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The following information is taken directly from the written standards for each course.
SSI “Independent Diving”
Intent
The SSI Independent Diving program provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to safely and comfortably dive without a designated dive buddy using redundant gas supplies.
Minimum Instructor Rating
An active status Independent Diving Specialty Instructor may conduct the Independent Diving Specialty program.
Student Prerequisites
SDI “Solo Diver”
23.1 Introduction
The objective of this course is to train divers in the benefits, hazards, and proper procedures for diving solo.
Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may engage in solo diving activities.
23.2 Who May Teach
An active SDI Solo Diver Instructor that has been certified to teach this specialty.
To qualify to teach the Solo Diver Program the instructor must:
1. Be minimum age 21
2. Have minimum 1 year teaching experience
3. Have certified 50 or more students at diver-level
4. This rating may be obtained by administrative upgrade, or by completing a course with an SDI Solo Diver Instructor Trainer but the prerequisites remain the same either way
23.3 Student to Instructor Ratio
Academic
1. Unlimited, so long as adequate facility, supplies and time are provided to ensure comprehensive and complete training of subject matter
Confined Water (swimming pool-like conditions)
1. N/A
Open Water (ocean, lake, quarry, spring, river or estuary)
1. A maximum of 8 students per instructor; it is the instructor’s discretion to reduce this number as conditions dictate
23.4 Student Prerequisites
1. Minimum age 21
2. SDI Advanced Diver or equivalent
3. Provide proof of 100 logged dives
23.5 Course Structure and Duration
Open Water Execution
1. Two dives are required with complete briefs and debriefs by the instructor
2. Dive plan must include surface interval, maximum no-decompression time, etc. to be figured out and logged
Course Structure
1. SDI allows instructors to structure courses according to the number of students participating and their skill level
23.6 Administrative Requirements
Administrative Tasks:
1. Collect the course fees from all the students
2. Ensure that the students have the required equipment
3. Communicate the schedule to the students
4. Have the students complete the:
Upon successful completion of this specialty the instructor must:
1. Issue the appropriate SDI certification by submitting the SDI Diver Registration Form to SDI Headquarters or registering the students online through member’s area of the SDI website
23.7 Training Material
Required material:
1. SDI Solo Diver Student Manual
2. SDI Solo Diver I.Q Review
3. SDI Solo Diver Instructor Guide
Optional material:
1. SDI Solo Diver planning slate
23.8 Required Equipment
1. Basic open water scuba equipment as described in section three of this manual with exception of a safe second, or octopus, is not allowed as a redundant air source.
2. One of the following must be used to provide an additional independent regulator attached to an air source: pony cylinder, twin cylinders with isolation, H-valve, independent doubles, or SpareAir™
23.9 Approved Outline
Instructors may use any additional text or materials that they feel help present these topics.
The following topics must be covered:
1. Why We Must Solo Dive
23.10 Required Skill Performance and Graduation Requirements
Skills are to be performed in open water.
The student is required to demonstrate understanding of the techniques to properly execute a solo dive.
Swimming skills
1. 200 metres / 600 feet surface swim in full scuba equipment, configured for local diving conditions; must be non-stop and performed in an open water environment
Scuba skills
1. Demonstrate adequate pre-dive planning
2. Limits based on personal gas consumption
3. Exact dive and/or decompression profile
4. Properly execute the planned dive within all predetermined limits
5. Equipment configuration appropriate for solo diving
7. Proper safety stop procedures
8. Monitoring of decompression status equipment; tables, computers, equipment
9. Navigation skills
11. Deploy surface marker and use of surface audible signaling device
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The following information is taken directly from the written standards for each course.
SSI “Independent Diving”
Intent
The SSI Independent Diving program provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to safely and comfortably dive without a designated dive buddy using redundant gas supplies.
Minimum Instructor Rating
An active status Independent Diving Specialty Instructor may conduct the Independent Diving Specialty program.
Student Prerequisites
- Minimum age: 18 years old.
- Have logged at least 75 open water dives totaling 50 hours or more.
- Deep Diving
- Navigation
- Night & Limited Visibility
- Diver Stress & Rescue
- Recommended hours for completion: 10-15.
- Maximum open water depth limit: 30 meters.
- The student-to-instructor ratio is 4:1.
- During in-water skill evaluations, the students must remain under direct supervision of the SSI Professional so that physical contact can be made at any time.
- Complete all academic sessions and assessments outlined in the instructor manual for Independent Diving.
- Complete the program’s final exam.
- Complete at least one (1) pool/confined water session as outlined in the instructor manual for Independent Diving.
- Complete at least three (3) open water training dives as outlined in the instructor manual for Independent Diving.
- A pool/confined water training session is mandatory prior to any training dives in open water.
- The purpose of this session is to assess the general skill level of the student, and to train them in the use of the specialty equipment prior to any open water training.
- Upon completion of all academic and in-water requirements, the SSI Professional may issue the program’s digital certification card.
- Certified SSI Independent Diving divers can dive with or without a designated buddy in environments equivalent to their training and within the recommended depth limits of their certifications.
SDI “Solo Diver”
23.1 Introduction
The objective of this course is to train divers in the benefits, hazards, and proper procedures for diving solo.
Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may engage in solo diving activities.
23.2 Who May Teach
An active SDI Solo Diver Instructor that has been certified to teach this specialty.
To qualify to teach the Solo Diver Program the instructor must:
1. Be minimum age 21
2. Have minimum 1 year teaching experience
3. Have certified 50 or more students at diver-level
4. This rating may be obtained by administrative upgrade, or by completing a course with an SDI Solo Diver Instructor Trainer but the prerequisites remain the same either way
23.3 Student to Instructor Ratio
Academic
1. Unlimited, so long as adequate facility, supplies and time are provided to ensure comprehensive and complete training of subject matter
Confined Water (swimming pool-like conditions)
1. N/A
Open Water (ocean, lake, quarry, spring, river or estuary)
1. A maximum of 8 students per instructor; it is the instructor’s discretion to reduce this number as conditions dictate
23.4 Student Prerequisites
1. Minimum age 21
2. SDI Advanced Diver or equivalent
3. Provide proof of 100 logged dives
23.5 Course Structure and Duration
Open Water Execution
1. Two dives are required with complete briefs and debriefs by the instructor
2. Dive plan must include surface interval, maximum no-decompression time, etc. to be figured out and logged
Course Structure
1. SDI allows instructors to structure courses according to the number of students participating and their skill level
23.6 Administrative Requirements
Administrative Tasks:
1. Collect the course fees from all the students
2. Ensure that the students have the required equipment
3. Communicate the schedule to the students
4. Have the students complete the:
a. SDI Solo Diver Liability Release and Express Assumption of Risk Agreement Form
b. SDI Medical Statement Form
Upon successful completion of this specialty the instructor must:
1. Issue the appropriate SDI certification by submitting the SDI Diver Registration Form to SDI Headquarters or registering the students online through member’s area of the SDI website
23.7 Training Material
Required material:
1. SDI Solo Diver Student Manual
2. SDI Solo Diver I.Q Review
3. SDI Solo Diver Instructor Guide
Optional material:
1. SDI Solo Diver planning slate
23.8 Required Equipment
1. Basic open water scuba equipment as described in section three of this manual with exception of a safe second, or octopus, is not allowed as a redundant air source.
2. One of the following must be used to provide an additional independent regulator attached to an air source: pony cylinder, twin cylinders with isolation, H-valve, independent doubles, or SpareAir™
23.9 Approved Outline
Instructors may use any additional text or materials that they feel help present these topics.
The following topics must be covered:
1. Why We Must Solo Dive
a. History of buddy diving
b. Pros and cons of buddy diving
c. Pros and cons of solo diving
d. Legal liability assumed by buddy diving
i. How to use the solo diving waiver
2. Who Must Solo Divea. Prerequisites and practicalities
3. Solo Diving Mentalitya. Self-reliance
b. Self-rescue
4. When Not to Solo Divea. Overhead environments
b. Decompression and deep diving
5. Equipment for Solo Divinga. Redundant air sources: pony cylinder, twin cylinders with isolation, independent doubles, SpareAir™
b. Regulators
c. Buoyancy compensator devices (BCD)
d. Exposure suits
e. Dive knives and other cutting tools
f. Surface marker buoys and floatation devices
g. Safety reels
h. Underwater navigational tools
i. Current and ascent lines
j. Surface audible signaling devices
k. Dye markers, signal mirrors or flares
l. Emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs)
m. Equipment configuration appropriate for solo diving; stream lining equipment
6. Planning and Conducting a Solo Divea. Dive site selection and pre-dive considerations
b. Filing notification of planned dive activities
c. Contingency planning
d. Equipment configuration appropriate for solo diving
e. Gas management
f. Avoiding entanglements
7. Navigationa. Why navigation skills are important to the solo diver
b. Use of a mechanical compass
c. Electronic compass
d. Underwater diver tracking systems
8. Management of Solo Diving Emergenciesa. Free-flowing regulators
b. BCD inflator malfunctions
c. Mask problems
d. Managing currents
e. Entanglements
f. Unintended decompression obligations
g. Panic and stress management techniques
h. Use of surface marker buoys and location devices
9. Review the SDI Solo Diver Liability Release and Express Assumption of Risk Agreement Forma. How students use the SDI Solo Diver Liability Release and Express Assumption of Risk Agreement Form
i. During training
ii. Post training at dive locations
23.10 Required Skill Performance and Graduation Requirements
Skills are to be performed in open water.
The student is required to demonstrate understanding of the techniques to properly execute a solo dive.
Swimming skills
1. 200 metres / 600 feet surface swim in full scuba equipment, configured for local diving conditions; must be non-stop and performed in an open water environment
Scuba skills
1. Demonstrate adequate pre-dive planning
2. Limits based on personal gas consumption
3. Exact dive and/or decompression profile
4. Properly execute the planned dive within all predetermined limits
5. Equipment configuration appropriate for solo diving
a. Streamlining equipment
b. How to use and carry a redundant air supply
6. Proper descent / ascent rates7. Proper safety stop procedures
8. Monitoring of decompression status equipment; tables, computers, equipment
9. Navigation skills
a. Demonstrate proficiency of navigation with compass
10. Demonstrate emergency change over to a backup regulator or bailout scuba at a depth not exceeding 30 metres / 100 feet11. Deploy surface marker and use of surface audible signaling device
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