Seeking the elusive SDI Solo Diver course...

[captain]

True, but what Clay Jar was reacting to was the comment to just forge an SDI card. That is clearly unethical and just downright wrong. That's an entirely different thing than me "creating" Divin'Hoosier Scuba Certification Agency, creating my own standards for a Solo Diving card (let's say 10 solo dives without dying) and then issuing myself a DSCA Solo Diver card. That's not dishonest, just kinda goofy.

I don't believe I or anyone else suggested forging an "SDI" card. It could just as well be Divin'Hoosier Scuba Certification Agency Solo Diver and may be just as accepted or denied as an SDI solo card.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I don't believe I or anyone else suggested forging an "SDI" card. It could just as well be Divin'Hoosier Scuba Certification Agency Solo Diver and may be just as accepted or denied as an SDI solo card.

Sorry if CJ and I both misread some of the posts. I'm not going to re-read them all, but I do believe someone, and it certainly may not have been you captain, suggested making his own SDI card. Now the comment was most likely made in jest, but IMO that's a practice that should be strongly discouraged even if not made seriously. We just don't want to go there.

EDIT. I went ahead and re-read the thread and at least for myself the idea of creating your own SDI card was not stated specifically but I thought it was implied by the context of some of the posts. I now see that the folks mentioning photoshoping one were not intending to imply he should create his own SDI card, just his own Solo Diver card from some agency of his own creation. While I don't think that's unethical, I find it crazy that any site would honor a card from an agency they're never heard of, such as Divin'Hoosier Scuba Certification Agency, DSCA.

 

[MikeFerrara]

The point I was making in support of CJ is that forging a valid agencies card is wrong. Period.

Now regarding your points, no one is forcing anyone to get any card. Certain sites have decided that they will not allow solo diving without proof of being able to do it safely.

Since I can get a card with a phone call and a check, posession of the card is demonstrably NOT proof of being able to solo dive safely.

Also of interest is the fact that one of the shops who ran a quarry AND decided to offer the SDI solo cert, even though they were a PADI 5 star and not permitted to, started requireing instructors and DM's to have a solo cert in order to even place a training float without a buddy...which was common practice for many years prior. Clearly this new requirement of pros who had done countless "solo dives" at their very own site in the past had nothing to do with safety.

It's a scam.

They've decided that the proof they'd like to see is the SDI card and maybe others if there are any. That's totally within their rights as owners of the site. Either dive with a buddy at those sites, get one of the solo certs they recognize and solo dive that site or don't dive that site at all. The decision is fully in the hands of the diver.

Personally, I like the "taking my business elsewhere" option.

Now whether or not the SDI cert actually means you're qualified to solo dive is a much more subjective question and one I'm not qualified nor interested in addressing as I'm neither an instructor nor a solo diver.[/QUOTE]

I am or have been both and I say the cert is a scam.

 

[ClayJar]

Okay, let's take it easy here. For one thing, I didn't accuse anyone of telling me to forge an SDI Solo Diver card, but when the question is how to find the SDI Solo Diver course in order to get the card, and someone answers "Photoshop one", addressing the concept of photoshopping an SDI Solo Diver card is hardly a stretch. (If that upsets you, captain, I simply ask you to write your responses in a less ambiguous manner in the future. The cost in verbosity will be easily offset by the improvement in clarity.)

As to starting my own agency (of one, as it were), while I commented, "I'd tip my hat at the entertaining audacity of someone who would make up their own agency and card", the whole *point* of this thread is that I'm trying to find the SDI Solo Diver course (as it even states in the very title of the thread). There have been several helpful replies here, but there have also been the same sort of off-topic posts that solo threads in the basic scuba forum are flooded with, just instead of "you're gonna die!", they're "make your own."


Finally, MikeFerrara, I don't care if it's a scam. If you'd like, I'll rephrase that and say I don't care *that* it's a scam. Frankly, as an unabashed optimist, I'm hopeful that I just might learn something, but as long as I get the card, I don't really care that much. Some of the places *I* want to dive solo (or the lawyers of such) have chosen to require that I have the SDI Solo Diver card before I am allowed to dive solo there. If they required that I wear a rainbow-colored neoprene propeller beanie or a dunce cap to dive there, it'd be at least as preposterous, and I'd do it anyway. I just want to dive.

I know you have a thing against the whole agency carding thing. I do not begrudge you your crusade, however, I do find it quite rude to proselytize where it is expressly unwanted. It's rude to go into DIR forums to try to convert them by arguing the merits of inflator/octos. It's quite bad form to go to the spearfishing forums and call them all evil, cold-hearted killers. It's actually prohibited to go into the solo diver forum and reply to every thread with "you're gonna die, you idiot!"

I was merely asking where to find a course I want to take. Coming in here to wax ineloquent on what's wrong with the system doesn't help me. Feel free to write up your manifesto on all that's wrong with the diving world. It's likely I'll read it, and it's also quite likely that I may agree with some of it. It simply does not belong here in this thread. I'm doing what I can to improve the diving capabilities of those around me, but I also want to dive solo at some sites that require the SDI Solo Diver card. I am enough of a pragmatist not to have a problem with that.


Now, back to the topic, the shop in Atlanta isn't open on Sunday or Monday, so sometime tomorrow the next update on that on-topic part of this thread should arrive.

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

You might try Austin AquaSports

http://austinaquasports.com/

Mapquest lists it as 7 hours.

I get my regs serviced there, but haven’t taken any classes from them. They are probably the most technical shop in town.

ClayJar, I don't tknow of you tried AquaSports. I just called them, and they do conduct the class on an 'on demand' basis. I asked if there was a minimum number of students that need to be signed up, and he said that they 'prefer to have two.'

Just trying to help...


Oh, and is it ironic that they require two students for a solo class? :blinking:

 

[ClayJar]

ClayJar, I don't know of you tried AquaSports. I just called them, and they do conduct the class on an 'on demand' basis. I asked if there was a minimum number of students that need to be signed up, and he said that they 'prefer to have two.'

Just trying to help...

I've got some friends in Atlanta (and a sister who is always out of town on business) that I wouldn't mind dropping in on, which is why I'm trying for Atlanta. I'll certainly keep Austin in mind as perhaps the next (and last) stop.

Oh, and is it ironic that they require two students for a solo class? :blinking:

Well, one has to distract the instructor while the other goes off to dive. With just one, you have to be able to outrun the instructor. It's not only harder for you, but it's also a lot harder on the instructor (who doesn't have to chase at all if he's got another diver to "distract" him while you "sneak off"). :biggrin:

 

[MikeFerrara]

I know you have a thing against the whole agency carding thing. I do not begrudge you your crusade, however, I do find it quite rude to proselytize where it is expressly unwanted.

Sorry.

It's rude to go into DIR forums to try to convert them by arguing the merits of inflator/octos. It's quite bad form to go to the spearfishing forums and call them all evil, cold-hearted killers. It's actually prohibited to go into the solo diver forum and reply to every thread with "you're gonna die, you idiot!"

Well, wait a minute. I didn't do any of that and I'm not aware of having violated the TOS at all.

I was merely asking where to find a course I want to take. Coming in here to wax ineloquent on what's wrong with the system doesn't help me. Feel free to write up your manifesto on all that's wrong with the diving world. It's likely I'll read it, and it's also quite likely that I may agree with some of it. It simply does not belong here in this thread. I'm doing what I can to improve the diving capabilities of those around me, but I also want to dive solo at some sites that require the SDI Solo Diver card. I am enough of a pragmatist not to have a problem with that.


Now, back to the topic, the shop in Atlanta isn't open on Sunday or Monday, so sometime tomorrow the next update on that on-topic part of this thread should arrive.

Assuming that the yellow pages, your local forums and the normal TDI contacts didn't help, you might try contacting Steve Lewis (doppler on this board). If anyone can find you an instructor, I'll bet he can.

 

[ClayJar]

Well, wait a minute. I didn't do any of that and I'm not aware of having violated the TOS at all.

You most certainly did not violate any TOS, and if you were off-topic, you weren't trying to be rude about it or anything. No harm done, and thank you for understanding.

(I may be quite tenacious in my pursuit of something on which I've got my mind set, but I'm also quite easy-going except when faced with extreme examples of loud-mouthed idiocy -- and those are very rare, indeed, except on the occasional dive boat. :biggrin

Assuming that the yellow pages, your local forums and the normal TDI contacts didn't help, you might try contacting Steve Lewis (doppler on this board). If anyone can find you an instructor, I'll bet he can.

While I've now verified that I have no in-state option available, I've got a few leads now, so hopefully I'm getting close to the next waypoint. I'm going to call the Atlanta shop at lunch to see whether they honestly want to bother with me or what. (I'm tempted to go hike the Smokies this weekend and just drop in on the way up. You don't think they'd mind if I showed up to ask them in person, do you? )

 

[ClayJar]

Okay, then.

The shop in Atlanta just called me (right before I went to lunch, actually). They said they have two possibilities they're working on. One is that they're going to talk to someone in SDI (higher up, I guess) who is going to be in New Orleans in the near future to see if he can help me while he's nearby. Otherwise, they'll have the class for me in September over in their area. Either way, by just after Labor Day I should know precisely what's going on, and by the end of September I should be set.

To be continued in two weeks or so...

 

[FishDiver]

OK, I will try to be helpful. There is a dive shop here in Sydney that offers the SDI class. I was on the verge of taking the class for the reasons cited by ClayJar until I discovered a local Catch-22.

The dive operators I deal with in this country either don't care about the Solo cert or they won't let you dive solo under any circumstances. Kinda killed my enthusiasm for the class.

ClayJar, combine an Australia dive trip with a solo class. I'll even show you my favorite local dive spots.

Cheers,