Do You Consider Solo Diving to be Recreational or Technical?

[MauiScubaSteve]

Not quite sure why you thought you felt you needed to word this quite this way. Seems to me you felt you needed to call into question my credibility or you don't actually believe such a cert exists. Not sure why????

Not only do I claim to possess it - I actually do possess it and anyone can look the existence of the cert up in about 5 seconds on the ANDI site. Which is really more relevant to the discussion than whether or not I actually possess such a card...

Well, no one said Rich "claimed" to have an IANTD Deep Air card ...

Don't know if they still issue these, but here's what one looks like

Rick

Granted, the list you display is on the ANDI web site, but the "Training Standards Overview" (11 pages of the ANDI General Standards) does not list Solo Diver and does not show Solo Diver on either of the two pages of Educational Flow Chart.



If anyone uses the term "claims" regarding anything I have not provided links to proof, I understand and respect not just believing everything that is posted on an internet forum.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

When I wrote the PDIC Solo Diver program, I made the distinction that training could be conducted at both the recreational or technical levels within the standards. I did so because in my opinion a solo dive was not strictly a technical dive simply because the diver was alone and possibly at a higher risk. Dives that fit the definition of "technical" may be done solo. Dives that are "recreational" may be done solo.

I never really define any dive I make as a "solo technical dive" because it doesn't really paint a picture of the type of activity in which I may engage. A solo cave dive, solo wreck dive, or solo deco dive better explains the major challenge facing me. As a training director, I use the terms "recreational" and "technical" as a way of calling attention to the appropriate standards that may apply to a conversation involving solo diving.

I don't like the schism that has been created in the industry between recreational and technical, but I do like the fact that the industry has been able to better embrace activities that were once frowned upon. I just spent a month in Florida. Part of that time was spent solo cave diving in the High Springs area and solo diving in the Keys. My last dives before heading home for Thanksgiving involved a solo shallow non-penetration dive on the Benwood and a solo drift dive on the deep ball of Elbow reef. I drifted 25 minutes at 90 feet in twin AL80's before turning at the sand grooves between the coral fingers that I thought would allow me to meet the dive boat which had moved to a shallow site. After another 30 minutes of swimming up the grooves I deployed a DSMB, did a 3 minute safety stop, and surfaced to find myself 30 - 50 yards from the boat. It was a little bit of guess work and a little bit of "Lord willing and the river don't rise" to pull that off. I wasn't sure where they'd be, but from working down there as a dive pro, I figured that might the spot they decided to drop the "recreational" divers. To me, both my dives were recreational. To the crew, they may have been technical because I was in doubles.

It doesn't really matter. Rec or tec, I saw turtles!

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Trace, if a PDIC Solo Diver card is presented to Frank on the M/V Spree, how does Wookie determine the "limits" of that card?

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

All diving is recreational unless you are a commercial diver or are working as a diver for pay.
Standard profiles, extended range profiles, decompression profiles, rebreathers, and solo diving are all for fun therefore they are for sport/ recreation.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

As the "agencies" define it, there does seem to be a demarcation where "technical" dive training begins. And the most advanced "limits" of all the training not "technical" are pretty similar; 130' max linear, no deco.

As ScubaBoard follows the conventions of the "agency limits" most Solo Diver certification "limits" are just advanced certs, not technical certs. Other than perhaps among hunters, it is likely that most solo diving is not technical diving.

I don't see why a Solo Divers sub-forum couldn't exist in the Advanced Diving Discussions forum.

 

[padiscubapro]

Halemano.. I don't see the point you are trying to convey by using those quotes?

Agencies (that I know of): TDI and PADI (call it 'self-sufficient diver'). Sure there are more, others can add to that list.

At tech level - no such course exists. Some agencies prohibit/discourage it...especially where they have a strongly identified 'team-diving' focus (i.e. GUE/UTD). In other agencies, it's not specifically mentioned either way: although the training is focused on creating a 'self-sufficient' diver.

The recreational solo course curriculum are basically just stuff skimmed from tech courses... redundancy, procedures, drills, mind-set and problem-solving.

The ANDI Solo DIver cert is a Tecnical certification.. The pre requisite is already having a technical rating..

 

[padiscubapro]

ANDI has had a solo diver certification for more than 10 years.. If you have ANY questions regarding ANDI standards and classes just PM me.. I am an Instructor Trainer Director for ANDI.. That means I help set standards, create classes and materials, create ITs and create instructors.. I also interact directly with the heads of the various regional headquarters.

last time I counted ANDI had about 150 certifications (plus distinctve specialties), the flowcharts and standards generally list the most important ones..

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Trace, if a PDIC Solo Diver card is presented to Frank on the M/V Spree, how does Wookie determine the "limits" of that card?

Wookie doesn't. The diver determines his or her own limits. If a diver cannot be trusted to determine his or her own limits for any dive - especially solo - he or she has no business being a diver or possessing a PDIC C-card at any level.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Wookie doesn't. The diver determines his or her own limits. If a diver cannot be trusted to determine his or her own limits for any dive - especially solo - he or she has no business being a diver or possessing a PDIC C-card at any level.

But the boat operator answers to a higher power ...

...

My insurance company representative (Peter Meyer) has stated to me repeatedly that if I ensure releases are properly filled out, briefings are properly given, a certified instructor/supervisor is on the boat for whatever type of diving we are performing, and a dive plan is stated for each diver (for recreational, the boat imposes limits, for technical, the diver states their limits) and that all terms of the original certification are met, he will defend us in a lawsuit. This means to me that I have to chase back to what the certifying agency really means for their card. For instance, a PADI wreck diver card is not intended for full wreck penetration using guide lines, strobes, progressive penetration, or any other method to enter the "cave zone" of a wreck. PADI didn't intend it that way, it is considered an "experience program" A TDI Advanced Wreck Penetration certification, however, means something totally different.

...

The way PDIC Solo Diver is listed on this page would seem to indicate it is not a Tek cert.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Just to add confusion to all of this my "Solo Diver" card says: "May dive independently(a team of one), use all SafeAir and O2 mixtures to 50m during decompression profiles limited to 30 minutes max deco-time using 3 cylinders and 3 gases. No hard overhead/penetration permitted."

Issued by ANDI 2006

Only do rec diving (above 130) and don't do deco diving so for me this just allows me to dive solo off boats that require a cert card to do it.

The ANDI Solo DIver cert is a Tecnical certification.. The pre requisite is already having a technical rating..

So, Darnold9999 "brought" those limits to his ANDI Solo Diver card? What if a Cave Diver takes ANDI Solo Diver where there are no caves?

We are just trying to compare the growing number of solo certs, and typically when one compares certs one of the things one compares is the "Limits."