solo diving -

Solo Diving

Solo Diving Presents New Challenges and Demands New Skills

Article by José Pablo Mir

Pictures by William Drumm

In the traditional realm of sport scuba diving, having a dive buddy or diving as a team member transcends mere social interaction; rather, it is regarded as an essential safety imperative.

The Case for Solo Diving

Coincidentally, and in a totally utilitarian framework, Solo diving is advocated for its educational and prophylactic purposes. Pursuing Solo diving training is usually presented as an answer to the need to improve our diving abilities by being more self-reliant. At the same time, it frees us from having to deal with potentially disturbing buddies assigned on the fly (instabuddies) by dive operators. This is usually seen as the yin-yang of our Solo-and-non-Solo-scuba world.

While all that is basically fine, Solo diving is more than just a bag with abilities and contingency plans. Most of us don’t go through this training and then keep diving Solo just to gain experience to cope with an absent buddy. We do it because we like it!
When diving Solo, we feel stronger emotions. We achieve a more intimate connection to the dive itself, which rekindles a sense of wonder. The feeling of adventure goes far beyond what we have been used to, and we enjoy our dives at a deeper level (no pun intended).

Mindset Shift: From Solo to Team Diving

The key to all that, may reside in Solo diving being so different from most specialties we have at hand. The context is different; we will learn the exact extent of this idea once we start diving Solo. The strategies are different; every action and every choice is, and feels, different. Every unfolding situation carries distinct implications, which many times have to be addressed differently. Knowing that, sets a new mindset in us and creates a completely different operational framework.

Challenges and Preparation for Solo Diving

Solo diving has its own challenges. Preparing for it demands extra effort. We need to plan for, and anticipate, more scenarios, develop more procedures, carry more equipment, more tools. We need to be prepared for everything with a probability of occurrence slightly higher than insignificant.

Emotional and Psychological Aspects of Solo Diving

The execution of the dive itself changes a lot from what we were used to when diving with a buddy. We sharpen our senses to examine the environment more closely and patiently. Our global awareness feels different (whatever that may mean). We proceed with greater caution, keeping ourselves further away from the usual limits. Even our afterward memories, when we revisit the dive in our head, are different, more profound, better defined. It is almost as if those memories are now in high-definition mode. The dives start becoming more than the sum of its parts.

Some say that once a Solo diver, always a Solo diver, and they may be right. Solo divers, when diving with a buddy or in a group, tend to approach every dive self-sufficiently. It’s more about attitude and mindset than gear and tools. They know not everything will go according to plan, and while some deviations will be irrelevant from the big plan’s point of view, other ones may force us to switch to plan B or C. So, we better have those in place and count on the appropriate resources to carry them on when the time comes (not “if”).

Continuous Learning and Self-Reflection

Being a thinking diver, instead of just an obedient one, is now more important than ever. We need to learn, no doubt about that, but most importantly, we need to question what we are learning. We have to answer to ourselves the whys, the hows, and the whens. The answer to any question we may encounter can’t be just something like “that’s the way I was told”. Even if at the beginning we accept what is being told to us, sooner than later we have to come up with better answers. Those who do, grow. Those who don’t, better stay in the shallows.

Differentiating Solo and Self-Sufficient Diving

Sometimes, we see references to Solo diving and Self-sufficient diving as being almost the same. They are not. Even if this may seem strange to the non-Solo diver, they are very different from one another. And this is not just a definition or the result of stretching the language. Those who dive Solo know it.

While it’s true Solo diving shares common ground with the idea of self-reliance, the spirit of the dive changes completely. Its planning, its execution, our strategies, our procedures, and most importantly, our mindset, is something else.

Finishing a dive by ourselves, if we get separated from our buddy or group, is a completely different story than planning and executing the dive Solo from the start. Being without a buddy is no longer an undesired condition we must deal with, but a characteristic around which we plan the dive. It’s a design criterion, not a setback. It is not something to cope with; it is what we are looking for.

Being self-sufficient (not depending on anyone else under or above water) is something all divers should aim for at any level they practice; after all, we are immersed in an adverse medium. But Solo diving is a choice, something we decide to do, a practice we enjoy, a pleasure we pursue. We do it for pure adventure and because we can.

Starting Your Solo Diving Journey

So, where do we start?

First, you must be sure you have enough experience for the task. If you have trouble clearing your mask, swapping regulators underwater, finding your tools, following a dive plan, getting properly oriented underwater, or managing your gas supply, you need to gain more experience before thinking about starting your training as a Solo diver.

Keep in mind this is not just a matter of meeting the minimum requirements criteria; it is about being able and being safe. With 21 years of age, 100 logged dives, and an Advanced Diver certification (or equivalent), you can register in the SDI Solo Diving certification class. But you should evaluate yourself and decide if you are ready for it. Be honest. On the other hand, if you have the knowledge and experience, I think you should seriously think about getting trained as a Solo diver, even if diving Solo is not in your immediate plans. It is a humbling experience, and if you open yourself to what you’ll learn, you will emerge changed. And change is always good.

The Joy of Solo Diving

And then? Well, then you have to enjoy it. That is a must!

If you don’t enjoy diving Solo, don’t do it. We dive for fun; if something does not give you ample joy, why bother with it? Why take the extra risks? Having completed the training and being certified to do it is not reason enough.

Conclusion: Embrace the Adventure

If you pass the course but do not particularly enjoy diving Solo, take it as a growth phase. Don’t see it as a setback or a loss; it is not. You now have new knowledge and refined abilities; apply them to your regular diving activities. You are a better diver by now, and most certainly you are a better diving buddy too. Put it to use.

But if you like it, if you discover diving Solo is what you have been missing so far, go ahead, be free. The oceans are your playgrounds!