Newly minted PADI Self-Reliant/Solo Diver.

[Searcaigh]

Congrats markmud, I did my course last year at 59, the most difficult thing I found was diving without a camera

 

[James R]

Per the instructor manual, this is the equipment PADI requires for the SRD course, and must be provided by the participant:

 Redundant gas source. Redundant gas supply must be configured so that the diver can access it with one hand. Acceptable sources include:
o Pony bottle, appropriate in size for the dives, with regulator (1st and 2nd stage) and pressure gauge.
o Sidemount doubles with appropriate regulators & gauges.
o Backmount doubles with appropriate regulators & gauges.
 Redundant depth gauge and bottom timer or dive computer
 SMB & spool or reel with at least 100ft. of line. A lift bag is acceptable as well.
 Redundant surface signaling device (both visual and audible)
 Knife/cutting tool
 Slate and pencil
 Backup mask (recommended)

 

[Wookie]

A slate and pencil? For writing notes to yourself? "Frank!! Remember to check your gas pressure and your direction!"

 

[James R]

A slate and pencil? For writing notes to yourself? "Frank!! Remember to check your gas pressure and your direction!"

Ha! Or so you can write down sac swim & time/depth awareness info to show your instructor after the dive.

Or write your last will and testament, right? Yikes!

 

[Searcaigh]

Ha! Or so you can write down sac swim & time/depth awareness info to show your instructor after the dive.

Or write your last will and testament, right? Yikes!

You will need a lurking UW lawyer for that

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Mine (SDI) also required a mirror. How else are you going to do a "buddy" and bubble check?

 

[Taliena]

My course was easy and nothing learned. It was just for fun, I was already full cave and full trimix diver. So just needed to show I can dive. twinset, drysuit, and just diving. But my startsituation was different from most divers that do such a course. If you are just a recreationdiver, than it can be a really good course to follow. I think it is a must for all divers to learn dive solo.
When I did my first solodives, I just thought, this is not allowed. But I liked it, it gave me rest. And I good dive when no buddy. Of course I prefer a buddy, but if I want to dive and no buddy, then I go diving on my own. In my logbook I dived with IDA: I Dive Alone.

 

[Colliam7]

This last weekend, I completed a Solo Diver course through Dolphin Scuba in Sacramento. . . . I am a warm water diver. I have a wetsuit that I bought for 60 to 70 degree water. Not 53 degree water. I was freezing cold for five hours. . . . We manually inflated our BCs for all three dives as the BC does not work (obviously) with a pony; we did not use our inflator button during the three dives. . . . I assume our instructor thought if a gunny sergeant and professional mariner needed remedial nav training, we were lost causes. . . . The course also reinforced maintaining situational awareness and not diving beyond our own capabilities . . . A dry-suit is in my future.

THANK YOU, taking time to share the experience, and congratulations for staying with it in spite of the thermal challenges. Sounds like it was a worthwhile endeavor, and you probably identified some particular diving skills that you want to continue to refine.

For 11 years I have said that my drysuit was the single best investment in scuba equipment that I have ever made. Irrespective of the cost, it has been well worth it.

I like something your instructor did - require that you manually inflate throughout all three dives. We haven't gone that far in our SRD course in the past, but I think it is an approach that we will start using this year. Thanks to you (and your Instructor) for the tip. Jim' suggestion of a mirror is well worth noting - he mentioned that is a post earlier this year, and it is a great addition to your solo kit.

 

[James R]

My course was easy and nothing learned. It was just for fun, I was already full cave and full trimix diver. So just needed to show I can dive. twinset, drysuit, and just diving. But my startsituation was different from most divers that do such a course. If you are just a recreationdiver, than it can be a really good course to follow. I think it is a must for all divers to learn dive solo.
When I did my first solodives, I just thought, this is not allowed. But I liked it, it gave me rest. And I good dive when no buddy. Of course I prefer a buddy, but if I want to dive and no buddy, then I go diving on my own. In my logbook I dived with IDA: I Dive Alone.

I was a tech diver when i took my solo course too, so it was very easy for me as well. The other diver in my class was also tech and had full cave. Our instructor was cool about it at least, and didn't try to make up something stupid.

When I dive solo, I set my buddy's name as Han Solo :cool2:

 

[markmud]

Hello All,

Questions about redundant buoyancy:
We were not required to have redundant buoyancy. We did discuss ditching sinkers and other gear if buoyancy was an issue. Also, we discussed omitting the safety stop if we were having buoyancy issues if we were well within no-deco limits while making a Pony Bottle ascent. Rick witnessed a diver with a pony rig who sucked-out his primary gas supply, switched to his pony and then sucked it out while staying right on the bottom. His fingers had to be pried off his camera and no attempt was made by the diver to ditch his sinkers. I guess his family got his camera back; too bad funerals are more expensive than cameras.

Questions about gear: The list that was posted earlier is exactly what we were required to have.

Questions about the slate: We used the slate on our last dive. We used it for our SAC test. My SAC is .5 cf per minute. The exercising and running paid off.

Thanks for the nice remarks from all regarding my OP!

markm