How long did you wait before you started Solo Diving?

[master00sniper]

Will you look at this almost 75% of people solo dived before there 100th, and almost 50% before there 25th!

So many people have messaged me privately talking about solo diving is okay just get your reading done and don't do stupid **** or dive in tough places. I had one person message me with a lot of very helpful material to read through. After my 2 dives in Monterey tomorrow with Pacificgal I'll start buying and reading. Thank you to the person to messaged me with that info, and to the others who have messaged me as well.

Admittedly my first solo dive wasn't as safe as it should have been, primarily due to the lack of redundant equipment that I had. By the time I make my next one I should have an additional 10 or so dives under my belt, with a redundant air supply, and it will be in an area that I already know

 

[Thalassamania]

Maybe in the next life.

 

[diver_doug]

I'm surprised by the poll results thus far; I had anticipated a majority of people falling into the 100+ range. Interesting...

 

[DevonDiver]

Interesting? It's no surprise....

Most fatal scuba accidents arise from failure to adhere to safe diving practices. Most fatal scuba accidents are entirely avoidable. Dozens of divers needlessly die every year.

Why do they happen? Because divers think they know better. They 'feel confident' to break the recommendations and procedures given to them to ensure their safety.

On this forum right now, we have a newly qualified diver...who immediately after finishing his OW course went out solo diving. He know better. Better than his instructor. Better than the textbook. Better than the agency. The rules don't apply to him.

There is no better illustration of the sort of attitude that gets divers pointlessly killed.

This 'Solo Diver' area is part of the 'Technical Diving' area of the site. Solo diving is not technical diving. However, it is included in this area in order to recognise and differentiate it as a considerably more advanced form of diving than recreational diving.

Solo diving, just like cave or tech diving, requires specific and advanced level diver training. Anyone can choose to go solo diving.... but then again, anyone could choose to enter a cave system, penetrate a wreck or use their recreational dive computer to govern a bounce dive to 60m.....

Solo diving is advanced diving. The training course exists to provide the correct procedures needed and warning/experience of the novel dangers faced. Here are the prerequisites of the course:
A. Minimum age: 21 years.
B. Minimum certification of Advanced Diver or equivalent.
C. Minimum of 100 logged dives.


Some divers consider themselves 'good' because of the rules that they break. They consider themselves 'good' because of the confidence that they have.


What they fail to appreciate is that it is precisely those attributes that make them 'bad' divers. Bad divers with bad judgement, who do not have the maturity and self-discipline to adhere to safe diving practices. Bad divers who fail to appreciate the risks that they subject themselves to. Bad divers who become bad statistic.



SDI SOLO DIVER GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
In order to complete this course, students must:
A. Satisfactorily complete the Solo Course written examination.
B. Complete all open water requirements safely and efficiently.
C. Demonstrate mature, sound judgement concerning dive planning and execution.

 

[scuba=dude]

Well I'm sure that alot of Non solo divers will come over here and poll, then the numbers will go the other way. I have seen this typ of thing happen on other diving fourms. Solo diving has been happening and will always happing no matter what any Party hard-liners want. Ya I no how bad it looks that people die diving, but lets face it more die "buddy diving" then not. That by it's self should say somthing. It's a sad thing but the nubers speak for themselfs. If you belive what DAN says, only 14% of all diving deaths are (last year) solo and all the rest have been some forum of "buddy" diving.......I can live with that. Oh and by the way....I'm not one of those that belive that Most people dive only with a buddy, I'v been out there too long for that. Sure I know that the "dive trippers" don't have to much choise in the matter, but I'm talking about Most divers (the one's that have all there gear) You see out in there boats or on some little known strip of the coast.

All this "no solo" stuff comes from folk's that are afrade that some how they are going to lose there right to dive if to many people die while diving....then I say to them: Tell the c-card sellers to teach diving once more, and if some dude that what's to learn says that he don't have the time to take all those classes then To-Bad You really don't want to dive. I for one am sick and tierd of putting up with the unwilling that wont work to get to an end. Theres no pride in work any more nor is there any reposablity for one's action.

 

[DaleC]

Dive 21.
I don't advocate or not advocate soloing for anyone.
In my real life experience I have not encountered many people making poor decisions around soloing diving. Most appear to have their heads screwed on straight. I have however, encountered more than a comfortable amount of people making poor buddy diving decisions.
Which system has the problem I wonder?

 

[scuba=dude]

Interesting? It's no surprise....

Most fatal scuba accidents arise from failure to adhere to safe diving practices. Most fatal scuba accidents are entirely avoidable. Dozens of divers needlessly die every year.

Why do they happen? Because divers think they know better. They 'feel confident' to break the recommendations and procedures given to them to ensure their safety.

On this forum right now, we have a newly qualified diver...who immediately after finishing his OW course went out solo diving. He know better. Better than his instructor. Better than the textbook. Better than the agency. The rules don't apply to him.

There is no better illustration of the sort of attitude that gets divers pointlessly killed.

This 'Solo Diver' area is part of the 'Technical Diving' area of the site. Solo diving is not technical diving. However, it is included in this area in order to recognise and differentiate it as a considerably more advanced form of diving than recreational diving.

Solo diving, just like cave or tech diving, requires specific and advanced level diver training. Anyone can choose to go solo diving.... but then again, anyone could choose to enter a cave system, penetrate a wreck or use their recreational dive computer to govern a bounce dive to 60m.....

Solo diving is advanced diving. The training course exists to provide the correct procedures needed and warning/experience of the novel dangers faced. Here are the prerequisites of the course:
A. Minimum age: 21 years.
B. Minimum certification of Advanced Diver or equivalent.
C. Minimum of 100 logged dives.


Some divers consider themselves 'good' because of the rules that they break. They consider themselves 'good' because of the confidence that they have.


What they fail to appreciate is that it is precisely those attributes that make them 'bad' divers. Bad divers with bad judgement, who do not have the maturity and self-discipline to adhere to safe diving practices. Bad divers who fail to appreciate the risks that they subject themselves to. Bad divers who become bad statistic.



SDI SOLO DIVER GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
In order to complete this course, students must:
A. Satisfactorily complete the Solo Course written examination.
B. Complete all open water requirements safely and efficiently.
C. Demonstrate mature, sound judgement concerning dive planning and execution.

you say that most scuba deaths come from not following rules...I say most die from bilnd panic............from not being trainded to deal with panic

Yes you have more then show that a new diver is seeking info on solo diving and how to do it SAFLY

I have issue with you saying that SOLO diving is not "technical Diving" any solo diver Better know and use the same metheds of diving as any Deep, cave, Wreck diver out there, so what are you saying? Do We solo divers do deco/ well ya some of use. So what part of Tec diving do we not meet?

I'm sorry but you seem to be puffed up with pride there buddy and you seem to be more then happy to slam a new diver. Rather then kick the guy try to tell him more about what it really takes to be a good, safe, smart diver. Don't you rembber what it was like to be new at it?

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

I started in 1976, was 18 years old; had done about 8 dives with buddies prior to beginning to solo.

But the vast majority of my dives have been buddy dives.

Best wishes.

 

[Dive-aholic]

you say that most scuba deaths come from not following rules...I say most die from bilnd panic............from not being trainded to deal with panic

Yes you have more then show that a new diver is seeking info on solo diving and how to do it SAFLY

I have issue with you saying that SOLO diving is not "technical Diving" any solo diver Better know and use the same metheds of diving as any Deep, cave, Wreck diver out there, so what are you saying? Do We solo divers do deco/ well ya some of use. So what part of Tec diving do we not meet?

I'm sorry but you seem to be puffed up with pride there buddy and you seem to be more then happy to slam a new diver. Rather then kick the guy try to tell him more about what it really takes to be a good, safe, smart diver. Don't you rembber what it was like to be new at it?

Solo diving is not technical diving. I teach cave, decompression, and solo diving courses. While solo diving courses cover some of the basic skills covered in tech courses, a majority of solo divers never take a formal course and do not adopt the mindset of technical divers. I did solo dives long before I was a cave diver or decompression diver and I didn't consider myself anything but a recreational diver doing solo dives.

As for telling someone more about what it takes to be a good, safe, smart diver, I have no problem with that in a course after waivers have been signed. But don't expect anyone to teach anyone else how to cave dive, decompression dive, or solo dive on the Internet.

 

[SeaYoda]

...
A. Minimum age: 21 years.
B. Minimum certification of Advanced Diver or equivalent.
C. Minimum of 100 logged dives. ...

These are arbitrary requirements. I've seen divers with this much "qualification" that shouldn't go near solo diving with a ten foot pole.

We all get better at diving skills as we gain experience (hopefully) but that is only part of what makes someone able to solo dive. I'm much better at skills now than when I started diving. On my first dive after certification I was presented with a buddy at the bottom of the anchor line who's tank had slipped out of his BC. He was laying on the bottom as I hovered with buoyancy and trim under control. I had to put his tank back in place while in a cloud of silt. Was I taught that in class? Should I have left him there because I was not AOW? Was I too confident since I had only my check out dives under my belt? This is why the solo requirements are arbitrary in my opinion.

No agency can guarantee the quality of those who get the "card". Just look at what is out there swimming with us now, many have "passed" their agency requirements but are weak in skills. I don't think the SDI solo course is any better.

Learning is great. I just don't think arbitrary entry standards help anyone. Agencies seem to dumb things down. I learned solo information from those that were practicing what they preached and put their lives on the line. If there were good entry requirements that could be measured, I would support that type of course. If there was training that could take you from where you are and not give you a c-card until you were truly ready, I would have taken that course. I was ready to solo when I did. I wish it would have been easier than getting the information for myself.

I'm still learning new things and will continue to be open to information. Do I need a card for that?