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Diving Solo - Discussion

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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What's the difference between a buffalo and a bison?








You can't wash your hands in a buffalo

(sorry)
 
When I'm 75 and still shooting fish, I'll forgive you.

Good thoughts, the second time or not.
 
When I'm 75 and still shooting fish, I'll forgive you.

Good thoughts, the second time or not.
Whether I'm still shooting fish at 75 remains to be seen. I'll let you know around late February or early March when the white sea bass return in sufficient numbers.
 
Bill,
Some of the writers are talking about apnea (pure freediving) and others are writing about spearfishing.

Personally, I can't come close to my maximum depth without a buddy. I simply can't do it. Something back in my head says "no, no, no".
I only try it in Kona, where I know some pretty good freedivers/safety divers.
Spearfishing I never come close to my maximum depth because I'm too busy looking for or dealing with fish. But.......That's obviously where the danger comes in. Down for too long while waiting for or looking for...The other side of the issue is that I'd never get in the water up here (Alaska) if I waited for a buddy. I put a mask on for the first time in 1953, and have been diving since. Like Bill, I've lost friends to accidents. But I'm not going to give up because friends have died. I just try to keep in mind that safety doesn't come first; Its simply a part of everything we do.
 
I think many solo-divers- me included- only go alone because they don't have a choice.
It's solo, or not at all.
I'd love to have buddies. But no one around here wants to dive (at least not in our cold local lakes :p)

While I'm not technically "alone" when training at pools, the "lifeguards" there are so inattentive and unprofessional I'm 100% sure I'd be dead before they'd even notice I'm not coming up.
So I'm used to be solely responsible for myself, and the main reason why I never go anywhere close to my limits.

I know it's not foolproof, but I cannot imagine not diving at all because I can't find a buddy. :(
 
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Diving solo is not ideal. I've trained up buddies in the past just to watch them move away or quit diving- at least cold water diving. In all my years in the water I've never had an issue, but I've rescued others that have. Helping someone with a SWB always grabs your attention, but I never thought twice about it until I had kids. It's gotten to the point that I've barely been in the water in the past year- and I miss it. I've been wavering on picking up a FRVII just so I can start diving again with piece of mind. I know the vest was invented to replace a buddy, but when there's none around it seems to be the only alternative.

Still interested in any feedback as to how it works with a monofin.

Jon
 
Diving solo is not ideal. I've trained up buddies in the past just to watch them move away or quit diving- at least cold water diving. In all my years in the water I've never had an issue, but I've rescued others that have. Helping someone with a SWB always grabs your attention, but I never thought twice about it until I had kids. It's gotten to the point that I've barely been in the water in the past year- and I miss it. I've been wavering on picking up a FRVII just so I can start diving again with piece of mind. I know the vest was invented to replace a buddy, but when there's none around it seems to be the only alternative.

Still interested in any feedback as to how it works with a monofin.

Jon
I haven't used a mono fin, but I don't see why it would matter. The vest is on your upper body, no matter what sort of fins you wear.
 
Thanks Bill,

I just ordered mine. Wondering what the timeline is for delivery?

Jon
 
I got mine is a few days, but that was over a year ago. I suppose it depends on order volume and stock.

BTW, I'm wearing mine in my avatar photo, but its hard to see behind the fish. I need to stand sideways next time.
 
I'm not going anywhere until next month and everything around here is frozen solid at the moment- not sure if I would want to wear it free diving under the ice anyhow because it who shoot me up like a missile in the bottom of the ice. :banghead:

Any idea about annual service and where you send it when it needs to be done?
 
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I freedived allone for many years, [spearo, sea-sighting and fun], because in those times freediving, as sport, was not prezent in my country in any form [not even media]. When freediving school appeared in my country, I was allready able to go to 20m in CWT [not knowing that is freediving what I was doing]. Of course I was allone on those dives and with no logistic what so ever. After me and my buddyes took initiative and FREEDIVING ROMANIA was born, I took courses untill 3*. I want you to trust me that now I don't feel so good diving allone [in general] and for shure I will never dive allone bellow 10-15m, although I know I can do 20m with no effort.
Is the knowledge that stops me. Now I know....and I-m affraid. And beeing affraid make me happy....
Perhaps some of you think that I'm a sissy beeing affraid, but nothing worth dying. I cannot free dive when I'm dead; I cannot eat fish when I-m dead; I cannot love my wife when I-m dead and most of all I cannot chat here with you when I,m dead....and this make me very unconfortable :))
 
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interesting i just spent a lot of time reading and no one has really offered much help in how to not freedive alone.
Well here is what i did. I got a girlfriend first i had to teach her to swim then i had to teach her to freedive then i had to teach her to spear fish. Problem solved!! 1 speargun 2 people 1up 1 down perfect safety!!
 
if i have to do shrek steps now, my wife will definitly kill me :D
and as far I can tell, she and the water don't mix well :p
but...there'll be allways some other ...... alternatives ;))
 
I thank you guys for the stimulating discussion.

Good luck in your quest.

I was about to post a murky cold water Dive buddy wanted add, when I stumbled into this discussion. I find myself in the same dilemma when I want to do a shore dive for the sake of going for a swim. After having a baby cant relax unless I know I have a buddy and he is watching my dive.

Im in the same boat, most people want clear warm fishy water. The thought of jumping in cold murky water turns most in land lubbers.

As I type this, I cancelled my plans because my buddy decided to stay in bed.

Should have my frv 2 next week! Will still always buddy dive,with a float. Now!

Any one in South Fl that doesn't mind murky shore dives for the sake of getting wet, already know to many people that want to be on my boat wen its nice out and the fish are running.

Carry on.
 
This is an extremely touchy topic. I dive with out anyone except life guards that like to stand there...

We have to realize that for some of us a buddy isn't right around the corner, or the city, or the county. You also have to remember that some people are scared to reach out because of social disorders, anxiety or depression. I've been hunting for a dive buddy up here persistently and relentlessly with no positive results. The closest I got was sending an email with no reply.... Diving unsafe feels a lot less dangerous when you can't find anybody. And for some people (myself included) the world is a noisy chaotic mess and the only way to escape that is to go deeper into the blue, were it's quite, peaceful, pure and best of all in the moment. The farthest you think ahead when your underwater is what will I see down there and how satisfying with that breath feel when I brake the surface.

Not all of us have the chance to make friends and find dive buddies, that's why every night while I think I hope that no one takes the safety, fun and friendship of there dive buddy for granted.
 
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