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

[Jim Lapenta]

I need to get me one of those PDIC solo cards. Can't seem to get scheduling down to get one from Doppler for SDI/TDI. You two are the only ones I'd trust to do the course with.

 

[AfterDark]

Like others that posted here my solo diving pre-dates any certs for it, as is true for most of the diving I do/done. The most anyone should need to do to solo or dive with a charter is a check out dive and a short one at that. You are either comfortable in and under the water and a competent diver of your not and it doesn't take long to make that determination. I can go out with any charter in the area that I live and do any dive I wish to do. On paper I'm OW certified but, my skills and experience are far beyond that and are known and acknowledged here. I resent that I may need to spend large sums of money and do things I've been doing for decades to obtain pieces of plastic to make someone else feel better about providing me with a ride to the dive site. I'd rather spent my money on gear. I would add that if I'm forced to dive with an insta buddy that buddy better be able to keep up and watch me because as far as I'm concerned I'm diving alone and if the insta can't keep up he/ she is diving alone too.

 

[captain]

I agree with Afterdark. I too began diving before certification agencies existed and all of my first years of diving were solo as there were very very few other divers around.
I have no certification other than a 1970 YMCA card I got after 13 years of diving because by then I needed it to book on charters.

 

[BobbyT22]

Trace,
I personally have no beef with others who choose to solo in combination with cave, deco, or any other type of diving. Purely an individual choice. I hope I didn't come across that way. It is just that for me, the systematic way in which the SDI course approaches risk analysis for solo diving was helpful, and one I adopted for myself. For me it means soloing during daylight, within deco limits, no overheads. But I fully support and respect others, more trained and experienced than I, soloing in whatever manner fits their personal limits.


Rob

 

[AfterDark]

In south Florida (WPB, Miami, Key Largo), most dive operators that I contacted require a solo card in order to dive solo from their boat. But there are other dive operators that won't allow solo diving at all, even with a solo card.

It's ironic that I took my SDI Solo course from Horizon & Ocean Divers in Key Largo, but they would not allow any solo diving from their boats even with the solo c-card!!!!!!

Sounds like they should have worn masks when they took your money for their course.
Did they have guns too? Unbelievable!

 

[dalyup]

I think if I hear one more negative comment from the divers I'm around, I'll go postal. I'm tired of hearing them whisper and talk behind my back about the fact that I solo. Not to mention the LDS instructor telling me "its just not a good idea". I've seen him dive When he showed me his pile of C-cards, I thought "How'd he get all those?" $$$$$$ only, not his ability to dive. (padi) btw. He wants me to take his drysuit class now, (I've dove dry more than he has), and I have 5, yes 5 drysuit dives!! How is he even qualified to teach a dry class with that kind of experience. I could careless about any of the cards. Let me see you dive, then and Only then I might take a class from you. Ever since I've been distancing myself from that group..... I just don't buy into the whole 1-800-pay-padi deal, and it kindof pisses them off.

 

[adventure dude]

First, thanks to everyone that has weighed in on this subject with a thoughtful or lucid comment. Soliciting feedback wasn't just lip service. This is a community and that's about conversation, not just one person's opinion. I'll respond personally to all the comments that were either thoughtful or lucid. For those of you that don't think training or certifications are necessary and that you should be able to do anything you want to do on any dive, we'll just have to agree to disagree and leave it at that. Someone asked who certified the first solo diver? To that, we might all ask who certified the first diver period. According the accident statistics in DAN's annual report, its clear that (some or most) solo divers need more training.

So for everyone that has responded so far: do you or do you not have a redundant air source when you solo dive. Thanks for your answers.

 

[adventure dude]

Sounds like they should have worn masks when they took your money for their course.
Did they have guns too? Unbelievable!

This isn't right. The dive industry and specifically shops, resorts and boats need to step up and acknowledge any certification from an accredited agency - especially Solo Diver. That's no different than not allowing someone to deco dive who has the training and cert. Not good from the industry.

 

[adventure dude]

Trace,
I personally have no beef with others who choose to solo in combination with cave, deco, or any other type of diving. Purely an individual choice. I hope I didn't come across that way. It is just that for me, the systematic way in which the SDI course approaches risk analysis for solo diving was helpful, and one I adopted for myself. For me it means soloing during daylight, within deco limits, no overheads. But I fully support and respect others, more trained and experienced than I, soloing in whatever manner fits their personal limits.


Rob

Exactly. Its all about having the training and experience. Cave, deco and wreck penetration all teach a more advanced form of solo diving, because they are. In many instances, buddy diving in those environments is either impractical or impossible.

 

[adventure dude]

Like others that posted here my solo diving pre-dates any certs for it, as is true for most of the diving I do/done. The most anyone should need to do to solo or dive with a charter is a check out dive and a short one at that. You are either comfortable in and under the water and a competent diver of your not and it doesn't take long to make that determination. I can go out with any charter in the area that I live and do any dive I wish to do. On paper I'm OW certified but, my skills and experience are far beyond that and are known and acknowledged here. I resent that I may need to spend large sums of money and do things I've been doing for decades to obtain pieces of plastic to make someone else feel better about providing me with a ride to the dive site.

There are a number of solo divers in this forum that have been solo diving long before a cert existed for it - me included. In fact, I began diving in 1977 and didn't get an O/W cert until '88, so I certainly know what you mean. But what about someone coming into it today? Someone who is just building their experience? Is the message that we want to send to them, "don't worry about training or certification, if you're a good diver you'll be OK?"