What solo cert do you have, has it ever been turned down?

[Jim Lapenta]

If an instructor takes a student into open water and is not sure they can help if the instructor has a problem, why are they taking the person in to start with? Checkout dives are to verify that the student now has the skills and knowledge to dive independently of an instructor/dive pro with a buddy of equal skill and training.
If they don't think the student can do this immediately after the class, they should not be issuing a card. If they are abiding by RSTC guidelines.
Some agencies - NAUI, SDI, SEI, PDIC use a variation of the loved one principle to issue a card.
I ask myself two questions before I certify any student.
1. Would I dive with this person and be assured they could assist me with an issue?
2. Would I allow my loved ones to dive with them with no professional present and be assured they could assist them if they had an issue?
If I can't answer yes to both of those, that person does not get a card until we address why I feel that way.
We also do not go to open water if I think I'm going to have to be teaching them anything. The teaching part is, or should be, done as far as the basics of diving and enjoying it. I'll still be adding material as they experience the new environment, but buoyancy, trim, and even helping a buddy in the water should already be in their skill set and knowledge base.
If it isn't then there has been a failure somewhere along the line.
It's immoral, unethical, and taking unnecessarily risky to take someone into the water that you don't think you can rely on.
Why would you do this?
Why would you lie to them about being ready for a certification?
The instructor that feels their OW students can't help them, or anyone else is what this is really saying, must not have much faith in the program they are offering.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I agree about diving with students, definitely have dives with students that I feel solo (and might as well have been). I’ve also gone diving with certified friends as an instructor and some locations haven’t even bothered checking anyone’s cert after seeing mine (knowing they were with me). I imagine that many places wouldn’t stop me solo diving off just the instructor cert if there aren’t any local laws prohibiting solo dives.

Then why did you take them into open water? Hopefully, they didn't get a cert card if they were that bad.

 

[Doc Harry]

Some boats just don't allow solo divers. None of the dive operators in Florida have allowed me to dive solo (WPB, Key Largo). I usually dive solo in doubles and a dry suit.

So I always find a couple on the boat who are experienced divers. I pair up with them for a group of three. During our dive brief I let them know that I will separate from them once we reach the bottom, and I will go off solo. I meet them back at the mooring line for the ascent.

I stopped diving in Florida years ago. It's cheaper to take a vacation somewhere else, like Cozumel, and frankly southern Florida is really a terrible, expensive, congested place. No one outside of Florida has ever told me that I couldn't dive solo, or even asked for a solo card.

 

[TMHeimer]

Some boats just don't allow solo divers. None of the dive operators in Florida have allowed me to dive solo (WPB, Key Largo). I usually dive solo in doubles and a dry suit.

So I always find a couple on the boat who are experienced divers. I pair up with them for a group of three. During our dive brief I let them know that I will separate from them once we reach the bottom, and I will go off solo. I meet them back at the mooring line for the ascent.

I stopped diving in Florida years ago. It's cheaper to take a vacation somewhere else, like Cozumel, and frankly southern Florida is really a terrible, expensive, congested place. No one outside of Florida has ever told me that I couldn't dive solo, or even asked for a solo card.

You have solved the problem and let the dive op off the hook for liability since you didn't leave the boat solo. Only problem would be if no duo agreed to this, but so far for you that hasn't happened.

 

[MichaelMc]

Some boats just don't allow solo divers. None of the dive operators in Florida have allowed me to dive solo (WPB, Key Largo). I usually dive solo in doubles and a dry suit.

Doc, do you have a solo card that you showed the dive boats in Florida? I see you have full cave, but not sure if you have and showed the card they may want. Or if this was many years ago before solo and possibly the card were more accepted.

 

[Doc Harry]

Doc, do you have a solo card that you showed the dive boats in Florida? I see you have full cave, but not sure if you have and showed the card they may want. Or if this was many years ago before solo and possibly the card were more accepted.

I haven't been to Florida in 10 years or so.

I showed them my SDI Solo card, and no one would accept it. In fact, I got my SDI Solo through Horizon in Key Largo, and even they would not let me do reef dives solo. In doubles and a dry suit. LOL

 

[jlcnuke]

I haven't been to Florida in 10 years or so.

I showed them my SDI Solo card, and no one would accept it. In fact, I got my SDI Solo through Horizon in Key Largo, and even they would not let me do reef dives solo. In doubles and a dry suit. LOL

Things have changed a lot in the past 10 years regarding solo diving's acceptability. Here's a post from 2019 from someone that's dived solo with many operators out of the Keys, including Horizon:

In my experience, most will want you to hook up with an insta-buddy. With the solo cert and spare bottle, some, but not all will let you dive solo. I've dove solo with Horizon Divers, Quiessence, Conch Republic Divers, Captain's Corner, Rainbow Reef and Dive Duck Key.

The only place I've been able to rent a pony bottle was Conch Republic. Otherwise I bring my own. A 40 or 19 cubic foot bottle if I'm driving, or a 6 cubic foot bottle if I'm flying.

If you're not solo those certified, it might be worth it to take the class while you're in the Keys. Additionally you can pick up a small pony bottle for relatively cheap and ship it home or take the valve off and send it in your checked luggage

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Hi John,

Out of interest, what is your LA Co certification number? I certified 7 years later and am 002616
View attachment 646311

I just scanned the card, and cannot tell what number is there, if any. There is a number hand-written in the lower right corner of the front of the card, but I cannot tell if that's my number, or Roy France's instructor number. We had to "import" Roy from California to come up to Salem, Oregon to do the pool work and classroom work. Then he went to Newport, Oregon to give us our open water work under the Yaquina Bay Bridge.

SeaRat

 

[lowviz]

I showed them my SDI Solo card, and no one would accept it. ...//...

This is going to twist some knickers, but if I'm headed out on a boat with others (others with any or all levels of competence) then I need to be reassured that NONE of them will become my responsibility. Otherwise, I won't book a seat.

IMHO, to evaluate your own solo mindest, (not @Doc Harry) one should go to a secluded back bay and learn how to dive the high tides with nobody in sight. Nobody in earshot. No hope of a random passer-by. Zero chance of a first responder. You and you alone.

This is the essence of solo diving. A solo diver knows that there will NEVER be anyone who could possibly help in any way. On the other side of the coin, you will NEVER be responsible for anyone other than yourself.

 

[Manatee Diver]

I haven't been to Florida in 10 years or so.

I showed them my SDI Solo card, and no one would accept it. In fact, I got my SDI Solo through Horizon in Key Largo, and even they would not let me do reef dives solo. In doubles and a dry suit. LOL

I can attest the attitude has changed. There is a lot of, as long as you know what you are doing they don't even ask.