So who're the Solo Divers out there and did you learn anything useful / extra?

[Progen]

Just got my SDI Solo Diver certification today and like a lot of those who have gone for it, most of it was spent demonstrating what every diver should learn / already know, solo diver or not.

I had to :-

• Inform boat crew of my planned direction / rendezvous point, bottom time and what to do should I deploy the yellow SMB especially if a message is accompanied
• Switch to the redundant air supply (we used a 40cf sidemounted tank for that)
• Deploy SMB from depth
• Ascend and maintain safety stop without mask
• Swim a few hundred metres on the surface (I was made to swim almost to the jetty from the dive site to simulate being lost upon surfacing. All the work on the treadmill sure helped because I wasn't tired at all and could fin quite fast even with the Jetfins. )
• Perform a completely solo dive (instructor was on the boat following)
• Deploy SMB with message on slate requesting for help with possible low air situation approaching

How about the rest of you?

 

[RJP]

My buddy and I (ironic, right?) took the course together on a liveaboard trip. We each probably had 250+ solo dives to that point, were both DMs, and both had multiple advanced tech certifications. The instructor told us he really enjoyed doing the course with us... as he learned a lot.

:d

I think this was the only course I ever did "just to get the card."

 

[Kharon]

I'm with you - what every diver should know, what should be reflex for every diver. Ain't gonna happen, unfortunately. There are divers and there are people who strap on tanks.

 

[mala]

I'm with you - what every diver should know, what should be reflex for every diver. Ain't gonna happen, unfortunately. There are divers and there are people who strap on tanks.

yup..

 

[Laurie S.]

Don't have the card, I just dive solo.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

What's a solo card ???

I go to the shore, often nobody is there, or within miles of being there.
I put on my gear.
I dive.
I climb out of the water with a huge smile.
Still nobody on shore.
Throw my gear in the truck and drive home.
Since 1976.....

Did I really need a card for any of this??

(PS: I have nothing against "solo" training and cards, just remained puzzled about them :blinking: ).

Best wishes.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

Some places require them; which was the reason I got one.

 

[RJP]

(PS: I have nothing against "solo" training and cards, just remained puzzled about them :blinking: ).

Nice to be able to flash a card, grab an extra 40, and tell a liveaboard OP "I'll see you in an hour."

 

[drrich2]

I found the SDI Solo course useful. Having the cert. lets me dive our nearby quarry solo, and that alone is quite useful (in Kentucky). But the course also reinforced the mindfulness of risk assessment and mitigation, and specifically mitigating risks where a buddy might normally be present (e.g.: carrying an independent alternate air source, since you have no buddy).

And the gas usage calculations were something I hadn't run into before.

Regardless of how much even basic OW divers 'should' know (and that will be bickered over on the forum so long as ScubaBoard shall live), not all do, and the training is useful for many.

Richard.

 

[Steve_C]

You can hear things and sort of know things but that is different than internalizing something.

Took the course. Did I hear anything that I absolutely never had heard of before. Probably not. Did it impact on my diving. Yes. One example, after hearing and thinking about the fact that the most likely serious equipment problem is a lost mask, I quit carrying my spare mask in the dive bag back on the boat and now carry it on my pocket. As another example, I reassessed the need for redundant air, tossed out my spare air and replaced it with an AL19 pony which I actually use much more often than the I did the spare air. As another, I have become a bit more conservative on how much air before I start up. So there were a number of changes to my equipment and my diving practice as a result of the course. It was this talking and thinking that I found much more useful than any actual skill test.

In that sense the solo course was similar to the DM course. I did the skills but they were not what had an impact on my diving. it was the talking and responding to questions that lead to me to carefully assess what I did and why and come out with an improved diving style both by myself and with others. I did take both with the same insturctor. (SDI solo and PADI DM).

I might add that for me solo can happen at any time. I frequently have instabuddies. Possibly different ones on consecutive dives. Plus I like to be a self reliant buddy. I personally found that the course was worthwhile.