PADI Solo Course?

[scubadada]

IMHO there is already a PADI solo level cert and they make a bunch of money from it; OWSI. Who is the instructor's buddy?

I did quite a few dives with Ocean Divers after I became an instructor through them, including 16 Draeger Dolphin dives, and I was told by the captains to be ready to splash as soon as we tied up (especially with the RB) as well as being asked to make a last diver down sweep of the site before surfacing (mostly just with the RB).

If you approach it right many operators will allow instructors to go solo, even PADI instructors.

Sorry, RB?

Thanks, Craig

 

[scubadada]

PADI will never offer a solo diver course.

However, they have approved a course that covers the same topics, called "Self Reliant Diver".

I wrote this course, and currently it's exclusively available through me. Some details of the course here: Self Reliant Diver Course Outline.

This course is better than a solo diver course - the emphasis is on having a team of divers who help each other when needed, but are also trained to deal with emergencies independently of the team.

It's a fantastic course, even if I do say so myself! I ran one last weekend, here's what one of the students on the course wrote: SRD Course - Student Testimonial.

I'm quite happy to travel to teach this course if anyone wants to do it.

Hi Andy,

The course sounds great. I'm curious if any operators who require certification to solo dive accept SRD?

Now, all I have to do is travel to NZ to take your course. I'm assuming that's included in the course fee.

Best of luck, your course is groundbreaking, Craig

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Sorry, RB?

Draeger Dolphin is a semi-closed circuit Rebreather.

 

[Tigerman]

I think PADI will "never" provide a solo diver course. "Never" being "not as long as Im interested or in need of taking one"..

 

[scubadada]

Draeger Dolphin is a semi-closed circuit Rebreather.

Thanks, I figured it out after the fact, duh. I have 103 dives with Ocean Divers, have never seen anyone dive a RB off Santana or Ocean Diver.

Craig

 

[AndyNZ]

The course sounds great. I'm curious if any operators who require certification to solo dive accept SRD?

Never been put to the test, so can't really tell you. Some of the major operators here recognise the card and it would sway them into allowing a diver they don't know to "do their own thing", but that's as much that they recognise my name as the certifying instructor.

I suspect that Mike Ball in Aus would value it, but once you get into the northern hemisphere.......

Now, all I have to do is travel to NZ to take your course. I'm assuming that's included in the course fee.

If you find a few other people, and split my flight to the US then I'll waive the course fee!

 

[carrielsal]

It's kind of ironic that the same instructors who preach against solo diving have no issues sending the Dive Master working with them down alone to set the buoys.

Carrie

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Thanks, I figured it out after the fact, duh. I have 103 dives with Ocean Divers, have never seen anyone dive a RB off Santana or Ocean Diver.

I spent ~ 2 months diving from the OD boats (nearly 200 dives) and other than my 16 dives there was also a TDI Instructor and pretty large group that did at least a weekend of trips with closed circuit RB's. Thousands of charter dive boat trips later and I have only been on 2 trips with RB divers since (one solo dive instructor each time).

 

[Bob DBF]

As PADI's statement points out and as shown by DAN, a number of diving fatalities have occurred when divers have become separated, and therefore "solo divers". QUOTE]

A breakdown in the Buddy System is not the same as an individual choosing to dive solo. In my opinion, not making that distinction in their statistics puts their scientific integrity in question.

A situation similar to to the PADI / DAN example would be to look at the fatalities caused by bicycle racers having a wheel fall off and complaining about how dangerous unicycles are.

Bob
Solo Diver

 

[BEM]

I absolutely agree with Bob DBF’s statements. Loosing your buddy is NOT the same as solo diving. I would only consider a buddy separation as a solo dive if the divers were properly equipped, trained, let topside people know and it was intentional.

In the PADI courses I took where buddy separation was addressed it mainly was: look for your buddy for one minute and if unsuccessful surface to search on the surface. The rescue course went a little further, but there was little mention of redundancy, and what to do when self-reliant diving as is in taught in the TDI/SDI Solo Course. Being separated from your buddy usually means that an unwanted situation has occurred and you’re not going to continue as a solo diver and complete the dive – you or your buddy could be in an emergency situation. PADI should include self-reliant chapters in OW, AOW and Rescue (geared to the course).

Using buddy separation statistics and categorizing them as SOLO diving incidents is extremely un- scientific and misleading. I used to skydive and if I had main and reserve parachute failures, they would classify that as a suicide or “failure to fly” syndrome.