Solo Kit setup: the required, redundant, optional, and hell-no items

[Wibble]

Hunh? Where did that come from?

Was a common statement when I did the SDI solo diver "workshop". The practical component of this comprised of me having to demonstrate that I can solo dive with the instructor providing "problems". It was one of the most enjoyable training I've ever done with a load of challenges with entanglement, blindfolded, loosing kit (a fin "fell" off), masses of gas leakages (shutdowns, etc.), triaging problems (entanglement is less important than the air gunning/shutdown), doing a blindfolded ascent using an SMB with a stop at 5m/16ft, etc.

I did this course after my normoxic trimix (60m/200ft), so was nicely dived up and well practised.

The Solo Diver is a recreational certification, not technical, so doesn't cover decompression, etc.

As far as I am concerned, solo diving requires the tech diver's mentality; redundancy, planning, etc. Of course you can do the solo diver course as a recreational diver, but you must be competent in the water and especially with redundant gas switching.


The only time I've actually used the qualification is a few times in Wraysbury (lake beside Heathrow airport). None of the PADI community that I've encountered recognise it as such because the buddy system is so ingrained into their ethos.

 

[Allen-1]

The PADI "Self Reliant Diver" and the SDI "Solo Diver"

The PADI variant is for handling buddy separation. SDI is for planning and executing a solo dive.

At least one diving lake in the UK will only accept the SDI card to dive solo; the PADI SRD isn't accepted. You have to leave a page containing your information, where you're diving, your kit and your dive time. You must let them know when you're going in and when you've come out. It's restricted to open circuit only and, obviously, redundant gas.

That appears to be an "SDI-centric" position.

From the current PADI self-reliant diver course material, bolding added by me, (any typos mine):

The purpose of the Self-Reliant Diver Specialty course is to recognize and accept the role of the buddy system and its contributions to diver safety while identifying and developing self-reliance and independence while diving. There are two reasons for an experienced diver to take the Self-Reliant Diver Specialty Course:

To develop the skills of planning and carrying out dives without a partner when preferred or necessary.
To sharpen skills of diving self-reliance, making the diver stronger partner in a dive pair or team.

 

[Wibble]

That appears to be an "SDI-centric" position.

From the current PADI self-reliant diver course material, bolding added by me, (any typos mine):

The purpose of the Self-Reliant Diver Specialty course is to recognize and accept the role of the buddy system and its contributions to diver safety while identifying and developing self-reliance and independence while diving. There are two reasons for an experienced diver to take the Self-Reliant Diver Specialty Course:

To develop the skills of planning and carrying out dives without a partner when preferred or necessary.
To sharpen skills of diving self-reliance, making the diver stronger partner in a dive pair or team.

Good to see that PADI have changed their wording.

One hopes that it's taught by people who have plenty of experience with redundant equipment, i.e. technical diving instructors.

Most courses are about the instructors real-world experience being imparted on the trainee.

 

[tursiops]

My instructor accidentally gave me that manual, which was “this class is to help you become a better diver and buddy”.

??
There is no PADI manual for Self-Reliant Solo, then or now. I wonder what he gave you?

 

[stretchthepenn]

If you are interested in going solo, you should have already gone solo
and if you think you need to do a course to go solo you are not ready

A lot of people seem to agree with this post, but I strongly disagree. Here's why:

I took the solo-diver class (technically PADI's "self-reliant" class, but whatevs) because I knew I needed a course to dive solo safely and with confidence. I'd dived "solo" before, but only due to a) getting separated from my buddy but still being near the boat in benign conditions in shallow water, b) not having a buddy but staying reeeeally close to the boat and in quite-shallow water, or c) having the chance to bumble around a 20'-deep, unlimited-visibility spring.

Each experience made me nervous, and they were far cries from the kind of solo diving that was available to me -- cold and deep, in a dark quarry with often-limited-viz -- but the class gave me the confidence and knowledge that yes, I could do this. I wouldn't have dared try the dives I soon accomplished without taking the solo-diver class.

You may gain more from venturing down the technical path than the solo cert. Solo / self reliant is really only good for dive ops that require it when you're with them on their boat or their destination. Every dive is a solo dive imo. Pony bottle or doubles is my standard and has been for years.

Get the solo cert to make the ops happy, get tech training to be a better diver.

For me, the solo-diver class served as an excellent stepping-stone on my way to technical training. It gave me good training and baseline knowledge that I later applied to my tech courses. Plus, the solo cert let me get a lot more dives under my belt and apply the "tech-lite" skills I learned before moving on to the real tech-diving realm.

Could I have done Tec40 or AN/DP without earning the solo-diver certification first? Yes. But did getting the solo cert first make the tech-training experience easier? Yes, in a big way.

 

[Cthippo]

A lot of people seem to agree with this post, but I strongly disagree. Here's why:

I took the solo-diver class (technically PADI's "self-reliant" class, but whatevs) because I knew I needed a course to dive solo safely and with confidence. I'd dived "solo" before, but only due to a) getting separated from my buddy but still being near the boat in benign conditions in shallow water, b) not having a buddy but staying reeeeally close to the boat and in quite-shallow water, or c) having the chance to bumble around a 20'-deep, unlimited-visibility spring.

Each experience made me nervous, and they were far cries from the kind of solo diving that was available to me -- cold and deep, in a dark quarry with often-limited-viz -- but the class gave me the confidence and knowledge that yes, I could do this. I wouldn't have dared try the dives I soon accomplished without taking the solo-diver class.


For me, the solo-diver class served as an excellent stepping-stone on my way to technical training. It gave me good training and baseline knowledge that I later applied to my tech courses. Plus, the solo cert let me get a lot more dives under my belt and apply the "tech-lite" skills I learned before moving on to the real tech-diving realm.

Could I have done Tec40 or AN/DP without earning the solo-diver certification first? Yes. But did getting the solo cert first make the tech-training experience easier? Yes, in a big way.

What specific knowledge, skills and abilities do you feel you got from the solo / self reliant class that you did not have before?

 

[RIHappyDiver]

??
There is no PADI manual for Self-Reliant Solo, then or now. I wonder what he gave you?

Must have been the instructor’s manual. But I ended up with 2 versions, differences as mentioned above.

Erik

 

[tursiops]

Hopefully to clarify some points made earlier:

PADI Self-Reliant Diver Chronology

2nd Q.2011
Course announced. “Though the course reinforces the value and purpose of diving with a buddy, it provides training in self-reliance through technique and equipment redundancy to support experienced divers when diving without a partner. Dive leaders, photographers, videographers, tec divers and any experienced diver who dives without a designated buddy close at hand can benefit from this course.”

Instructor Manual Version 1.0 dated 01/11 gives two reasons for taking the course: “• To develop the skills of planning and carrying out dives without a partner when preferred or necessary; • To sharpen skills of diving self-reliance, making the diver a stronger partner in a dive pair or team.”

Student Prerequisites are: 1. Be certified as a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or have a qualifying certification from another training organization. 2. Have a minimum 100 logged dives. 3. Be 18 years of age or older. 4. Successfully complete a dive skills ssessment by a PADI Self-Reliant Diver Specialty

Instructor Prerequisites: • Be a Teaching status PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor; • Have certified at least 25 divers; • Be a PADI Self-Reliant Diver or PADI TecRec Diver, or have a qualifying certification from another training organization; • Have logged at least 20 self-reliant dives (dives using redundant equipment and following techniques of self-reliance)

Three OW dives required; max 100 ft. Dive 1 and 2 must be directly supervised; Dive 3 can be indirectly supervised.

3rd Q.2011:
Course-specific Diver Forms announced.

1st Q.2012:
Requirement for use of PADI Safe Technical Diving Practices Statement of Understanding

1st Q-2014: Divemaster Candidates allowed to start Self-Reliant course with only \60 dives but cannot be certiried until they have 100 dives.

3rd Q.2016: Dive One may be used as an Adventure Dive in the AOW course, if the instructor is a qualified Self-Reliant Instructor, and the student meets the requirements for taking the Self-Reliant class (age at least 18 and 100 logged dives).

4th Q.2017 New Printing of the Instructor Manual released, dated 10/17, but still called Version 1 even though it has been rewritten and reformatted. However, there were no changes in requirements or performance standards.
--------------------------------------------------------
There never was a student manual for this class. Some instructors used the SDI Solo manual, even through there was some disagreement between the two courses in their details. Some instructors simply passed out the Knowledge Review section of the Instructor Manual, which is a bit of a cop-out; plus, it was copyrighted material not intended just to be read.

 

[Wibble]

Instructor Prerequisites:
• Have logged at least 20 self-reliant dives (dives using redundant equipment and following techniques of self-reliance)

Eeek!

A novice in real terms. Unless they dropped a zero from that number.

Diving in really crappy conditions for which you, and only you, are responsible for the whole dive from planning, preparing, kitting up and executing the dive whilst being constantly vigilant for the unexpected. But more than that, it’s training and practising your skills to get you out of the crap when it happens, for it surely will happen and when you’re least expecting it.

Of course a diver diving in cold water with poor conditions would say that.

 

[stretchthepenn]

What specific knowledge, skills and abilities do you feel you got from the solo / self reliant class that you did not have before?

In no particular order other than as-they-come-to-mind:

• Good principles of redundancy. What counts, what doesn't, what's needed, what's not.
• Formal dive planning, including gas calculations. They hadn't been required in any of the courses I'd taken previously.
• Mindset. Solo (and later, technical) diving requires a different mental approach than buddy-pair recreational diving.
• Practice recording data on a slate.
• Practice deploying a DSMB.
• Ability to handle an emergency solo. And I actually had one; one of my second stages went bang! and fell off. (Thanks, LDS service-monkey.)
• Knowledge that diving solo isn't an automatic disaster.
• Increased self-confidence.