@2airishuman , I honestly don't know how solo diving compares in risk with cave diving, but it's fine that you do. Anyway, I won't get into that, as there are loads of threads debating it, and as pointed out above, this is the solo diving forum.
As far as "requirements," to me it's no so much about requiring more of a novice in (solo) diving or any other analogous endeavor as it is about the individual realizing on his own that more training and experience is almost certainly better than less. If more training is available, I take it, even if I have to save up the money and delay starting or progress more slowly. As they say, "different strokes for different folks." It's not about collecting cards or passing scores for me, it's about vacuuming up all the knowledge I can in a limited amount of time. For me, getting someone--preferably, multiple people with different perspectives--to dump what they know on me is an efficient way to do that. My main point was that if solo training is available to the OP, I would advocate taking it, and based on what he learns, consider whether to raise the bar for himself (or more generally, where he should set the bar for himself).
Incidentally, I took motorcycle lessons--I don't know what my state requires, but I wouldn't attempt to figure it out myself or have some acquaintance who claims he knows what he's doing show me the ropes when there are schools for just that. I never did buy a motorcycle because I got married and my wife wouldn't hear of me riding a "donorcycle." In college I crammed extra classes into my schedule because they were available at no extra cost. I just love learning. Learning on my own is great but as a complement to what I can learn from others with real experience, including experience teaching the subject. Again, different strokes for different folks, I guess.
As far as "requirements," to me it's no so much about requiring more of a novice in (solo) diving or any other analogous endeavor as it is about the individual realizing on his own that more training and experience is almost certainly better than less. If more training is available, I take it, even if I have to save up the money and delay starting or progress more slowly. As they say, "different strokes for different folks." It's not about collecting cards or passing scores for me, it's about vacuuming up all the knowledge I can in a limited amount of time. For me, getting someone--preferably, multiple people with different perspectives--to dump what they know on me is an efficient way to do that. My main point was that if solo training is available to the OP, I would advocate taking it, and based on what he learns, consider whether to raise the bar for himself (or more generally, where he should set the bar for himself).
Incidentally, I took motorcycle lessons--I don't know what my state requires, but I wouldn't attempt to figure it out myself or have some acquaintance who claims he knows what he's doing show me the ropes when there are schools for just that. I never did buy a motorcycle because I got married and my wife wouldn't hear of me riding a "donorcycle." In college I crammed extra classes into my schedule because they were available at no extra cost. I just love learning. Learning on my own is great but as a complement to what I can learn from others with real experience, including experience teaching the subject. Again, different strokes for different folks, I guess.
