Padi Self reliant diver course

[Omisson]

And you didn't read what the op posted. He wanted to know if the PADI course would be a waste of time if the course did not teach any useful skills. I responded that I received useful skills but added a response that made it clear that it depends on the instructor.

No - I read it - clearly YOU didn't.

At the end of his post the OP SPECIFICALLY referenced dive operators permitting him to dive solo:

"...... So that the Captain on an occasional charter trip does not have kittens over the thought of me being interested in a solo dive......."

So EFX stop trying to justify your early panty-twist error.... You were wrong... Move on.

As a PADI MSDT I am fine with teaching the Self Reliant Course, I also teach the SDI Solo course. I've seen dive ops turn away the one (PADI) and not the other (SDI) for solo diving.

So if the OP is saying he may want to dive solo- whether it's accepted is indeed important info.

I, and others, addressed the fact that some operators will not accept the self reliant card, but do accept the SDI Solo card.

 

[WarrenZ]

In the end it is their boat ind if the captain thinks it is warranted he can choose to ban you from diving solo or diving at all if they feel it is justified for a safe trip.

 

[FiddlerOnTheRoof]

Diving for 5 years with 700 dives in Alaska! WOW that's a lot of diving.

 

[Herb-alaska]

No - I read it - clearly YOU didn't.

At the end of his post the OP SPECIFICALLY referenced dive operators permitting him to dive solo:

"...... So that the Captain on an occasional charter trip does not have kittens over the thought of me being interested in a solo dive......."

So EFX stop trying to justify your early panty-twist error.... You were wrong... Move on.

As a PADI MSDT I am fine with teaching the Self Reliant Course, I also teach the SDI Solo course. I've seen dive ops turn away the one (PADI) and not the other (SDI) for solo diving.

So if the OP is saying he may want to dive solo- whether it's accepted is indeed important info.

I, and others, addressed the fact that some operators will not accept the self reliant card, but do accept the SDI Solo card.

Thanks everyone I appreciate the insight, personal experiences and general opinion of everyone that took the time to post here.

To be bluntly honest and try not to sound like i am over confident and over stating my skills but I have the skills outlined in both course descriptions so there would be nothing new to me. As a active psd i regularly drill black out , ooa and moving to my redundant air source with a FFM which is a bit more challenging than a conventional regulator and mask however I do drill that aspect on my own time. We drill entanglement were my teammates take great joy in tying you into some messes that are way more interesting than you could get into unless you tried really hard. We finally are required to pass a annual water mans swim examination which is a bit more challenging than a 600 foot surface swim. I would think this would be rather easy ( fill your wing turn your back toward home and start kicking)

So honestly what i was looking to do is buy the examination and the blessing for the times that I would be wanting to solo dive on a commercial charter. So if folks have had the Padi self reliant diver card rejected then that would not be the one for me. So I will have to wait for a opportunity to take the course with a SDI instructor on a vacation trip.

BTW in my opinion the open water qualified diver should be able to say that he is a self reliant diver, i do not see self reliant diver as being an advanced cert/


Thanks again for everyone's responses
Herb

---------- Post added March 27th, 2015 at 08:01 PM ----------

Diving for 5 years with 700 dives in Alaska! WOW that's a lot of diving.

Not really I am in the water every week, I live 5 mins from the ocean , I have my own dive boat, have my own 24 tank tank farm, fill my own tanks with a max air 90 and finally drill 2 to 3 times per month with my PSD team, and finally finance my dive fetish with some light commercial dive work.
Herb

 

[Nemrod]

So honestly what i was looking to do is buy the examination and the blessing for the times that I would be wanting to solo dive on a commercial charter.

Well, you are not the first to come up with the idea of buying a cert. Thing is, I do not have the Padi Reliant Diver so I cannot have had it rejected but I certainly have had the SDI Solo rejected. See, there just are not going to be any guarantees. The heard of lemmings have been so conditioned to the idea they will drown a horrible death of a tummy cramp if they dive solo. You might as well have antennas growing out of your head like Uncle Martin when you see the looks you get when you lay that (SDI Solo) card down.

N

 

[73diver]

Terminology is a problem: My basic C-card states that I am an 'autonomous' diver. This is a European term for a beginner open-water diver; but, it sounds like a bit more. Because buddies are sometimes unavailable, I wanted to perform mid-week dives at a local quarry that allows solo diving for 'properly certified solo divers'. I couldn't find an SDI instructor so I inquired if the PADI Self Reliant diver was accepted by the quarry management. As it turned out a significant number of PADI Self Reliant certifications are performed at that quarry so, no problem.

 

[Bigd2722]

Well, you are not the first to come up with the idea of buying a cert. Thing is, I do not have the Padi Reliant Diver so I cannot have had it rejected but I certainly have had the SDI Solo rejected. See, there just are not going to be any guarantees. The heard of lemmings have been so conditioned to the idea they will drown a horrible death of a tummy cramp if they dive solo. You might as well have antennas growing out of your head like Uncle Martin when you see the looks you get when you lay that (SDI Solo) card down.

N

Curious, I dive mostly in Florida and just got my solo cert. where have you had the solo cert rejected?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I'm curious, have any of you divemasters/instructors/etc., been turned down on a dive boat for solo diving after showing your pro card?

 

[Nemrod]

Curious, I dive mostly in Florida and just got my solo cert. where have you had the solo cert rejected?

You see, that is a typical question and as I have told people in similar threads, I am not into giving out names in the open forum. The dive ops are not specifically targeting me with their general nannyisms, but everyone, usually me less than others. The Keys in particular, particularly the upper Keys. If you wish to know, then PM me. One of them recently went TU, good riddance, the captain was a total jackarse. But the answer is pretty much all of them. Therei s a reason diving in the Keys is dropping off. Though this last trip down there was a glimmer of hope, it seems several are now providing the course so I cannot see how they can continue to refuse solo certified divers.

My general problem with the Keys is the stifling, ever changing ridiculous local rules about silly things like where your fins should be when re-entering the boat as if people who have been diving for over 40 years cannot figure that out or worse, the last minute cancellations after it is too late to find another operator especially when it becomes apparent they knew earlier in the day etc. In other words, non professionalism and dishonesty and bad attitude and then the cherry is when they refuse to recognize a certification or try to layer additional rules on top.

N

 

[RJP]

I'm curious, have any of you divemasters/instructors/etc., been turned down on a dive boat for solo diving after showing your pro card?

I'm curious why a DM/Instructor/etc would be granted solo diving privileges based on having a pro card?

My experience is that boats generally fall into three categories:
- Anyone can dive solo
- No-one can dive solo
- Those with solo certs can dive solo

There's probably a fourth "stealth" bucket, wherein solo diving is allowed on a case-by-case basis, usually involving divers who are known entities to the dive op.

I've dove solo before being a DM or Instructor... and before being solo certified. It would never occur to me to show an instructor card in order to be allowed to dive solo. My tech cards seem to go a longer way to getting solo privileges (esp on boats where "no one can dive solo") than even the Solo Diver cert.

Though flashing a NJ Driver's License still seems to be the best way to be allowed to do your own thing.