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Old 09-01-2010, 11:00 AM   #61
Joshua R.
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Re: Who dives alone?

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I just started freediving this summer, and have not yet had the pleasure of diving with a buddy. I don't feel I'm competent enough yet to hang with an experienced guy without really cramping his style and I don't want to be a drag. On top of that, I work long hours and have a family so I can't be very flexible when it comes to when I can be in the water, and that isn't condusive to buddy diving.

So I'm just taking it easy, and not pushing myself too hard and using as little weight as I can get away with. Each dive I feel a little more comfortable and go a little deeper for a little longer, but I know I'm still far from pushing my safe limits.
Don't assume that because someone is better than you that they wouldn't want to dive with you. Some of my best diving is when I'm just helping someone else improve their skills. Maybe because my own motives are on hold or maybe because I'm reminded of the basics, but I believe we should never be too experienced to dive with a newbee. I may be too busy but that's another story. There's no substitute for instruction.
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Old 09-01-2010, 11:38 AM   #62
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Re: Who dives alone?

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It might have been said, diving with two is safer, no matter what happens. Diving alone lessens my breath holds. Even if my buddy is 400 yards away it still is safer and makes me more comfortable.
how is that safer than being alone?? 400 yards??? That's four football fields!!!! If you black out, you're on your own....

All you solo divers... you might want to check this thread out.....

http://www.spearboard.com/showthread.php?t=111261

Dive with a buddy, direct supervision and stay alive...

Last edited by flamencoguru; 09-01-2010 at 12:03 PM.
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Old 09-01-2010, 12:00 PM   #63
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Re: Who dives alone?

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`is that safer than being alone?? If you black out, you're on your own....
I've hesitated to get into this thread since its been done so many times before and I always say the same thing, but from my point of view there is a value in having a buddy a hundred yards away here in CA, and it probably applies in other locales too.

Sure, if I black out on a dive, then my buddy can't help if he isn't right on top of me, but there are situations in which I am more likely to black out than others. The danger is minimized when I am hunting, because I am careful not to push my limits. Sure, the unforeseen can happen, but I'm willing to live with my odds.

But after I shoot a fish and it wraps line all through the kelp bed before tying up on the bottom, then that is when I may have to push my limits, and then I can call my buddy over to back me up. I feel like I'm in much greater danger then.

So for me its not all or nothing. I do like to have another guy with me, even though we are not close enough to help each other most of the time. But after I shoot a fish, I expect him to interrupt his hunting and come help me if I ask him to.

To illustrate, a few weeks ago I was diving in 55 feet of water with Blaine Morgan, and shot two fish- 42 pounds and 52 pounds. Both of them took most of my float line before I managed to stop them. I fully expected them to be on the bottom, and that would have been a challenge for me. When I shot the fish, I called to Blaine that I was on, and he responded by asking if I needed help. I said something like "not yet but I'll let you know." As luck would have it, after I did several dives following the float line through the kelp, I found each fish at no deeper than 30 feet, so I didn't need help after all. But it was comforting to know that Blaine was available if I needed him. Fifty five feet is a piece of cake for him, and it was good to know he was there and willing to help if necessary. If I had been alone, it would have been different.
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Old 09-01-2010, 01:07 PM   #64
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Re: Who dives alone?

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Originally Posted by Bill McIntyre View Post

But after I shoot a fish and it wraps line all through the kelp bed before tying up on the bottom, then that is when I may have to push my limits, and then I can call my buddy over to back me up. I feel like I'm in much greater danger then.
I definitely appreciate this wisdom from the fabled Bill McIntyre, and i think it brings up an interesting point in skill levels between dive buddies. For the north coast often i find my buddy wants to head out deeper and farther out from shore than i do. For a bluewater dive in so cal it is probably less important than the shore diving that is necessary in nor cal.

It is nice to feel like you don't have to push yourself or owe it to your buddy to stay out longer when you'd rather head in. We're all competitive people here i think and i'd be willing to bet it is a danger in the buddy situation more often than we admit.
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Old 09-02-2010, 11:42 PM   #65
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Re: Who dives alone?

I was just reminded of another reason why I don't dive alone.

I want to go tomorrow, but can't find anyone to go along. I told my wife I just might go alone and she went ballistic. She thinks I'm too old. Since I put her though 20 years in the Marine Corp wondering if I was coming home, I guess I owe her one.

And then there is another problem. I got a call from a guy saying he could almost guarantee me big schools of white sea bass and some yellowtail tomorrow. The only catch was that I would have to drive to Santa Barbara.

I really did think about it for a couple of minutes. Then I got real and thought about a 4 hour drive each way in normal conditions, but God knows how long on the Labor Day Friday, with a bit of diving in between trips. I decided my wife was right. I am too old.

I don't deserve a fish. I'm too old.
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Old 09-02-2010, 11:48 PM   #66
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Re: Who dives alone?

When and where do u want me bill, i am free and diving solo tomorrow.
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Old 09-02-2010, 11:54 PM   #67
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Re: Who dives alone?

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Originally Posted by Bill McIntyre View Post
I've hesitated to get into this thread since its been done so many times before and I always say the same thing, but from my point of view there is a value in having a buddy a hundred yards away here in CA, and it probably applies in other locales too.

Sure, if I black out on a dive, then my buddy can't help if he isn't right on top of me, but there are situations in which I am more likely to black out than others. The danger is minimized when I am hunting, because I am careful not to push my limits. Sure, the unforeseen can happen, but I'm willing to live with my odds.

But after I shoot a fish and it wraps line all through the kelp bed before tying up on the bottom, then that is when I may have to push my limits, and then I can call my buddy over to back me up. I feel like I'm in much greater danger then.

So for me its not all or nothing. I do like to have another guy with me, even though we are not close enough to help each other most of the time. But after I shoot a fish, I expect him to interrupt his hunting and come help me if I ask him to.

To illustrate, a few weeks ago I was diving in 55 feet of water with Blaine Morgan, and shot two fish- 42 pounds and 52 pounds. Both of them took most of my float line before I managed to stop them. I fully expected them to be on the bottom, and that would have been a challenge for me. When I shot the fish, I called to Blaine that I was on, and he responded by asking if I needed help. I said something like "not yet but I'll let you know." As luck would have it, after I did several dives following the float line through the kelp, I found each fish at no deeper than 30 feet, so I didn't need help after all. But it was comforting to know that Blaine was available if I needed him. Fifty five feet is a piece of cake for him, and it was good to know he was there and willing to help if necessary. If I had been alone, it would have been different.
+ 1 i dont feel like we need to push our limits hunting fish, it getting them out. just knowing ur buddy is on top watching u retrieve does wonders. I like helping get a fish out for my buddies and they enjoy helping me with mine. Even if u didnt shoot the fish u feel much more apart of the hunt lending a hand or just spotting.
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Old 09-03-2010, 12:04 AM   #68
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Re: Who dives alone?

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When and where do u want me bill, i am free and diving solo tomorrow.
But you are in Ventura, and the diving up there is probably much better than down here. I should drive to you instead of you driving to me, but then I'm not man enough.

But if you are serious, I guess I shouldn't argue with you. Think about it, and then maybe 0830 at Dana Point Harbor for a local coast trip. But if I were you, I wouldn't do it. I'll PM you my cell number. Call in the next 30 minutes or after 0630 for directions and details if you decide you want to do it. If you call in the morning, I guess you will already be on the road, but I can still tell you how to get there.
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Old 09-03-2010, 12:20 AM   #69
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Re: Who dives alone?

Whoopee, I'm going diving.

I have room for one more if I know you. Send a PM. We meet at 0830.
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Old 09-03-2010, 09:44 AM   #70
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Re: Who dives alone?

+1 on the diving alone. Love the no hassle do things your way and no hand baby sitting anyone. The solitude and piece is great. You cant always find a buddy when you want to go. I think that if you have the mentality that you are diving alone (even if diving with a buddy) you take less risk and are more cautious as you know there is no one but you to get you out of a mess. So you avoid getting in one to begin with.
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Old 09-03-2010, 03:08 PM   #71
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Re: Who dives alone?

I SCUBA dove almost exclusively for close to 20 years and probably dove alone maybe five times in all those years (and I dove 20-30 tanks a month for quite a few of those years).

Now that I (almost) exclusively free-dive, I find that 85% of my diving is alone. Its more out of necessity than desire, however, because I have a schedule that can be unpredictable and I can't join others at the last minute (the 11 pm call the night before saying "hey we're going to the islands tomorrow at 0630, wanna come?). But I also have a schedule (and live close enough to the water) where I can wrap up a conference call and decide to take the rest of the day off and be in the water in 30 minutes, which makes it hard to find someone to join me.

I'm comfortable in the water, and I don't mind diving solo at all most of the time. However, when I do dive solo, I don't dive very deep (max 30' of so) and I don't poke my torso into ledges and caves. I'm also very careful around thick kelp, and always surface well before I am totally out of air, just in case I get hung up (which has happened a number of times). I know I'm taking a chance, but what "fun" sport doesn't involve some risk? I don't motorcycle anymore....

Having a buddy when free-diving is not like having a buddy on SCUBA. You aren't sitting down at the bottom pointing to things and scratching notes on your little pad, etc. I find that when freediving with a buddy, it basically amounts to diving alone anyway (except in cases where you need help recovering a kill or lost equipment etc).

I find that when I dive with someone else, it becomes less about ME getting game and more about socializing and exploring, and if the other diver is less experienced, helping them get game, etc. Like others have mentioned, I come home less frustrated after a crappy day of diving when I've shared it with a buddy.

Spearfishing with a buddy reminds me a lot of going shooting or hunting with someone I don't know well. I'm always a bit sketchy about where they are pointing their gun, and whether they are as conscious of the lethality of the weapon in their hands as I am. That being said, when diving in poor viz with another diver and trying to stay close for safety reasons, I have inadvertently crossed directly in front of their loaded gun when coming up (and they were on the surface). I've come to the conclusion that trying to stay close while spearfishing in our local kelp forests is just asking for trouble for that reason. It also spooks all the fish (ever notice how often your best game is taken on the first drop into a new spot?)

Given a choice, I prefer to dive with a buddy, though - probably because I don't do it that often.

-Brent
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Old 09-07-2010, 01:11 AM   #72
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Re: Who dives alone?

I love spearfishing alone off the beach, ding for lobster, spearfishing out of my boat, etc... Diving alone might be dangerous but I would say far less dangerous than driving to the beach for those who know their limits and have survived long enough to know what they are doing. I dive for Yellowtail and White Sea Bass alone all the time. For me it is a great feeling of acomplishment doing it on my own. Also no opininated dive buddies to tell me where we should be going. Sorry friends... don't get me wrong I still like diving with my friends but at least half if not two thirds of my dives each year are alone. The only place in San Diego where I live I won't dive alone is at the Coronados and that is because currents out there can really move. I always dive up current of my boat when diving alone and tell someone where I'm going just in case. I also wear a float on my belt so I can be hands free.
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