Since I had such a strong opinion against solo diving. I went out and did some. It was a shore dive out on eastern Long Island. I have to say I've developed a mixed bag of feelings towards it.

PRO's
I did a better job of my equipment check. Very liberating I have to admit. I just went down to the water got ready and dove. No B.S. involved. You get to concentrate on the dive itself without the distractions of a buddy. Felt I explored and absorbed more in a short period of time.

Con's
It was lonely. I like my diving as a social venue. Underwater is where I decompress from work and sharing the dive helps the mental offgassing. Tried a couple of things that I have helped other divers with and things they have helped me with underwater. I was not convinced I would be as safe if someone else was there.

My opinion... Don't do it unless your trained. There were small things I could not do That I should have been able to do.

Dive Safe
Les

Dive Specifics 20-25 FSW Mild current / Non Tidal dive
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Went out to Sound Beach this weekend took in a little Shore Diving. The water was a toasty 54 deg. and the vis 10'. I know it's not Belize or Grand Cay man, but it was nice to get out. Most of our shore dives fall in the 15-25' fsw range, and the vis o-20'. I was very surprised to see any vis after last weeks monsoons, but the North Shore on the eastern portion of the island wasn't bad.
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After reading your thread about the thre trigger fish on a spear, I started looking into it.
If they were grey trigger fish they are a gamefish. The NYSDEC actually classifies them in the fishing regs. I have never seen them caught or speared up here, but they are edible. Supposedly quite tasty.


See you on the bottom
Les
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Hey Brian,
I'm going to put together a dive for those sites soon. I am working on a dry suit, but don't have it yet. The coldest temp I have dove wet in is 56 deg at Dutch. Right now the temp out there is 49 deg F. That might be pushing it.

Other then that these are nice sites. Both of them you can drive up to. What is truly unique is that the Jetty is a tidal dive so to be safe you can only dive at slack. Now roughly two miles east is the Culloden (IE: CUlloden Point) which is an anytime dive. The point does have a stairs and it is not little, but it is new. I think Culloden Point even has night dive potential.
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I spear for food Bryan. Born and raised on Long Island, the bays and Ocean are a food source for me.
I eat fish so the harvesting is a part of that responsibility. It was also literally impossible to find out where fish for sale in the market came from. I know where it comes from when I get it myself. There is also no by-catch and no weights or hooks left behind. I take only what I eat.
Think about this... Every comercially caught fish you eat has a by-catch cost. A can of tuna may have cost a Shark, or Swordfish, or a Marlin. Nets have no concious and no selective powers. I couldn't support that kind of harvesting.

The only ornamentals I want to see on a spear are Lion Fish.

See you on the bottom
Les
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I went out to Montauk yesterday to do a dive recon. THe Misses and I took the LIRR with our bicycles to the point and really just went everywhere. I highly recommend it especially this time of year. "Very little traffic." Montauk is a great town too.

Anyway the diving. Two spots which are also listed in the Long Island shore divers book, Culloden Point, and the Montauk Jetties.

West Jettie: It was a little windy yesterday, but other then some floating seaweed you can see the clear water quality of Ocean water. I saw no signs of restricting scuba so this will be one place that is high on the list. BTW good parking and easy access. Keep in mind it is off season so a during the week dive would be bettter in season.

About two and a half miles a dirt road and a bluff to Culloden Point.
Culloden Point: A substantial stairs to the water. Culloden Point is on the Sound side of Montauk and a little sheltered from direct wind. Maybe it was just yesterday, but it could have rivaled a Florida dive site. The water was crystal clear. "I knew I should have brought my gear" A little rocky and off to it's own. I can't wait to dive it.

For people like me where time away is the problem local diving is the way to go.

See you on the bottom.
Les
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If there is one thing to be learned from this thread, it's there are as many opinions on this subject as there are divers.

Dive safe
Les
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I was thinking about diving the HMS Culloden off of Montauk. I heard there really is not much to see due to burning in 1781. Even so, this wreck has been tagged as an underwater heritage site.

I read a little more and found out that after a mutiny in 1839 the Cuban Slave ship Amistad landed near Culloden point and was taken over by the US Navy. What was interesting about this was the salvor rights. There were two NY men who claimed it was only about 500 feet off shore, and NY property. In the court records it said the ships deck was strewn with cargo and bodies. This tells me that more then a few things went over the side. Would I be within in my rights to keep artifacts from the Amistad if I should find any since they are not part of the HMS Culloden, and not listed as part of a NY heritage site.

Les
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Hi Avra,
Don't waste your money on the book. It was a book on diving edicate. Be on time, check your gear before you get there, don't be a slob on the boat etc etc....

One of the big complaints I read about the buddy system in previous threads was buddy pairing. Solo diving was offered as a solution. I think what you are intending to use the course for is a very good idea. I am under the impression that most who will take the course will be to solo dive.

Military divers prepare countless hours for solo missions. They also have physical fitness standards. They are rigorous and at a certain point you get pulled out of the game no matter what. We still lose some highly trained sailors in dive related tragedies. I am skeptical that a weekend school will prepare anyone to successfully negotiate anything but minimal underwater problems alone.

Maybe because of my own reality check on a refresher dive when I took the BC and scuba unit off with a weight integrated BC. I was never felt so out of sorts in the water. It was an eye opener for me. Will someone who takes the solo course be required to prove the self rescue abilities years later? Are there any re-certification requirements?

The classic example happened to me on Friday afternoon at a local pub. I was wearing a LIDA shirt and a guy told me he was a dive master. He proceeds to tell me how he hasn't dove in 15 years. In my mind he may have been a dive master, but now he is not. We had a conversation and in his mind he was good to go diving. His cards may be good to go, but his training and skills are stale. Seems like a pandora's box to me to open up a lifetime qualification of Solo Diving for the general public.

I am not saying that you will fall behind Avra. You are my Shell answer man when it comes to diving. You train, read, take new classes and keep current. There are many divers, or self proclaimed divers that don't do any of that. Giving that group the Solo diving seal of approval seems irresponsible.
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The water is warming up and not only the Scuba diving season begins, but Long Islands fishing season starts heating up too. Spearfishing can be combined with Scuba or free diving for a challenging and sometimes very rewarding experience. The additional gear can be as elaborate as a $500 6' banded spear gun to a $30 Hawaiian sling. Spear fishing is a way to bond with mans primal past that required the use of hunter skills as a means of survival. A sustainable and ecologically responsible method of catching fish virtually eliminating by-catch.

Seminars to learn about this exciting form of fishing will start soon. For more general info on the sport, their Facebook page is Long Island Spearfishing
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I have way to much respect for the intellegence of Asian people to believe they would decimate
a species for the sake of tradition. Theses are educated people who need information to make an informed decision. Some of the top hotels in Hong Kong have taken S.F.S. off the menu already. I would think there would be more pressure over there then here to leave the issue alone.

People are people and traditions come and go with the Matriarchs and Patriarchs of the past.
Yes, even the Chinese abandon traditions. How many bound feet have you seen lately in a China travelogue?

We're talking about one tradition which is not sustainable, not and abandonment of Chinese culture. Lets put it into perspective.

Les
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I was thinking about the posts on this subject. It all kind of meshed with a book I recently read called the SCUBA snobs guide to diving edicate. The book itself was terrible, but it did explain a mindset that I think all people get when they advance in there pastime activities.

You put in your time, you have the training, you bought the equipment. The last thing you want to do is play nanny to a new diver. You my friends have out grown the open boat. It's time for you and other like experience & minded individuals to dive on a six pack. I went through a similar experience with fishing. I used to go on party boats, now only charters. Why? I don't want to deal with the annoyances of the inexperienced.

Oh the dive cattleboats....
There is no way that there isnt going to be an empty juice bag floating in the camera bath
with your pride and joy camera and flash. Expect it and wait for it. The mass regulator purge Pshht!, pshht! Pshht! Deck slobs where their diving gear is everywhere. It's the public, It's what they do.

IMHO Solo diving is not the answer. Like experienced & minded dive buddies who understand the space you need to make your undersea time enjoyable.
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I can appreciate the training aspect. You could end up by yourself and be in a bad situation.
According to DAN stats over 2005-2007 roughly 40% of diving fatalities were out of their buddies sight. So the only common thread was they were away from their buddy. Possibly this type of training would have saved some of them.

Dive safely
Les
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