How do you feel about solo diving?

[Wreck/Tec]

Solo diving classes, as was explained to me by my partner who took one, is a combination Open Water/Decompression Training thing. First to participate he had to meet gear requirements amounting, but not limited to, redundant air source, propper placement of gear, and an alternative lift device, ( dry suit, or lift bag ). They took several dives. During these dives the instructor might signal to go to backup air, at any time. That signal was given numerous times during the dives. There were a number of drills, valve drills, deployment of bags, verticle ascents, with the bags in various ways, some navigation and more. This was in my opinion, the knowledge you need before you start deeper diving anyway. Could things go wrong even with all this training anyway, absolutely! This kind of thing, ( solo diving ) , isn't going away. I liken all the bad press it gets to Disco! People kick it all the time but, where do the singles hang? You can discourage it out of conscience, or help those ill equipped, be it in the knowledge of skills required, and or equipment needed. Sit them down and have a sobering conversation of it's pitfalls. Berateing them only forces them to stay in the shadows and sneak dives in. Those divers are few, especially younger, or less experienced ones, who would rush to take a Solo Diving Class only to walk the gauntlet of their more experienced comrads and endure the crittisism. Maybe they need a partner with something to offer once and awhile, someone taught you! Give something back....
Wreck/Tec

 

[MikeFerrara]

Wreck/Tec once bubbled...
Solo diving classes, as was explained to me by my partner who took one, is a combination Open Water/Decompression Training thing. First to participate he had to meet gear requirements amounting, but not limited to, redundant air source, propper placement of gear, and an alternative lift device, ( dry suit, or lift bag ). They took several dives. During these dives the instructor might signal to go to backup air, at any time. That signal was given numerous times during the dives. There were a number of drills, valve drills, deployment of bags, verticle ascents, with the bags in various ways, some navigation and more. This was in my opinion, the knowledge you need before you start deeper diving anyway. Could things go wrong even with all this training anyway, absolutely! This kind of thing, ( solo diving ) , isn't going away. I liken all the bad press it gets to Disco! People kick it all the time but, where do the singles hang? You can discourage it out of conscience, or help those ill equipped, be it in the knowledge of skills required, and or equipment needed. Sit them down and have a sobering conversation of it's pitfalls. Berateing them only forces them to stay in the shadows and sneak dives in. Those divers are few, especially younger, or less experienced ones, who would rush to take a Solo Diving Class only to walk the gauntlet of their more experienced comrads and endure the crittisism. Maybe they need a partner with something to offer once and awhile, someone taught you! Give something back....
Wreck/Tec

I don't know what course your freind tool but the sdi course doesn't cover decompression procedures. The course isn't an intro to tech. The class only requires two dives. The instructors who I know that teach this course have NO technical training at all. They are teaching divers the "correct" methode of replacing a buddy with a spare air. The IANTD advanced nitrox is an intro to tech (among others) but requires lots more time and effort and a spare air doesn't count as a redundant air source like in the sdi solo course.

 

[Wreck/Tec]

Mike
I can only tell you what I was told, I didn't take the class.

 

[wazza]

Taking a Solo diver course it’s a good idea, cos its not only to dive alone its gives u the knowledge what do to if u had a problem and your bubby is away from u as well. In this course u will learn about:

1. Solo diving mentality
2. Self-reliance.
3. Self-rescue.
4. Navigation
5. Planning and conducting a solo dive
6. Management of solo diving emergencies
7. Equipment configuration appropriate for solo diving
8. How to use and carry a redundant air supply.
9. Proper safety stop procedures
10. Deploying a surface marker and use of surface audible signaling device.

and many more. Believe me this is a very interesting course even if u r a good diver, still u will learn new things from it. So its not about replacing a buddy.
Take an example if you are the only one on the boat doing a Trimix dive or decompression dive and u r the only one who is certified to do this what shall you do ???
You can’t take with u a dive guide or even a buddy.
It’s the first step for tekkie diving cos we do most of the tekkie dives Solo.
One more thing in my point of view I will take any course concerning diving if this will make me a better and a safer diver.

 

[MikeFerrara]

That's alot to pack into two dives. Two dives isn't enough to teach valve manipulation and liftbag deployment. I sure wish I had a bridge to sell around here.

 

[DiverBuoy]

First dive is tour so that doesn't count. So let's measure the speed here - that's "Curious" to "Cert" in 3 dives flat.

 

[RPanick]

I just started diving this year, and I owe a great deal to those more advanced divers that were willing to dive with me as a dive partner. I learned more from diving with them and after doing post dive discussions, than I ever did in my OW or AOW classes. As I advance through the sport I will try and pay my debt to those that tought me by teaching others.

If I can't dive with my prefered partner, I'll dive at least once with anyone else. Most of these dives are generally non challenging dives to be sure. But not every dive has to be a challenge, why not just look around and enjoy the scenery. If I can help a less experienced diver, and still get a dive in fantastic. At worst I'll end up with someone who makes a poor partner and when we get back to the boat I'll educate them and find someone else.

One item not covered here, if you do go solo, and you don't come back what about the expense and risk to those who come out to look for you. At worst a bad buddy can point to where your body was last seen reducing the search area.

I do agree with the thread on the vacation divers. One of the people I work with fit the category. He was hopefully the worst buddy I will ever have. He had no concept of keeping track of his partner and was constantly at full tilt and didn't slow down when he saw I couldn't keep up (airline delayed my dive gear and I made the mistake of using boat gear, never again, my gear or I stay on the shore). Even after explaining the problem to him, and making some suggestions he continued bad behavior.

I don't have any suggestions on how to correct the problem. But even though it was probably the worst dive I ever went on I did learn a few things from it, which will probably help me and make future dives more enjoyable.

 

[Phil TK]

RPanick once bubbled...
At worst I'll end up with someone who makes a poor partner and when we get back to the boat I'll educate them and find someone else.

I.

One of the best 'educaters' for tightening up the buddy relationship is the good old Titan Trigger fish. I love these things, you can lead a group who are initially all over the place but if you turn round and make the trigger signal it's amazing how people close up and become hyper alert all of a sudden. It's also quite funny how people try to stay 'leeward' of these things. I have in the past lead groups as close as I dare to a Titan and it's hilarious to look behind you and see everyone holding on to each other hardly daring to move. Divers usually don't want to fall behind and be 'tail end Charlie' when these things are about but they also don't 'hug up' to the leader either -'cos he'd be the first to be attacked of course. If you do get a 'hit' then the dive group becomes a model of awareness and responsibility afterwoods, eyes scanning left and right, up and down and frequent glances to see where their buddy is (somebody to hide behind maybe?)
I suppose a good way to wake up a waywood buddy would be to attach a fake plastic Titan (with trigger 'up') to his person with 20 ft of fishing line. Underhand but very effective I should think.



:mean:

Phil TK

 

[MikeFerrara]

DiverBuoy once bubbled...
First dive is tour so that doesn't count. So let's measure the speed here - that's "Curious" to "Cert" in 3 dives flat.

You wouldn't know because you don't teach those skills.

We don't certify OW in three dives it's pool time and a minimum of 4 dives. Is dive 1 just a tour or is it a 45 minute dive to get used to a new emvironment and get weighting and balance right with a little more suit on?

All the instructors I know who teach this course are not even qualified to teach valve manipulation. Doubles are an option for the course but these instructors have never dove in them.

It would take me longer to teach it to these instructors.

 

[DiverBuoy]

Mike Ferrara the solo class isn't just ocean diving only either is it? The course includes classroom time and pool time too.

My point is you posted your concern with teaching all "that" stuff in only 2 dives. So what is different with OW ... in a matter of 3 ocean dives you take a complete greenhorn LDS visitor to certified diver. Before they started they knew nothing at all. When class is over, they are told they can use their card to go anywhere in the world and dive their brains out.

Be sure, I'm not disagreeing with you. The solo course is fast and I think OW is too. (and there is far, far more crammed into an OW class than what I see on that Solo Curriculum).