| BACK |
If we assume that technical diving places us beyond the confinements and limitations of conventional scuba organisations, then we have to rethink our attitude toward this subject. First and foremost, every dive is a solo dive; throughout most of your dive, you will be out of touch with your buddy, and you (and only you) control what happens to yourself between getting in and out of the water.
Solo diving is frowned upon heavily by most sport diving bodies, but its very ethic is, most probably, the one which will get you out alive!
Firstly, you should NEVER have to rely on a buddy to save your ass. They can on occasion assist you out of an embarrassing situation, but should not be considered essential to your survival.
You should be able to get yourself out of any situation through prior planning, and having practiced the necessary response.
Technical divers have, for years, practiced solo diving. They habitually use, at least, two separate breathing systems; two cylinders; two regulators; two contents gauges; two masks, and two forms of cutting equipment. In short, the diver should carry two of everything, where the loss of one would prove fatal. When diving solo, the rule of 'thirds' has never been more appropriate (see rule of thirds and redundancy).
| BACK |