Mike, Phyllis Diller's agent is holding on line two. Oh, and that actress who played George's mom on Seinfeld wants to do lunch . . .MikeFerrara:
Is Solo diving a category of Technical diving?
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novadiver
Contributor
eponym:
That's to bad, I was hoping shakazulu would help with some of his avitar freinds. lol
Well, since yours is in response to my post, mine of course. My answer includes and presupposes my definition, which is pretty simple, and therefore makes my answer pretty concise and simple, too.MikeFerrara:
If you want to use someone else's definitions then that'll muddy the water, and you'll never be able to answer the original question.
Rick
Rick Murchison:Well, since yours is in response to my post, mine of course. My answer includes and presupposes my definition, which is pretty simple, and therefore makes my answer pretty concise and simple, too.
If you want to use someone else's definitions then that'll muddy the water, and you'll never be able to answer the original question.
Rick
Actually, my point was that regardless of whether you call it technical or not that it may call for skills or equipment considerations not covered in most recreational training.
Argueing that it isn't technical by popular definitions or "your definitions is fine but my point is that a typical OW or AOW class does not address solo diving at all so I consider it something other than "recreational".
An additional point I would make is that according to PADI, solo diving is a form of technical diving. They also state that their position is that it requires additional training and experience. That's training that they don't offer. While no one is obligated to except their position it is certainly pretty hard evidence that no recreational PADI class is intended in any way to prepare one to solo dive. Since such a HUGE percentage of recreational divers are PADI trained I would have to say that the PADI position has significant bearing on the intended application of recreational training in general.
Personally I never had training that addressed solo diving in any way shape or form until technical training.
It seems that even though the dive may be within recreational limits with regard to decompression, depth and a lack of an overhead that just leaving out the "buddy" may (by the definition of a significant part of the dive industry) put it beyond the recreational realm if not fully in the technical realm (whatever that is).
novadiver
Contributor
MikeFerrara:
My take on the subject is; It all depends on the diver and the dive. A rec diver doesn't need to know how to solo, but a tec diver better have the skill down to a fine art. But don't listen to me ,I already have a bad rep. I just plan my dives like my life depends on it!
You know, the term for all this might be "Advanced Diving", since diving by nature is technical. But, the term Advanced has already been used, and somewhat watered down, so it doesn't mean advanced. But maybe it is right that "technical" has come to mean really more advanced diving situations that ordinary recreational divers don't do.
novadiver:
I am a new diver to scuba. My 3rd trip to a dive site was solo
because there was no buddy to be found. Depth was only 38ft
low possibility for obstruction/self entanglement..I prefer to dive with someone to share enjoyment but will do so by myself/solo. My depth of solo dive is limited to my growing exsperience. By listen and reading different post" I learn" ie redundent air etc.. I agree a tec diver should be able to skill solo diving...I would like to tec dive(mix gas.wreck penetration one day) I feel my solo time now /that is limited will allow me to us caution and act safer because I will depend on my self. Im sure a lot disagree with me diving solo 3rd time in water...I respect that disagrement but will continue to do so with caution. I have read about different course descritions for solo classes but as of this moment dont own all of the required gear and water time. Does anyone feel that I should limit my depth as a solo diver(Keep in mind I am only recreational diver now) and if so why? and how deep?
AADiveRex
Contributor
No offense personally to you, but this attitude about solo diving is exactly what makes considering solo diving a recreational activity, so dangerous to this sport and its participants, especially new ones. You can't possibly have the experience level, and by your own admission, you don't have the necessary training or equipment for solo diving, yet you choose to do so anyway. I wish you the best of luck, but I would strongly recommend that you take it down a notch. You have no idea how little you actually know, nor how easy it is do die in even 15 feet of water. Get some experience and training, and you will look back at your recent actions as real foolishness.LosR3:
To the rest of the board...
How many recreational divers will take the solo plunge without adequate preparation, if the industry continues to consider solo diving a recreational activity? Think about this...how many recreational divers dive wrecks without wreck training? or go deeper than 60 feet without advanced training? or go deeper than 100 feet without deep training? There are at least a dozen forms of diving that can be considered "advanced" that recreational divers will attempt without training, simply because they consider it within the realm of the recreational. Yet most of these same divers wouldn't consider attempting activities termed "technical", because they clearly understand the distinction.
There are always going to be people who foolishly place themselves beyond their abilities, and no matter what we name it, this will not change. Over the last ten years, the trend in this industry has been to make everything way too easy, to minimize the basics required to get a diver into the water, and to offer advanced training way too fast, to anyone who can afford the gear and the classes. Too many divers get instructor and technical certifications way before they have the required experience level to deal with the real life diving situations they never experience in a class or supervised diving environment. When these people are faced with even a small problem deep down and way back, that's when they will realize, too late, that perhaps they took it way too fast. How many people do we see on this board with 20 or so dives ask if they are ready for deco, or cave, or mixed gas, or solo? or who say they want to dive the Andrea Doria in another year?
As an instructor, I explain even to my open water students, what they will see and hear when they get out of the classroom and into the real diving world in terms of deep diving, solo diving, deco diving, and cave or wreck penetrations, so they aren't tempted to chance the foolish, or overestimate their abilities. I encourage them to set goals for themselves, and to work towards their achievement, but to do so at a reasonable pace, with significant experience to back it up each step of the way. I also teach them the fundamentals of self sufficiency, and suggest that to become proficient as a buddy means to become confident and proficient in their own abilities. Treat every dive as if it was a solo dive, and they will minimize the risks to themselves and their buddies.
It may seem ironic that as a regularly solo technical diver, I never recommend or advocate solo diving to anyone. This certainly isn't because I'm against the practice, obviously. It is simply because I know that those who really should be solo divng, will not need to ask other's opinions.
Dive Safe,
Adam
LosR3, I see from your profile that you're a paramedic, the same age as my daughter. Despite that, from the way you express yourself in your post, I'd have to agree that the question is not how deep you should go, it's whether you should be soloing at this point in your diving.LosR3:
What problems have you encountered underwater? Did you resolve them camly on the spot? Have you had to fight the urge to bolt for the surface? As you and your buddy gradually push the boundaries, with training and experience, you'll begin to see diving as more serious than it's portrayed in most OW classes. Adam is right on in this regard, and I think his last post should be taken to heart.
Best regards,
Bryan
Boy, my jaw dropped open at that. I thought, who are these people? But on reflection, I realized we have that type around here as well. They are not the people I choose to dive with, so I tend to lose sight of the whole gamut of recreational diver attitudes and aspirations.AADiveRex:
This sounds great. Not something I remember getting in OW, mind you, but you sound like the sort of instructor I'd trust with a granddaughter. We had a fellow walk into the shop yesterday with tanks that had been sitting empty for years in his garage. He wanted them filled: "So I can teach my kids to dive." Step one was explaining to him the need for current hydro and visual before we could fill them, a detail he was unaware of.AADiveRex:
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