PADI Self Reliant vs SDI Solo

[Pyramid65]

The wording is kinda the point with PADI. You said it perfectly a solo dive will be self reliant but a self reliant dive may not always be solo. The skill sets for a self reliant diver and solo diver are essentially the same.

With this course PADI makes the point that you don't HAVE to be SOLO. You may if you wish but it's not required. This course is meant for divers whom wish to dive solo, or are in situations where they need to be self reliant due to their situation, like a dive master,instructor, photographer, tech diver, overhead diver.



As far as I know our local quarries accept the PADI card all the same and I have yet to be asked by a local wreck boat in NJ or NY for my solo diver card.

Not sure what quarries you're diving in as you are from NY but the only quarry I go to in PA doesn't let you dive Solo with a PADI Self Reliant card

 

[ffdiver]

That is a very recent development, that I and other PADI instructors are working on

 

[Pyramid65]

I doubt it will happen based on a legal standpoint...every diver is "self reliant" but not every diver is "solo"

 

[scubadada]

A few points.

A nation that lives in a courtroom has no care for voice or body language.
Intent is determined based on punctuation and word usage.
In sports like ours laws do not make tue rules the Insurance companies make them, Whats legal is not always covered.

the 2 terms solo diver and self reliant diver.... which one says I can take care of my self and dive alone and which says i can take care of my self .

The self reliant name is a bad name. legally is says you have not given up buddy diving. It says to me one has the skills to make up for unskilled buddies.
The name solo diver says i can dive alone. It is no wonder that ins companies will say coverage exists for divers with SOLO cards with no mention of self reliant.

OPINION::::::: With a SOLO card You are in good hands. With a self reliant card you are in quicksand telling the cat to go get help.

I'm in the SDI Solo course now....turns out the PADI course is useless for me anyway...I don't need to be a better buddy I want to dive alone

That is a very recent development, that I and other PADI instructors are working on

All my training since 1997 has been PADI, I got a SDI solo diver cert, 100% successful to date at ops that allow solo diving

 

[markmud]

I doubt it will happen based on a legal standpoint...every diver is "self reliant" but not every diver is "solo"

Hi Pyramid,

I got the PADI solo cert (self-reliant). But, I did try to get the SDI cert first because of the issues that you are referring to; although, all dive operators who allow Solo Diving have accepted my PADI cert.

I did not get the SDI cert because of geography. The closest dive shop that offered the SDI cert was in LA--and I was prepared to make the trip. But the LDS did not want to teach the class even though it was advertised on their internet site. They wouldn't even entertain the idea even though I definitely met the prerequisites.

The PADI course is described by PADI as a solo cert. It has made me a better buddy. PADI's course accomplishes both of their goals--Solo diving and a self-reliant buddy.

Had I had an equal opportunity to get the SDI cert, I would have, to avoid the misconceptions that you have written about.

The solo cert is a good one to have.

Good luck!

markm

 

[olphart]

So you put a few more puffs of air in the BC. Or carry a bit less weight? It's a little more drag, assuming it's slung, but not much.

Now do it in full sidemount gear. I thought about doing the course in a wetsuit and a pony, but figured it was kinda cheating, so I geared up in drysuit, sidemount rig and did the swim on my back.
The bottles hanging down added a little more fun when they snagged on some branches just under the surface.

No point making it too easy. Besides, how often am I diving warm water on a single tank?

 

[Pyramid65]

Completed the SDI Solo Diver course.....had a great instructor that added a bunch of skills to the dives...looking forward to a dive where I don't have to look over my shoulder

 

[markmud]

Completed the SDI Solo Diver course.....had a great instructor that added a bunch of skills to the dives...looking forward to a dive where I don't have to look over my shoulder

Congratulations!!

I am very glad I did it. I am sure it will work out well for you to.

Let us know how your first "certified" solo dive went.

markm

 

[Schwob]

Hey All, I am just starting my OWD class tomorrow and just signed into this forum today (because of this thread), so I have really no business in replying on this thread on this forum just yet and hope I am not offending anyone by doing so anyway, to say and ask this:

-1-Thank you for the forum and the thread. Good thread.
It aids my sanity to know that there are such people, because if you are a safety concious, considerate, well planning (etc.), self reliant person at heart for all your life, reading through the PADI OWD manual in preparation for the class sure makes you wonder what kind of follow the herd thing you are about to sign up for... - Someone in this thread has a link in his signature to (some outfit ? called) lonesheepdiving or such. I am new to this, don't even dive just yet, but that right now after reading through this book is funny to me!

-2- Well, not sure I should ask an equipment question and a somewhat open ended one at that here, but I sure do not have to worry about making a fool out of myself anymore, so I dare:
So, if your ultimate goal (down the road) is to be say a self reliant (or really, more truthfully: solo) diver, sometimes kayak diver (I got the kayak skills covered),
(the issue of air supply is there of course when one truly thinks of being self reliant... - unless one succumbs to solar powered hookah or miracles in rebreather cost etc. are going to happen (yeah there is the noise in scuba, but as long as real rebreathers cost more than low end scuba compressors they are a long way from being interesting to me) - anyway, ignore that for the moment)
- so if one fancies oneself to be that kind of diver some day down the road and if one is frugal (is there such a thing as a frugal diver?) --- what initial equipment is "safe" to buy initially, while just starting out because it will be used long enough before it is going to be replaced with something better or more upgrade or more "tech" --- and what equipment might I consider upgrading to certain features right away (and for what reason) instead of sinking money into "getting started level stuff"?
- Or asking the same sort of differently: what kind of features / performance spec etc. does an experienced "self reliant diver" not want to miss in their kit?

Thanks.

 

[Nemrod]

- Or asking the same sort of differently: what kind of features / performance spec etc. does an experienced "self reliant diver" not want to miss in their kit?

Thanks.

As little equipment as possible.

Just purchase name branded gear as any SCUBA diver would use. I look for time proven designs without all the "bells and whistles" that are easily serviced. I prefer a wing/BP but that is a choice, a simple BC will suffice.

One of the things I like about a wing/BP is flexibility, for example, I can vary the wing displacement to suit my exposure protection and I can go weight integrated (tropical/warm) or use a weight belt (temperate/cool).

I do not use an octopus in single tank solo configuration, I remove it as a potential complication. If I need redundancy I need robust redundancy such as an auxiliary bottle or independent or isolation manifolded doubles.

And, as a general statement, I believe in being able to jettison enough weight to establish (significant) positive buoyancy.

N