me too. But relying on them for life support is silly, especially if you dive in environments where losing a buddy is a realistic possibility. To clarify my position, I teach team diving. To me, loss of a team mate in the water constitutes a major failure and the dive is over. Each team member carries enough gas to get thsemelves AND a team mate to the next available gas source, be that the surface or a decompression gas switch depth. The team carries redundant equipment, and is trained to diganose and resolve problems in each other's equipment. Each team member has a role in the water, which reduces stress levels, and at the end of the day we are all mates so diving together is fun. However. that all proviudes a huge comfort blanket, but it does not absolve the diver of taking individual responsibility for their safety. That's why I carry two masks, two SMBs, several spools. It's why I use a twinset and practice manipulating valves and diagnosing problems on every dive. It's why I ensure my own skills are as good as I can make them with the time I have to practice. My team mates would help me out of any situation I was in. However, most situations I could handle by myself. The team just makes it a lot easier, and a lot less stressful. Where the team becomes essential are for those few situations where you cannot resolve the issue on your own. This includes entanglement, and catastrophic loss of gas. Competent solo divers understand and mitigate these risks with individual redundancy wherever possible. Competent team divers mitigate them by diving as a team. It's two solutions to the same issue - we all want to come home alive and well. I personally choose the team option because I never want to feel again like I am alone and going to die where no-one will find me.
I think the vast majority of divers are not skilled enough to be a good buddy or team member. I dont say this on a negative note either its due to the fact that they dont train as a team or buddy pair. Most divers just turn up jump in and swim around without practicing the core skills to be good buddies or team members. Its like everything in life it needs to be practiced and to do it with the same dive or divers will make it perfect, then when you have it so you know exactly where your buddy or team is without looking then you can say you are not diving solo. Its good to dive with others and think thier watching your back but are they realy doing that? Myself I dive solo on every dive, If my buddy is there if a problem arises then fair enough but if there not I'll sort if myself, hopefull iv trained enough to get myself back to safety.
In the sea, solo, I meander very slowly to avoid fishing line. If it's dark I go carefully as I've experienced inadvertant entry in to an over head due to poor viz and it's not good. I tend to stay at a constant depth near something I can grab to avoid using the inflator too much. One of them sticks and you have little time to rectify it before becoming a polaris. The wreck becomes my buddy. Some of my buddy's are wrecks...
There's a big difference between having the mindset of a solo diver and being a solo diver. I often think this gets mistaken for the same thing.... It's far from it. The mindset of a solo diver is to be able to complete a solo dive the only thing that should concern you is the possibility of entrapment. All other concerns and if action is required would equal not diving. Be it skills needed, gas required and tools to do the job including redundancy. This is also true with team diving if you have an issue that can't be resolved prior to throwing yourself off a boat then you owe it to yourself and team to stay dry. If you feel ill for example as a team member you wouldn't dive as you then are that weak link and relience on them is not only placing increased risk on yourself but also your team. If you don't have the skills or the right tools required for dive the same end result should stand.You don't dive. To have a solo diver mindset is a good thing it doesn't mean you are anti team or buddy diving it just means you have your own shit stored away and don't rely on someone else ( and often placing them at greater risk if they have to help you ) to complete a dive and return safely to the surface. BK Sent from my Desire HD
This might be the first time you and I are in complete agreement. Just thought I'd point it out before the moment passes
You would probably throw your Guey card in the bin if you knew how much we did agreed on BK Sent from my Desire HD
