Solo Diving in FL State Parks

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Originally Posted by Puttzer

How many times have we had a problem that our buddy helped us out?

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And how many times did a buddy talk someone into a dive they clearly weren't trained or ready for that ended in a fatality? I can think of a couple off the top of my head.

Has solo diving always been prohibited in State Parks? I want to say that when I first started cave diving solo diving was permitted at Peacock, but I'm not certain of that. If solo diving was allowed there previously, does anyone know the circumstances that occurred to change that policy? Bill mentioned a specific incident. Does anyone have more details about it? What? When? How long after the incident rules were changed?

Brian

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Originally Posted by FW

Also could be she knows you better than anyone else :-D

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Haha, I guess. Even though solo diving is probably one of the safest recreational activities I partake in, lol

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Originally Posted by floridakid

. . . And unfortunately, that is the attitude of the general public toward solo diving.

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The way I figure it, the state already allows "cave diving."

Don't know about you, but my family still drives me crazy for doing it + everyone you meet knows, "It's the most dangerous sport on the face of the earth," or something to that effect.

Here's my point: The state already allows "the most dangerous sport" in its parks. So, solo diving might be viewed, depending on how it's presented, as just a matter of degree, if you follow that logic.

I'm wondering, with all the solo divers, agencies certifying solo divers, apparently no bad statistics on solo diving, etc., whether or not the time is right to ask the park service, or whomever is in charge of these things, to take a fresh look at this topic?

The worst that could happen is that they say "No." But, just imagine if they said "Yes."

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Originally Posted by Benthic

I want to say that when I first started cave diving solo diving was permitted at Peacock, but I'm not certain of that.

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The first time I went there, in 1996, the current "No Solo Diving" sign was there.

Edit: it might say, "Solo Diving Prohibited."

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

The first time I went there, in 1996, the current "No Solo Diving" sign was there.

Edit: it might say, "Solo Diving Prohibited."

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That's about the time I started cave diving too, so I guess I'm wrong about solo diving at Peacock. Maybe I'm confusing "solo" and "scooter".

Brian

Yes, I believe scooters were allowed then.

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Originally Posted by w ripley

Don't know about you, but my family still drives me crazy for doing it + everyone you meet knows, "It's the most dangerous sport on the face of the earth," or something to that effect.

Here's my point: The state already allows "the most dangerous sport" in its parks. So, solo diving might be viewed, depending on how it's presented, as just a matter of degree, if you follow that logic.

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I would argue that solo diving is much safer than team diving. How many times have you been endangered by an action of a so called "buddy?" I have personally lost track.

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Originally Posted by Benthic

That's about the time I started cave diving too, so I guess I'm wrong about solo diving at Peacock. Maybe I'm confusing "solo" and "scooter".

Brian

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No from what i was told there was a time you could solo dive and the solo prohibition was a direct result of a solo diver who got lost in the Olsen area if i remember correctly, i will ask my source this weekend as he was actually there at the time (im thinking 80s or early 90s). Bill

It was an incident in 1990. The diver (Darden Davis) was in my full cave class in 1988. This document takes a while to download. You can read about the incident on page 29.

http://digital.lib.usf.edu:8080/fedo...3/DOCUMENT_PDF