First Solo Jitters

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by GILow

Hang on... somebody SURVIVED our advice?

Yeah I know awesome huh, imagine that

[djousset]

Originally Posted by GreenWave

Thanks for sharing the story. Good luck on the anchor search (plenty of advice in this forum) and on your next adventure.

GreenWave, research is ongoing but....I have friends who dive so we may be executing a retrieval this weekend!

[djousset]

Operation Anchor Retrieval a success! We sailed out and grabbed a mooring then I dinghied over to what I believed to be general area, dropped the dinghy anchor, which I felt snag on something.... When the guys dove down to investigate there was my lost and fouled anchor, wrapped around cable..alongside the dinghy anchor which was also snagged on the same cable. It was adventure and took awhile but we managed to get both free and back on board. Think I'll play the lottery tonight! Now to re-attach to the cut line.....

[JPA Cate]

Glad you retrieved it, mate. Lots of junk on the bottom some places. One of the neat things for SCUBA clubs to do is unfoul bottoms. They did it in Vanuatu one year, in Port Vila. The things that came out were not good for anything any more, but the bottom was lots more pristine.

Ann

[LittleWing77]

Woo-hoo! Well done on first solo and well done on anchor retrieval!

I love to hear stories where everything came out alright in the end.

Thanks for providing an update and hope you're basking in your success.

Warmly,
LittleWing77

[djousset]

I guess this could be now be re-branded as "fourth solo jitters" as I am going further than I've ever been. I've learned a LOT (at sea and in the trenches with the engine) and yet every time I head out I understand that the sea has her own ideas. I've planned, with mapping and provisioning, and then there are the realities of execution, the unexpected changes that mother nature throws at you. Lots of safety equipment, and food, and a big dose of grit and sheer will. And hopefully an engine that cooperates. Thanks to all who have helped me get to where I am, I am grateful.

[Overdue]

I second Time2Go's comment about scuba. Solo might be part of VFR/IFR training, but I would avoid solo scuba, unless an unavoidable situation arises (ie: solo sailing, propeller jammed with rope, other). Too many things can go wrong. Be safe.

[flightlead404]

Originally Posted by Time2Go

All these activities are fine solo IMHO
EXCEPT SCUBA
A mistake there kills you with little wiggle room for self rescue
I’ve been PADI Advanced Open Water for 45 years
and have dived solo a few times
Never felt good about Ignoring all my training
Cheers
Neil

That's because you're a shallow water recreational diver without the proper training. As a deep water, mixed gas, technical diver trained and equipped for self-rescue (and wearing all black!) solo SCUBA is safer.

[flightlead404]

Originally Posted by Snore

Consider a pee jar/bucket, not glamorous, but easier than going below to relieve oneself.

For male sailors (sorry ladies fewer choices for you) consider an external catheter and a bag or an old juice bottle with a barbed fitting on it.

I use catheters when diving a dry suit, and with an old juice bottle when doing long solo flights.

The Rochester wide-band I find are the best (ofc I take double xl lol). You need to do a little manscaping and take them off in a hot shower, but way easier to use than a pee jar when the vessel is in motion and totally "hands free".

I use a quick disconnect fitting in the tube which is great except for the time time I flew across country in VIOLENT turbulence happily peeing without realizing the quick disconnect had, well, quickly disconnected

[Hydro]

AFAIK this does exist......



YMMV while in use though, maybe 2-6 inches?

[Overdue]

Originally Posted by flightlead404

That's because you're a shallow water recreational diver without the proper training. As a deep water, mixed gas, technical diver trained and equipped for self-rescue (and wearing all black!) solo SCUBA is safer.

Did you intend to type "safer", or maybe "safe"?



I don't see how any type of solo SCUBA and ever be "safer" than a dive with a buddy or group?


If you experience a significant health event (heart attack, etc.), hopefully your buddy will recognize a problem and get you quickly and safely to the surface. Solo, you might be too impaired to help yourself.

[ChrisJHC]

As a very frequent diver in my early days, I always dived (and still dive) with a buddy.

I will observe, however, that every issue I’ve encountered underwater has been caused by either my buddy or someone else.
(In case my wife sees this I’d better say that she’s never been the cause - only when I’ve dived with a random buddy assigned on the way to the dive site )

Maybe I’ve just been lucky.

[flightlead404]

Originally Posted by Overdue

Did you intend to type "safer", or maybe "safe"?



I don't see how any type of solo SCUBA and ever be "safer" than a dive with a buddy or group?


If you experience a significant health event (heart attack, etc.), hopefully your buddy will recognize a problem and get you quickly and safely to the surface. Solo, you might be too impaired to help yourself.

Safer, not safe. Nothing is safe. Safe is a fantasy. And also very boring.

Its safer because of one simple thing, those other divers present danger to me when they go OOA etc.

The only time I skipped deco (only 6 mins, but still) was because of an OOA recreational diver.

Yes, there's a slight chance of that sort of event (heart attack/stroke). My likelihood is very low. Blood pressure right on the numbers, resting pulse well below 60 bpm etc but yes could happen. Could happen while flying a plane, having sex, walking up stairs, sitting on the couch etc too. I honestly doubt whether having a group of divers around me increases survival rates much or at all, and coupled with the likelihood (likelihood and impact are both parts of the risk equation), of negligible benefit to me.

and I love the peace and serenity of solo diving. I love gliding along the wreck/reef, by myself, in that blueish twilight, enjoying the equivalent of a 5 martini lunch at 140-180', communing with the tarpon.

[flightlead404]

Originally Posted by Hydro

AFAIK this does exist......



YMMV while in use though, maybe 2-6 inches?

it still takes hands to operate that, which are better used for hanging on, steering etc.

For ladies there are "stick on" versions of that. I'm not qualified to comment on them but find a lady that dives a drysuit for that info.