As long as there has been SCUBA gear there have been solo divers who strapped it on and went off to explore without the redundancy of a buddy and his gear.

It is not likely that SOLO SCUBA diving will go away any more than it is that solo sky diving, rock climbing, paragliding or any other sport will for that matter.

Each year solo divers represent a significant portion of those involved in dive accidents. This is in part to gear failure, contact with speeding boats and reasons that will never be known since nobody else was around.

A certification agency similar to PADI called Scuba Diving International offers a certification course for solo divers.

Nobody can stop you from diving solo, although diving with a dive buddy is universally recognized as the safest way to go.

You have twice the gear to rely on and a helper to help get you out of a jam.

If you do SCUBA dive solo consider taking a solo diver course.

They teach the basics of redundancy and self reliance including carrying a second tank with an independent regulator, extra dive lights, knife, surface warning devices such as inflatable markers, whistles, even spare masks.

For some solo scuba diving allows them the ultimate serenity and peace of interacting with the marine environment one to one. With the proper gear it can be done much safer with ultra redundancy.

If you are considering solo SCUBA diving it is important that you know the risks before going it alone.