Many people confuse solo diving with divers who travel alone and still want to dive following the PADI standards and the buddy system.
However, both options exist and they are a reality that is increasing. That is the reason why we are going to review what these concepts mean and clarify their differences. Besides, we will offer some tips so that you know what will be waiting for you, whether you are one of those tempted by solo diving, or if you are a single diver.
“Nobody dives alone”, do you remember this sentence? They taught it to you when you learned the dive buddy system. But to be honest, we should recognize that there are people who dive alone. However, it is necessary to point out that most certifying agencies discourage the practice of solo diving and even many countries prohibit this practice. Even though, and because of the demand, some of them offer courses in this regard. Some examples are the PADI® Self Reliant Diver course or SDI SOLO DIVER course. Of course, only advanced divers and experts (more than 100 registered dives in the logbook are needed) can access these specialization courses.
Over time, the dive buddy system has become a standard whose main goal is to help each other in case of emergency. On the contrary, a solo diver will be completely alone under water which adds a level of difficulty and risk. Therefore, to practice solo diving, you need a plan that allows you to perform a total or partial dive without a dive buddy. That is why this type of divers learn about the risks of practicing “solo diving”, the precautions that have to be taken and the additional equipment necessary to do it successfully and safely. We do not know if you have ever thought about diving alone, but what we do know is that the people who have attended these courses agree that: Thanks to this knowledge they are better divers now.
Traveling alone has become an important tourist trend, which is impacting the diving world as well. More and more single divers decide to take a break from their daily lives to enjoy their diving trips. Notice that being a single diver does not mean they do not have a couple’s relationship. The truth is that a high percentage of single divers have a partner. They just take a scuba diving vacation by themselves or have a non-diving partner.
Diving is a sport that is usually practiced with other people. Each dive becomes a social event where you meet interesting people, with a common motivation and passion: diving. This is enough to make friends and even create strong ties. For this reason, in the great diving family, those members who travel without company claim they are rarely completely alone. Also, traveling alone makes single divers even more predisposed to socialize.
On the other hand, contrary to what might seem, the buddy system is a single diver’s great ally. There is no better way to make friends than to share the complicity and interdependence as two dive buddies do. Besides, the moment you come back to the surface, the conversation will be much more fluid. You will talk about those underwater animals you saw, you will try to identify their species and you will tell “war stories” in front of a fresh beer.
Finding an appropriate diving partner is not a problem either. Especially if you travel to destinations where Dressel Divers has a center. One of our quality standards is doing everything possible to find you a proper dive buddy. Not only will we try to find someone with a certification level similar yours, but also, we will look for somebody who speaks your language. If this were not possible among our guests, rest easy. Dressel Divers is a “PADI career development center” with an internship program for professionals running the whole year.
Our candidates are mostly Divemasters who want to become PADI Dive Instructors thanks to our internship program and they come from all over the world, from Canada or the United States, or places as far away as Spain, Belgium or Sweden and they all speak at least two languages. What does this mean? That any of our interning multilingual Divemaster will be happy to accompany you on your dives. Could you ask for a better dive buddy?
Please, check our diving destinations by clicking on the link.
But this is not the end of diving options for single divers. There’s even more.
Liveaboard diving cruises are one of the best ways for single divers to make new friends and dive buddies quickly. Moreover, these new friends and dive buddies often stick and book trips together in the future. What better way to meet other single divers and create lasting relationships than choosing a boat-based holiday, such as a Maldives or Red Sea Liveaboard. On board, you will be having breakfast and lunch with a group of 10 and 20 passengers, you will enjoy amazing excursions with many of them and you will spend the evenings eating under the stars, playing games or chilling out on the deck. Click on this other link if you are thinking of going on a liveaboard diving cruise.
It’s your turn. Have you ever practiced “solo diving”? Or do you often travel alone and love to dive? Feel free to write a comment and tell us your experience!
