For those who might be interested in hearing about the experience, I just returned from an SDI solo diver course in Thailand. From pervious threads, I know that there are strong feelings both ways about the practice of solo diving and the SDI training. If there are specific comments about aspects of the training, please discuss. But, regarding comments that are disparaging about the PRINCIPLE of solo diving or training for solo, why not start your own thread to voice those ideas. Many thanks in advance, and sorry for what I now see is a longish post
The two-day course began with a full day of classroom study. This consisted of learning about solo doctrine and redundant systems, dive planning, navigation, contingency planning, emergency planning, and then some time hands on in the shop with various equipment that one may or may not have experience with (various BCs, Bp/w setups, octos, redundant valve systems, different pony configurations, deployable surface buoy designs, storage systems). It was a long first day, about 8 hours.
The next day, were two dives. Initially, we got a base SAC rate at 10 meters, then I had a chance to use some DSBs, and get a feel for the extra equipment I was wearing. Also took some time to get trimmed out with the pony in the rear, and then slung in front for a change of placement.
In the next step of the first phase, we worked on skills that consisted of loss of mask (requiring use of spare), breathing off a free flow reg, loss of primary air (required switch to redundant system), runaway BC inflation (required quick disconnect of inflator hose and venting), BC entanglement (which required removal of scuba unit to free oneself, then put on again). The instructor had cue cards which indicated these conditions, and I had to react. At depth, he would flash a card and I had to react. Then he began to flash groups of cards in rapid sequence: loss of mask, then a second later runaway BC, then loss of primary air. These sequences got faster and more complicated. Basically, the instructor tried his best to kill me (as a dressed rehearsal). It was quite exciting. I think he was also trying to find my limit.
After these stationary drills, we began a casual dive where he would ambush me by tearing off my mask or cutting air, or flashing cards in groups. I about reached my limit once. He tore off my mask, I replace it with the spare, then he indicated my primary air was gone, so I went to pony. Then he tore off my second mask, so I had none. Then he indicated entanglement, so I had to take off my scuba unit. Then immediately, he indicated stuck BC inflator, and hit my inflator button once. Well, I had no mask, was on the pony, had my BC off and then had the whole lot floating away up to the surface with me by the umbilicus. I caught it, and vented a bit of air, and tried to pull it back down, but I had not vented enough air. I should have vented more air, before pulling it back down but I didnt, so I struggled more than I needed to and it took me more time than needed to get back into sorts. Lesson learned
With that behind me, I had to do the last checkout dive. We went to a site where I was given a max dive time based on my SAC, site depth and main air (in rule of thirds), minimum air to come back with (1/3 or 70 bar), a max depth, and told where to come up. If the dive was overtime by more than several minutes, fail, if main air reserve was below 70 bar, fail, if max depth was more than 2 meters below that planned, fail, if diver surfaced more than 50 meters from boat, fail. Since I was in Thailand on a totally new dive site, I was most concerned about navigation, especially since visibility was total crap at the site. I managed to pull off the nav, and the other parameters are rather natural to control, so I completed the requirements. Last were a couple monster swims (****! Thought those were behind me with DM training!).:11:
The next day, I enjoyed my first day of solo diving in Thailand. It is now good to know that when I go to Thailand (or other places), I now have that option with SDI/TDI dive operators (as long as they offer the course, they have to offer the activity, in theory anyway). Before going, I also had confirmation with two of my favorite dive operators locally that with the card I can dive solo (now with their blessing
).
JAG
The two-day course began with a full day of classroom study. This consisted of learning about solo doctrine and redundant systems, dive planning, navigation, contingency planning, emergency planning, and then some time hands on in the shop with various equipment that one may or may not have experience with (various BCs, Bp/w setups, octos, redundant valve systems, different pony configurations, deployable surface buoy designs, storage systems). It was a long first day, about 8 hours.
The next day, were two dives. Initially, we got a base SAC rate at 10 meters, then I had a chance to use some DSBs, and get a feel for the extra equipment I was wearing. Also took some time to get trimmed out with the pony in the rear, and then slung in front for a change of placement.
In the next step of the first phase, we worked on skills that consisted of loss of mask (requiring use of spare), breathing off a free flow reg, loss of primary air (required switch to redundant system), runaway BC inflation (required quick disconnect of inflator hose and venting), BC entanglement (which required removal of scuba unit to free oneself, then put on again). The instructor had cue cards which indicated these conditions, and I had to react. At depth, he would flash a card and I had to react. Then he began to flash groups of cards in rapid sequence: loss of mask, then a second later runaway BC, then loss of primary air. These sequences got faster and more complicated. Basically, the instructor tried his best to kill me (as a dressed rehearsal). It was quite exciting. I think he was also trying to find my limit.
After these stationary drills, we began a casual dive where he would ambush me by tearing off my mask or cutting air, or flashing cards in groups. I about reached my limit once. He tore off my mask, I replace it with the spare, then he indicated my primary air was gone, so I went to pony. Then he tore off my second mask, so I had none. Then he indicated entanglement, so I had to take off my scuba unit. Then immediately, he indicated stuck BC inflator, and hit my inflator button once. Well, I had no mask, was on the pony, had my BC off and then had the whole lot floating away up to the surface with me by the umbilicus. I caught it, and vented a bit of air, and tried to pull it back down, but I had not vented enough air. I should have vented more air, before pulling it back down but I didnt, so I struggled more than I needed to and it took me more time than needed to get back into sorts. Lesson learned
With that behind me, I had to do the last checkout dive. We went to a site where I was given a max dive time based on my SAC, site depth and main air (in rule of thirds), minimum air to come back with (1/3 or 70 bar), a max depth, and told where to come up. If the dive was overtime by more than several minutes, fail, if main air reserve was below 70 bar, fail, if max depth was more than 2 meters below that planned, fail, if diver surfaced more than 50 meters from boat, fail. Since I was in Thailand on a totally new dive site, I was most concerned about navigation, especially since visibility was total crap at the site. I managed to pull off the nav, and the other parameters are rather natural to control, so I completed the requirements. Last were a couple monster swims (****! Thought those were behind me with DM training!).:11:
The next day, I enjoyed my first day of solo diving in Thailand. It is now good to know that when I go to Thailand (or other places), I now have that option with SDI/TDI dive operators (as long as they offer the course, they have to offer the activity, in theory anyway). Before going, I also had confirmation with two of my favorite dive operators locally that with the card I can dive solo (now with their blessing
).JAG
