MikeSK
Guest
i could see them not allowing it on general principle, however, if you have the cert it should at least satisfy the liablity issue. Unless its not a recognized cert.
Solo certification
- Thread starter DiveDocMD
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I
idocsteve
Guest
I admit I have no clue how cross- certification works but it would be "nice" if one certifying agency recognizes that of another.
Its my understanding that if you've got a YMCA certification you can dive with a PADI facility, so why couldn't you dive with a PADI OP if you've got an SDI certification?
Then again I'm being reasonable and logical whereas most individuals don't function that way. I can see why some shortsighted dive Ops might shake their heads and say "Nope sorry we don't take that C-card here".
Diving Italy
Registered
I always wondered about this. I mean, here in Italy I could walk out into the water and dive all I wanted solo without a word said to me. The last time I looked there wasn't a "PADI Police" car waiting in the water 
so I always wondered what the point of this cert was (other than more training).
What do you learn in this course?
so I always wondered what the point of this cert was (other than more training).What do you learn in this course?
rjchandler
Contributor
rjchandler
Contributor
I
idocsteve
Guest
I'm a certified Solo diver, I trust no one but myself, and being involuntarily paired up with a diver who is now my responsibility and liability is not something I am willing to accept.
With the exception of my newly certified girlfriend and the rare trip I might take to dive with family members, I prefer to dive alone.
Being "Nice" has absolutely nothing to do with it.
rjchandler
Contributor
Does the word "jerk" ring a bell
I'm sure there are exception but dive shops in general set there own guidelines for diving. Nearly all of them look for one thing - an open water dive certification. If they are offering some special dive such as a wreck penetration they MIGHT look for something else. I've actually tried to use advanced and rescue cards thinking I was something special and they just said "let us see the open water card". I will say that my Instructor rating gets me occasional discounts however.
I ran 2 dive operation and wouldn't have allowed anyone to dive solo regardless of any training they might have. It's just a personal choice. I'm not sure I'd even dive on a boat if I found someone bragging about being a "solo" diver. I've certainly been with divers that did their own thing but they didn't need to prove anything to anyone by paying someone to tell them it was okay to dive by themselves and give them a card to say it was okay. Either you think it's okay or you don't. You don't need a card to prove it anymore than you need a card to prove you can dive below 60 feet. My wife has been diving all over the world at depths up to 110 feet and NOT ONE dive operation has ever asked for anything except an open water certification card.
I'm sure a place like a local quarry is only protecting itself from some liability by asking for the card. There is certainly nothing stopping LOANERS from hitting the water together and then separating. Who knows though, they might actually learn something from each other if they stuck together but then again I suppose they could teach each other bad habits. Oh well, to each his/her own. Luckily most divers like sharing the experiences together. I think the sport would totally fold if solo diving was all that existed.
I ran 2 dive operation and wouldn't have allowed anyone to dive solo regardless of any training they might have. It's just a personal choice. I'm not sure I'd even dive on a boat if I found someone bragging about being a "solo" diver. I've certainly been with divers that did their own thing but they didn't need to prove anything to anyone by paying someone to tell them it was okay to dive by themselves and give them a card to say it was okay. Either you think it's okay or you don't. You don't need a card to prove it anymore than you need a card to prove you can dive below 60 feet. My wife has been diving all over the world at depths up to 110 feet and NOT ONE dive operation has ever asked for anything except an open water certification card.
I'm sure a place like a local quarry is only protecting itself from some liability by asking for the card. There is certainly nothing stopping LOANERS from hitting the water together and then separating. Who knows though, they might actually learn something from each other if they stuck together but then again I suppose they could teach each other bad habits. Oh well, to each his/her own. Luckily most divers like sharing the experiences together. I think the sport would totally fold if solo diving was all that existed.
I
idocsteve
Guest
I always wondered about this. I mean, here in Italy I could walk out into the water and dive all I wanted solo without a word said to me. The last time I looked there wasn't a "PADI Police" car waiting in the water
What do you learn in this course?
Well, if you're shore diving and you don't need to rent gear then a Solo card won't do you much good, however if you're looking to dive solo off a boat then you've gotta get the ok from the crew, and that's probably not going to happen without a solo card. As I said it might not happen even if you've got one. However, if you're paired up with others, having the card does give you the "authority" to tell them that you're solo certified and to tell your "instabuddy" that you prefer to dive alone and they might be best off diving with someone else.
As far as training goes, in the Solo diver certification course you're taught how to equip yourself for redundancy with signal devices, cutting tools, and of course a backup gas supply; since you're the only one who can get you out of a jam, whether it's a low or out of gas emergency or an entanglement, to name the most common scenarios a diver might find themselves in, and during the test, given the opportunity to demonstrate that you can remain coolheaded when totally wrapped up in a line at depth.
ianr33
Contributor
My GUESS is thats the rub. SDI recognizes it. PADI does not
I solo dive fairly often but don't have a card for it because:
1)I dont need it
2)I believe my trimix and cave training to be more than adequate training for solo diving.(And in any case,the SDI card only allows solo diving within recreational limits)
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