Solo Diving: It's time to set the record straight

[eponym]

I'm currently facing a decision whether to allow solo diving when I'm the host/safety diver at shop-sponsored shore dive events.

I'm curious. How (by what authority) do you prohibit someone from shore diving?

You're right, that's very unclear and poorly phrased. Obviously I can't (would never try to) actually stop anyone from getting in the water.

I'll explain the situation and pose my questions to the group in a new thread so as not to hijack this one.

Best regards,
Bryan

 

[BobbyT22]

I'm curious. How (by what authority) do you prohibit someone from shore diving?

It's easy when you own the entire shore around an inland body of water.

I'm being facetious...just jealous of all of you who live near decent shore diving.

 

[adventure dude]

In response to the question about spare air use in solo diving:

The moment you equivocated spare air with other, actually useful alternate air sources, any shred of credibility about your understanding of solo diving disappeared. It's nice that you feel compelled to address the issue of solo diving on this forum, but maybe you should do a little more research before publishing articles about this topic.

And BTW, most technical overhead training, especially cavern/cave training, is almost the exact opposite of solo diving. In fact, it's highly coordinated team diving.

Tell that to most of the guys that have died on the Doria.

 

[DaleC]

There seems to be a belief that c cards are just an "entry pass" with no real value behind them. Yet you go on to say "benefits that a course of this type, taught by a good instructor, might offer someone." Its not simply about getting the c-card (as a number of people on this forum seem to think it is). Dale, its exactly what you say. Its about "real benefits that a course of this type, taught by a good instructor, might offer someone."

I would almost believe that if it weren't for the fact that in your article you encourage members of the dive industry to step up and require divers to take the course in order to solo dive; thus turning it into an artificial hoop/entry pass. You can't have it both ways. Why does the dive industry need to get involved in regulating my activities when it can't even be responsible for teaching its own buddy reliant system - noted by the VAST number of dive accidents/fatalities experienced by divers who were supposedly trained to dive safely in buddy teams. What makes you think an agency could do any better with a solo course?

Unfortunately, the course also has a 100 dive minimum requirement. I began soloing soon after certification and could have used the course then but by the time I became eligible to take the course I had already taken matters into my own hands and gained the prerequisite knowledge for myself. Too bad that the agency, like the charters, was too busy covering its a$$ instead of worrying about mine. It's a little too late to come looking for my money now.

As others have said, I'm not against the course itself, just the notion that it is a cure all for soloing. Solo diving requires a self reliant attitude - If you have that you can collect the information required either with, or without, a course. I know that rubs the "you need a course to do anything in SCUBA" believers the wrong way but that's the way it is.

 

[adventure dude]

Thanks to everyone that left a lucid comment on this important topic - regardless of the opinion contained therein. Safe diving to all. [end of thread]

 

[ScubaSteve]

Thanks to everyone that left a lucid comment

Damn....I was so close too.

 

[DaleC]

Don't worry Steve, there's a new post coming past here every 45 minutes or so. Or... you could post your lucid comment into a split fin thread, get a transfer to a deep air thread and bump it up to a spare air thread and then PM it to cavediver who could then edit it into the beginning of this thread. That would work too but I'm pretty sure you'll have to pay for the upgrade.

 

[Tropicalwolf]

most solo divers are independent-minded enough to prefer avoiding operators who put those kinds of restrictions on their clients.

It's a mindset thing ... which is, in fact, what solo diving really boils down to ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Exactly. This is the first question you ask any operator. If they don't answer it "correctly" you simply hang up the phone and call another.

 

[scuba=dude]

I got the SDI Solo Diving Manual on ebay for $10 new and it had all of it's paper work with it......there was not one thing in the book that I was not already doing, no new insites or tips to make my diving safer or better.
Now I,m not saying that I'm some gurui diver I just use my head and make sure I have two of everything (well I take only one lift bag and reel) to make the dive safe. But what I am saying is this....I,m not going to pay some company to say I can dive, I did that once already to get OW so I can get air fills, by the way when I got my air comperssor no one asked to see my C-card nor did anyone ask for it in any dive shop where I got any of my grear. There thats my rant about that!!!!

 

[Saucy Sailoress]

We used to allow any experienced divers who wished to dive solo. It happened quite a lot between dives, when DMs would take it in turns to have a dip.

However, we made a decision that that was setting a bad example to the less experienced divers on the boat. We then said that any team member diver with redundant air and buoyancy (and these must be clearly visible to the novices hanging around) could dive solo.

I'm afraid, if they're not part of our team, or at least well known by us, they need to show a certification. Is this a sales pitch? No. We have never taught one solo course, or even certified a solo diver.

More often, people will do their deco course - after which they should have sufficient knowledge of self-sufficiency to go it alone.