Do You Consider Solo Diving to be Recreational or Technical?

[MauiScubaSteve]

Since the only certification for solo diving that I know of is SDI Solo Diver, not TDI Solo Diver ...

Do you feel that solo diving is recreational diving or technical diving?

Or perhaps a better question is ...

Do you consider YOUR solo diving to be recreational diving or technical diving?

the following was moved, ASAP, to Site Support, but is pertinent to these questions ...

ATTENTION - READ THIS FIRST

Solo Diving is replete with it's own hazards. As with any diving discipline, Solo Diving should never be taken on lightly, without proper training or just because you are too lazy to find a buddy. In fact many agencies frown on this practice, and some prohibit it out-right.

Still, there are many out there who practice this type of diving and so it's techniques and safety should be discussed in an open forum. As with all open forums, it is up to the individual diver to ascertain the validity of anything suggested within. There are many who would offer you their opinions and yet have never done a solo dive or are possibly unsafe divers. Only YOU have control over your destiny. Choose who you listen to wisely.

This is a no-troll zone! The discussion is not to be centered around whether to do a solo dive, but in the techniques and strategies involved. Do not participate if you have already decided that solo diving is not for you! Thanks in advance.​

That was posted August 4th, 2004, in the Solo Divers sub-forum, as the "sticky" titled ...

"ATTENTION - READ THIS FIRST"

Was 2004 when Solo Diver first became an SDI certification?

According to the "Wikipedia histories" - IAND was formed in '85, as a "recreational" nitrox agency. Then it merged with EATD, in '91 or '92, becoming IANTD. Then in '93 TDI "splintered off" from IANTD, and in '99 SDI was formed as the "recreational diving" sister of TDI.

One of SDI’s most popular courses, the solo diver program teaches experienced recreational divers how to safely dive independently of a dive buddy or strengthen your buddy team skills. The course stresses on proper dive planning, personal limitations, accident prevention as well as the benefits, hazards, and proper procedures for diving solo. You will also learn the additional equipment that is required for solo diving including it’s proper usage and assembly. This is the prefect course for underwater photography and underwater video divers.

So, it seems quite obvious that SDI Solo Diver is a recreational diving certification, not a technical diving certification.

Why is the Solo Divers sub-forum in the Technical Diving forum? ​

 

[MaxBottomtime]

The only thing I do differently when solo diving is not worry about my buddy. A dive is a dive. If I'm diving a single tank on a site in less than 130 feet I consider it recreational. If I'm diving doubles with deco gas on a wreck at 200 feet it is technical whether I'm solo or not.

 

[TMHeimer]

My solo diving is recreational in that I rarely go deeper than 30' and most of the time even shallower. So it is pretty much glorified snorkelling.

 

[gypsyjim]

While I may someday pursue a "solo training" certification, as I am always interested in improving my skills and seeking to improve my chances of returning from every dive alive, I have and do occasionally do some limited solo diving.

For the limited diving that I do take on as solo dives, I have seen no need to "certify". I have certain limits that I set for myself, when I do solo, and most of these dives are based on my doing photography. Fairly shallow, only. No swim thrus, ever. No overhead at all!!! Some of these solos are with same ocean "buddies", while others are true solos.

I always make sure someone is aware of my dive plans. I dive more conservatively solo, than I probably need to, but that is in attempt to give myself some extra margin of safety, in case something should go wrong.

BUT, like my riding a motorcycle on the highway, I realize every single time that I do a solo dive, I have decreased my safety margin a bit, and placed myself somewhat more at risk.

 

[gypsyjim]

I do not see what I do as technical. At all.

Some of what I have read about solo dive training would seem to place a lot more technical emphasis on things. I can see a lot of benefit it that, safety wise, too.

I do not see anything wrong with either limited recreational solo, as I do it, or with approaching it from a more safety oriented technical emphasis either. Either way, solo adds risk to the sport, that having a buddy beside you minimizes to some extent.

I see rec and tech these days more as variations on, and degrees the same basic sport, and I do not see any hard and fast line separating the two, as we may have seen in the past. Divers cross back and forth between the two ends of this sport much more easily I think than when they were two extremely separate undertakings, with totally different equipment.

 

[shoredivr]

Wow, has the solo forum been around that long?

I agree with Maxbottomtime, it depends on the dive I'm doing.

(I think I know where you're going with this Halemano, but I'm sure that Solo Diving is going to stay in the tech diving forum, because SB endorsing that a newish diver start solo diving is not going to happen for lots of good reasons. Including but not limited to experience, training (SDI solo cert requires minimum 100 dives), mental attitude, and equipment. Yes, discussing solo diving in the advanced forum is not necessarily endorsing it, but there will be those that argue it is.)

 

[Mike Boswell]

IIRC - I believe that most training agencies DEFINE "recreational" scuba as diving in buddy pairs, with each diver maintaining a supply of air sufficient to get them both to the surface in case of an OOA emergency.

 

[Searcaigh]

When I plan a solo dive I always have a redundant air source with me.

When diving with a buddy, I occasionally have a redundant air source with me, I am not sure that makes me a technical diver, but I would rather have a back up air source immediately at hand rather than rely on somebody else as they could be more interested in photographing something than checking on my well being.

 

[Thalassamania]

The only reason that I can see for solo diving is lack of buddies or, should I say lack of competent buddies. I've never had this problem so solo diving, for me, would be rather foolish. Is solo diving recreational (I suppose, as opposed to technical)? Clearly, it is ... sometimes: when and where there is no ceiling. Does it require more care and planning? Not really, caution should be the watchword buddied or solo.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Ya know Thal, If we look at the last couple sentences of NetDoc's ATTENTION - READ THIS FIRST, and your first two sentences above, I'm sure we've never seen you participating in Solo Diver forum discussions, right?