Solo diving certification

[waterpirate]

My point exactly. I go diving, not off in a huff to storm the ticket office for a refund! The funniest stealth dive I ever pulled off was actually a stealth entry. In Fla. the mate was gearing up for a hot drop to hook in the chain. I was already told that solo was a " no go". The mate rolled in with the chain and I was right behind him. When I boarded the boat after a looong leisurely dive, the mate asked me what was up with that? I told him my buddy left me so I finished my dive solo, I was confident that my buddy made it back to the boat safe. We had a lot of good laughs over a lot of beers with the mate and capt. after the boat tied up that day.
YMMV
Eric

 

[scubadada]

I think there's also the potentially larger group of solo cert divers that don't care much one way or the other. While I'd consider myself very serious about diving without a buddy... I also try very hard to not dive with a chip on my shoulder.

Case in point: Caribbean Sea Sports & Go West Diving in Curacao. Been diving with both on multiple trips. Will do so again. Both are great ops. CSS is on-site at the Marriott my family loves. GoWest has great people, boats, access to Westpunt sites, etc. When I enquired about solo diving at each in preparation for my first trip to Curacao years ago they both said "Sorry dude, we're not set up for that. But we hope you'll come out with us anyway. We guarantee you'll have a great time!"

Instead of this triggering the visceral reaction that some here would have of hopping onto SB and starting a "Death to the Nanny State Dive Op Overlords!" thread my reaction was "Sounds good... see you on Tuesday!"

As a "serious" solo diver, my order of preference when it come to choosing a dive op based on their solo dive policy is as follows:

1. Dive solo with tajkd as my "solo diving partner" or "buddy" with whatever op we specifically want to dive with for other, more important reasons
2. Dive solo by myself if the op I specifically want to dive with for other, more important reasons officially allows/supports solo diving for solo certified divers
3. Dive solo by myself if the op I specifically want to dive with for other, more important reasons unofficially condones solo diving by qualified folks (certified or not)
4. Dive solo by myself if the op I specifically want to dive with for other, more important reasons knows me and specifically lets me do my own thing
5. Dive solo by myself if the op I specifically want to dive with for other, more important reasons doesn't care one way or the other
6. Dive with the op I specifically want to dive with for other, more important reasons EVEN IF THEY DON'T PROMOTE, ALLOW, OR CONDONE SOLO DIVING buddied up with pretty much any diver that is willing to buddy up with me.
7. There is no #7 scenario in which I'd storm off in a huff with my solo card and try to find some other dive op to dive with that would allow solo diving instead of diving with the dive op I specifically selected for more important reasons than their stance on solo diving

This approach has yet to let me down in two respects:
- I've always had great dives with any dive op I've ever used
- I've never encountered any of the "chip on their shoulder" solo divers that are common here on SB; apparently they always​ dive with other dive ops

I think this is actually the strategy many of us use successfully. Though I prefer to dive with my family, a few friends, or by myself, I don't mind taking less experienced divers or divers unfamiliar with the reefs, on drift dives in Boynton Beach. It's fun watching them have a good time and progressing toward becoming self sufficient. They ascend on the flag when they run run out of gas, leaving me alone to finish the dive

 

[Nemrod]

I do not know if I am a "militant" solo diver or not but there most definitely are times when that is the IMPORTANT consideration for me. Of course not always so I choose my dive ops or site to accommodate my desires and sometimes, again, solo is the criteria. Because I enjoy photography and do not want to bore an insta-buddy with me sitting in one sport taking 50 shots of a nudibranch, nor, when I am on the hunt for that turtle or that one shot I know is somewhere on the reef and I put my flippers into gear, not many are going to enjoy keeping up. I admit, it is true, many if not most of my dives have a purpose and that purpose is often a specific photo or photo mission. I get really tired, as well, of having fins sticking into my frames or sediment kicked all over me. So yes, there are times when solo is the other MORE important consideration upon which I choose an op, but not always. And while I am not going to throw a temper tantrum, I will choose the operations on that basis, sometimes. And I will get upset if they sell me a solo dive and then the boat refuses to honor for no good reason other than just because, but no, I would not throw a fit there either but I would not dive with them again and I would let the operation know I am a dissatisfied paying customer.

So, if that makes me militant then, I proudly claim the adjective and with no apologies.

N

 

[descent]

So, if that makes me militant then, I proudly claim the adjective and with no apologies.

Amen.

If we ask nicely, maybe HowardE and NetDoc will consider making it a badge.

 

[Zieg]

Amen.

If we ask nicely, maybe HowardE and NetDoc will consider making it a badge.

You don't need no stinking badges.

 

[Germie]

There are other agencies that offer solo certs too. I have the self sufficient diver from iantd.

 

[Bob DBF]

I do not have solo diver certification and have been denied being able to dive solo. However, the times I have been denied were few and far between. The most notable was when I was with a group for training, I could not dive solo during the day even when off for an extended period of time, although buddy diving was OK, until after the day was over and I was on my own time. There was a lecture to the other students about why it OK for me to solo but not for the rest of them. I guess being an old diver, and learning back in the day, has some perks.


Bob
-------------------------
I may be old, but I'm not dead yet.

 

[AfterDark]

I do not have solo diver certification and have been denied being able to dive solo. However, the times I have been denied were few and far between. The most notable was when I was with a group for training, I could not dive solo during the day even when off for an extended period of time, although buddy diving was OK, until after the day was over and I was on my own time. There was a lecture to the other students about why it OK for me to solo but not for the rest of them. I guess being an old diver, and learning back in the day, has some perks.

Not to mention 50+ years of diving experience. I always ask divers that admonish me for solo diving how long they've been diving? It's almost always less than 10 years. I then inform them that my 1st solo dive was 40+ years ago, they usually say oh, and start asking me questions about solo diving. Being old and experienced sometimes gives one an advantage.

 

[NAM001]

i AGREE WHOLE HARTEDLY. Many times i find we become too comfortable with rules. Too often the verbatum of a rule over shadows the background and we follow rules with out knowing why we do it.. Consequently we have those that think a safety stop is a must. I know it is not because i discussed ith other divers on a rotery dial phone.

I do not have solo diver certification and have been denied being able to dive solo. However, the times I have been denied were few and far between. The most notable was when I was with a group for training, I could not dive solo during the day even when off for an extended period of time, although buddy diving was OK, until after the day was over and I was on my own time. There was a lecture to the other students about why it OK for me to solo but not for the rest of them. I guess being an old diver, and learning back in the day, has some perks.

Not to mention 50+ years of diving experience. I always ask divers that admonish me for solo diving how long they've been diving? It's almost always less than 10 years. I then inform them that my 1st solo dive was 40+ years ago, they usually say oh, and start asking me questions about solo diving. Being old and experienced sometimes gives one an advantage.

 

[vladodessit]

I do not have solo diver certification and have been denied being able to dive solo. However, the times I have been denied were few and far between. The most notable was when I was with a group for training, I could not dive solo during the day even when off for an extended period of time, although buddy diving was OK, until after the day was over and I was on my own time. There was a lecture to the other students about why it OK for me to solo but not for the rest of them. I guess being an old diver, and learning back in the day, has some perks.


Bob
-------------------------
I may be old, but I'm not dead yet.

I would think that your double hose reg (the one in profile photo) could be used in place of Solo c-card


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