  It’s always advisable to be able to resolve problems on your own, regardless of having a buddy or not.

Let’s consider another personal anecdote, also taking place in Lake Erie.

When Dive Buddies Matter

Several years ago, my dive club was performing a survey of the interior of the John J. Boland, another steel freighter resting on a list 130 feet below the surface of Lake Erie.  On a previous dive I had laid line from a man door entrance near the cargo hatches, through the boiler room, and connected back to open water via a large deck hatch further aft.  This was a relatively simple traverse, maybe only 70 total feet; however, it was tight in two sections with a switchback in the line.  The first restriction was swimming up a former staircase; the second was a hatch that led from the boiler room to another interior section of the wreck on the first level below deck.  To then exit the wreck via the previously mentioned external deck hatch, a diver needs to navigate between numerous exposed wooden studs.

Diving in line, I led my buddy (not Alex) though the boiler room, scrapped my doubles through the first hatch (the restriction), and then navigated the studs.  At this point, the line terminated, and I swam another 20 or so feet through the deck hatch.  Once in open water, I turned around and shined my light back at the wreck for my buddy to follow… but there was no buddy.

After less than a minute, I swam back through the hatch to find my friend stuck just below shoulder level, arms through the studs, with back mounted doubles wedged.  It was obvious by the mess of hoses and disruption in visibility (which was already low) that the diver had viciously attempted to free himself in the short time I was waiting.  To unstick him, I had to partially push him back and reach behind a stud to free a hose that had gotten caught up on debris.  We cautiously laugh about that incident to this day.

What if it Were You?

Imagine you’re my buddy alone in that situation – would you have gotten out?  Possibly, even probably, but it sure is nice to have a friend assist!  In full transparency, I’ve subsequently performed solo dives into the engine room of that wreck, but with a teammate waiting on the outside in the event of an emergency.

Takeaways

 What’s the point of all this?  I want you, the reader, to understand a few key points:

1.        Consider why you want to solo dive, and ensure it’s for the appropriate reasons

2.        Always choose to mitigate risk; if solo diving achieves that end, choose to either abstain from the dive or have an intimate understanding of the consequence

3.        Before performing any type of technical or overhead dive, including solo ones, take the appropriate course and spend time with experienced dive professionals

A Parting Reminder

The same staff member at the dive shop in cave country who questioned me about being “one of those” solo divers, left me with a somber suggestion as I was leaving.

“Don’t die,” she said.

I leave you with the same suggestion.

/Vincent