drrich2
Contributor
A course can also help you 'grow into solo.' When I got my SDI Solo cert., I didn't quit buddy diving, and I'm considerably more cautious about approaching a prospective dive solo than I am with a dive guide. Particularly a new site. On a trip to Key Largo last September I got in 20 dives following the guide, and never once said anything like 'Hey, I'm solo. See you back on the boat.' I solo shore dive at a local quarry, and hope to do so in Bonaire.
My point is, not everyone who chooses to dive solo immediately starts 'pushing the envelope.' It's possible to proceed with 'baby steps first,' even as we realize any dive can potentially be fatal. So the degree of mastery necessarily to mitigate the risk isn't equal across all dives. A shallow quarry dive with no current right near shore that's a repeat and familiar is different from an ocean dive with moderate current at a new site, for example.
Richard.
My point is, not everyone who chooses to dive solo immediately starts 'pushing the envelope.' It's possible to proceed with 'baby steps first,' even as we realize any dive can potentially be fatal. So the degree of mastery necessarily to mitigate the risk isn't equal across all dives. A shallow quarry dive with no current right near shore that's a repeat and familiar is different from an ocean dive with moderate current at a new site, for example.
Richard.