Self-Reliant Diver (Solo Diver) Certification in DFW?

[tursiops]

I've taught both SDI SOLO and PADI Self-Reliant. The courses are almost identical. The biggest differences are the training materials -- SDI has some, PADI does not -- and the number of required OW dives: 2 for SDI, 3 for PADI. The SDI standards also allow a SpareAir as a redundant air supply, which is ludicrous, and I don't know any SDI instructors that allow that. Some dive operators will not accept the Self-Reliant card because they think it does not mean solo. They are wrong, but it is their dive operation. I used to teach the class using the SDI materials and the PADI standards, and give the student both cards. You are correct, the course value is mainly up to the instructor.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @tursiops

What does PADI use the 3rd dive for? An independent solo dive? In the 2 SDI dives, we had plenty of time for skills and many extras, just can't imagine what the 3rd dive would be for. In general, it would be an extra boat trip, I guess not in Bonaire

 

[tursiops]

Hi @tursiops

What does PADI use the 3rd dive for? An independent solo dive? In the 2 SDI dives, we had plenty of time for skills and many extras, just can't imagine what the 3rd dive would be for. In general, it would be an extra boat trip, I guess not in Bonaire

Roughly speaking, dive one is a skills workup, dive 2 is a simulated solo dive with things going wrong as directed by the instructor, and dive 3 is an indirectly supervised solo dive that is planned for run time and gas usage and certain skill things.
Why do any of them have to be a boat dive?

 

[scubadada]

...Why do any of them have to be a boat dive?

They don't have to be, in many locations, they are. As per my example, I would expect none of them would be in Bonaire.

My son and I did Deep Diver in Grand Cayman in 2004. Our last dive was a planned and executed deep wall dive. It was the same as many, many dives we had executed in the prior 6 to 7 years, a piece of cake. An independent (oxymoron) solo dive would largely be the same for many of us.

 

[tursiops]

They don't have to be, in many locations, they are. As per my example, I would expect none of them would be in Bonaire.

My son and I did Deep Diver in Grand Cayman in 2004. Our last dive was a planned and executed deep wall dive. It was the same as many, many dives we had executed in the prior 6 to 7 years, a piece of cake. An independent (oxymoron) solo dive would largely be the same for many of us.

I don't know how many solo/s-r students I've had, but none of them had done a solo dive before. They wanted the knowledge, not the card.

 

[scubadada]

I don't know how many solo/s-r students I've had, but none of them had done a solo dive before. They wanted the knowledge, not the card.

No problem, I had done hundreds of solo dives prior to my SDI solo certification

 

[tursiops]

No problem, I had done hundreds of solo dives prior to my SDI solo certification

So you can imagine your attitude and course appreciation might have been rather different from that of "real" students.

 

[scubadada]

So you can imagine your attitude and course appreciation might have been rather different from that of "real" students.

I was a real student and wanted my cert. I actually thought my SDI course at JDC was quite good. Excellent classroom in the morning and two good dives in the afternoon. I don't remember all the skills, no mask swim, one fin, smb from primary, SMB from pony, several switches from primary to pony, doff and don on the bottom, doff and don mid-water... Anybody who passed this class would be in pretty good shape to consder solo diving. The fact that I already had many solo dives does not change my evaluation of the experience

 

[tursiops]

With all your prior experience, the 2 SDI dives were sufficient. It really does take the three for most students.