From the June, 2008 issue of Scuba Diving Magazine. An experienced diver goes solo on a seemingly easy dive--and disappears without a trace.

Captain Rick had always found solo dive plans unnerving, and his sense of foreboding meant that he rarely ever approved them. But Joe was an experienced instructor who had proved himself a capable, conscientious diver, and Rick agreed to let him go alone for a night dive on the shallow reef near the live-aboard's anchorage. Joe was one hour overdue as Rick turned on all the lights and scanned the water surrounding the large dive boat. The crew frantically rushed to deploy the small chase boat for a search mission that ran until daybreak, but no sign of Joe was ever found.

The Diver

Joe was an active instructor and diver on a live-aboard at a popular, but remote, tropical dive destination. By all accounts, he was in good health, and he exhibited excellent water skills and sound judgment throughout the trip, until the end.

The Dive

With these attributes in mind, Rick reluctantly approved Joe's plan for a solo dive just after twilight. Joe wanted to check out the nocturnal marine life and photo potential on a shallow reef very close to the boat's anchorage point, and it was a perfect night for just such a dive. The seas were flat-calm, there was no detectable current and the moon was full in the cloudless sky. Joe suited up in his normal scuba gear and slipped quietly off the stern of the boat. He carefully checked his gear, took his camera from the mate and immediately submerged, swimming off toward the nearby reef. The remaining divers also entered the water, but they followed one of the boat's dive guides to a different part of the reef.

The Accident

About 45 minutes after entering the water, the group of divers returned to the boat as scheduled. At first, there was no concern. Joe's water skills and air consumption were excellent. Another half hour passed before the crew grew concerned. One of the deckhands grabbed a pair of binoculars and mounted the highest point of the vessel, searching in the direction of Joe's planned dive. Failing to see any sign of Joe, the crew began searching all around the boat. An hour after Joe was supposed to return, the captain dispatched a small chase vessel to search the area. Clouds started rolling in, obscuring the moonlit sky and making the search more difficult. The captain ordered all of the lights on the vessel turned on so Joe could see the boat if he was on the surface. As dawn broke, the crew realized there was a chance they'd never find Joe. The area where he went missing was remote. An extensive search was conducted for two days, but Joe's body was never recovered.

Analysis

Solo diving is a controversial activity. Statistics from the United Kingdom indicate that solo divers make up a disproportionate percentage of the diving accidents that occur in the UK. This is certainly not a conclusive condemnation of solo diving, but it does point out the need for added experience, additional safety procedures and equipment, and cautious dive planning. One thing is universally obvious: A diver who experiences routine problems on a solo dive lacks access to the immediate assistance a competent dive buddy can provide. Relatively minor incidents such as cramps or excessive fatigue can become major problems for a solo diver. Theoretically, catastrophic equipment failures are easily dealt with in either scenario because a buddy's octopus or the solo diver's redundant air source, if he or she carries one, would be available. Entanglement, entrapment and serious medical issues like heart or breathing problems can be life-threatening, even when diving with a buddy capable of helping the diver or calling for qualified assistance. If any of these happen while diving solo, the diver is almost assured of a less-than-favorable outcome.

At least one training agency (SDI) offers solo diving certifications. This course focuses on complete self-sufficiency and the use of several pieces of specialized equipment. Solo divers are required to have a redundant air source, such as a pony bottle with a separate regulator, SPG and enough air volume to make an ascent and safety stop from the planned dive depth. All solo divers must also carry signaling devices appropriate for the dive location: at a minimum, a large surface marker bag, a light and an audible signaling device (air-powered alerts are the loudest, but a quality emergency whistle is useful as well). Aside from his primary dive light and a simple whistle, Joe didn't have any of this equipment, and there is no indication that he was properly trained for solo diving. Proper training would have taught Joe to make a more conservative solo night dive plan, and to enter the water with at least three light sources--including a strobe--a completely redundant breathing gas supply and a very large, technical-style surface marker bag. Unfortunately, we will never know what happened to Joe. The only person there to witness this disappearance was the victim, and he, obviously, cannot tell the story.

Lessons for Life

Don't even consider solo diving until you have sufficient experience--at least 100 logged dives in a variety of environments.

Never dive solo without proper training in self-sufficiency techniques and the use of all additional safety equipment.

When planning a solo dive, always bring the primary and redundant signaling devices necessary for the dive conditions, and always have a completely separate and redundant air source large enough for the planned dive.

Carefully weigh the risks and benefits of diving solo versus diving with a buddy for each diving situation before deciding to go it alone.