Certification question

[victorzamora]

The SDI solo course makes it clear - no overhead, virtual or physical.

Oh lord, PLEASE don't start this again. A thread went like 1000 posts on this topic. SDI's course is four recreational divers. Once you get to the Tech level, it's up to you to decide whether you'll do a dive solo or in a group, but ANY dive you do you should be able to complete alone.

 

[doctormike]

Oh lord, PLEASE don't start this again. A thread went like 1000 posts on this topic. SDI's course is four recreational divers. Once you get to the Tech level, it's up to you to decide whether you'll do a dive solo or in a group, but ANY dive you do you should be able to complete alone.

Yup, I know.

The OP was asking about solo certs and tech certs and their overlap. Those are the two types of cert that we were discussing.

One of the other posters said that solo deco diving was OK, so I just figured I would point out that solo diving (at least in the SDI curriculum) does not include deco. Was that wrong?

Since we love to parse semantics here on scuba board, I guess you could say that the distinction is between solo deco diving and deco solo diving. The former would be a solo trained rec diver going beyond his or her training, and the latter would be a tech diver diving planning a dive without a buddy.



Mike

 

[Kharon]

... and going into deco is ok if planned (with adequate reserves).

Not according to the SDI course. They strongly recommend against solo when diving 1. staged deco, 2. penetration (any overhead that prevents direct ascent to surface), and 3. pinnacle. (Page 19-20 of the SDI Solo Diving Manual).

 

[victorzamora]

Yup, I know.

The OP was asking about solo certs and tech certs and their overlap. Those are the two types of cert that we were discussing.

One of the other posters said that solo deco diving was OK, so I just figured I would point out that solo diving (at least in the SDI curriculum) does not include deco. Was that wrong?

Not wrong at all, I just didn't want it to go that route (again). The overlap is hugely important. The way I see it, Tech trumps Rec and SDI Solo is rec. Tech teaches you solo principles, solo doesn't teach you tech principles.

Since we love to parse semantics here on scuba board, I guess you could say that the distinction is between solo deco diving and deco solo diving. The former would be a solo trained rec diver going beyond his or her training, and the latter would be a tech diver diving planning a dive without a buddy.



Mike

I don't know if that was sarcasm or not, but I REALLY like that differentiation. If a solo diver enters deco, that's bad. If a deco diver dives solo, that's fine. A Tech-trained diver is what it takes to make that decision.

 

[doctormike]

I don't know if that was sarcasm or not, but I REALLY like that differentiation. If a solo diver enters deco, that's bad. If a deco diver dives solo, that's fine. A Tech-trained diver is what it takes to make that decision.

Not sarcastic at all! I LOVE parsing language... did you participate in the wireless AI thread a while ago? I ended up writing a poem about an SPG....



Yes, I think that is the exact thing that we were talking about...

Having taken the SDI solo course, and in the process of taking a tech course, I totally agree with you. It's not that solo is "tech light", it's just that it separates one piece of tech training out as a skill that is useful at recreational depths. Basically, tech requires redundancy and self reliance, and so does solo. Therefore, I can't imagine anyone saying that someone with tech training couldn't safely dive solo.

But for many people who don't want to do virtual or physical overhead dives, solo is all that they need. Over the past year, I have had a lot of wonderful solo dives, both in the Caribbean and in our local quarry. As a photographer (especially with a macro lens), it is SO nice to just focus on what I am doing and not to be constantly worrying about where my buddy is, and whether or not she is bored. Yes, I'm doing the tech training, but even if I wasn't, I would still be happy to have done the solo course...

 

[Aqua-Andy]

Not sure what all the argument is about? This is a very easy question to answer. All you have to do is on the day that you are diving is find the person who has the most to loose if you come up dead. That person is the only one that can answer the question you are asking, anything else is speculation. Because that person is making the decision it could vary by what there lawyer has suggested they allow or if they got some from there old lady that morning. Some will accept tech training as a solo cert some will not. Some will accept a PADI self reliant diver card as a solo card some will not because nowhere in the course does it come out and say it is a solo diver course. PADI may imply solo diving but it does not come out and say it so it leads to interpretation of what you may think it means. The only cert to date that certifies a diver to dive solo is the SDI "SOLO" course and resulting card. And even if you have a solo card you still fall under the decision of the "one that has the most to loose" if you come up dead, because that is the person the lawyers for the diseased will be sticking there fangs into. The only way you will know for sure if you can dive solo or not is to call ahead of time and ask.

 

[Stoo]

I got a solo card because I was going on a liveaboard and they required one if I was to be allowed to dive alone. I didn't expect Mrs. Stoo to do five dives a day (wrong.).

I more or less "acquired" mine, but the standards really are pretty minimal. I had logged about 2500 solo dives that exceeded 100' at that point. If you are tricked out for tech already, you pretty much have the gear, so all that's required is the attitude. And you can't learn that from a book.

My version of a Solo Course would be like this:

(1) Buy (and wear) a lot of gear so that no matter what breaks, you have another one with you.
(2) Be experienced enough that you have had the joy of surviving a couple of "Come to Jesus" events with a buddy, and you feel ready to enjoy them on your own.
(3) Recognize that whatever goes wrong, nobody is there to help you, so you'd best be able to fix the problem quickly and properly.

The end.

All the deco stuff above is fine, but it applies equally to team diving or solo. Deco is deco. Whether you do it with someone or alone is neither here nor there... either way you need to do it "good". And refer to (3) above.