Is Solo Diving Technical Diving?

[tursiops]

The usual definition of technical diving is where one does not abide by recreational limits....so mixed (He) gases, >130ft, deco, overhead environments. Ice and cavern are kind of on the border. Solo is recreational without a buddy, so is also on the border, because some technical attitudes and knowledge are needed.

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[Kharon]

Nope! Solo diving is diving alone - at whatever training level you are at. Technical is one of those levels. Solo is an added layer to any cert.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

It all depends what the marketing folks at the diving agencys decide to call it. Recreational, technical, just made up terms by marketing folks to promote classes. At one point NITROX was considered technical diving, who made the decision to change it over to recreational? Answer? The dive certification agencys. Why? Marketing purposes.

 

[agilis]

Of course not. My first hundred or so dives were all solo, and all uncertified. I did my first non-solo dive during certification. Diving with strangers is MUCH more demanding and risky than solo diving. Don't let any card seller tell you different. Look at the statistics, if you can unearth them.

Every dive is a solo dive, in the final analysis. Any dependence on another person while submerged carries some level of risk for everyone involved. I'm talking about ordinary basic recreational diving only, of course. Technical diving is another thing altogether, and anyone prepared properly for technical diving would not ask that question.

 

[TSandM]

It shares some characteristics, in that the risks are greater and the benefit of redundancy is greater. But no, I agree that the essence of technical diving is having lost the surface as an option, and that's not true in solo diving within recreational limits.