Originally Posted by lottie
I wouldn't even pay attention to such a juvenile comment!! And I certainly would not elicit any further comment.
As for the subject at hand, I have been on many dive boats by myself. As several others have mentioned, you will be paired with an individual with whom you will not be familiar. It is very true that in that situation, you will be self-reliant. It is usually with a certain amount of reluctance that I approach this situation. For the boat, an apparent single, experienced diver (the gear is the first clue, and the way one sets up ones gear is another) is a fortuitous happenstance. They WILL pair you up with the most inexperienced diver on the boat. This keeps the inexperienced diver in the close observation of the more experienced diver, all the while limiting the bottom time of that experienced diver. This is all good for the dive operator. I have many stories along these lines.
My approach to these dives is/was to #1. Do a thorough dive brief. #2. Dive at the pace of the other diver. #3. Be very vigilant of the other diver. #4. Do very simple dives, with no penetration, if on a wreck. Limit the dive depth. #5. One of the things I would emphasise would be the establishment and the maintaining of buoyancy control. This single skill will tell you more about the comfort level and ability of a diver, more so than any logbook or tall-tale they may tell. This does really limit me as a diver, but the option is not to dive at all. What kind of choice is this?
So, do I still solo dive? On occasion. It is not something I actively pursue, but it does occur, and to be unprepared is to be placing one's name on the "has been" list.
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