Solo diving training

[r4e]

I became interested in solo diving two years ago and found an excellent book on Solo Diving by von Meier. From the book (and various Internet articles) I learned that solo diving is both being well technically prepped and having the right state of mind. At that time I had just 100 dives under my belt and a CMAS P3 cert and I did not feel quite ready for solo diving.

Thereafter I have done some technical dive training and participated in dives where incidents almost became accidents. A year later with an additional hundred dives I felt mature enough to take the SDI course. I think it was money well spent. The course book (and course) is okay if you realize the main point of it is to mentally prepare for the numerous things that can go wrong independantly or simultaneously. It is good to visualize various problem scenarios beforehand, both related to a particular dive site and diving in general. Most of this is covered in technical dive training, but, it still is different in solving the same problems as a team.

The course has a minimum of two dives. This might seem very low if you assume these are practise dives. I guess they are really meant to measure your current diving skills and problem solving skills. I had really fun with the many problems the instructor threw at me and their compound effect towards the end of dive when new unexpected problems were added.

I am glad my instructor was a seasoned technical diving instructor as well. I received a lot of practical tips not mentioned in the text books. I now solo dive with manifolded doubles and an additional stage bottle (with suitable gas) as my "pony". Example of tip: never fill these at the same time, in case of bad gas.

 

[knowone]

Now that you have more experience, browse the Von Maier book again and see if you think it's only agenda is to promote an anti buddy system flavor, has no more info than a standard dated diving manual, and is less informative over 128 pages regarding anything solo diving, than LeadTurn_SD's four paragraphs.

 

[DaleC]

. Example of tip: never fill these at the same time, in case of bad gas.

Really? Is that a big problem in Finland.

 

[sylpha]

Really? Is that a big problem in Finland.

must take ages waiting at different dive shops if diving for more than 1 day

 

[FritzCat66]

I think the best and most important training component of the SDI Solo certification program is the 100 minimum logged dives requirement.

Everything else in the course, including the checkout dives, shouldn't be stuff being learned for the first time as much as demonstrating a level of competency and self-reliance to your instructor.

 

[r4e]

Sorry for delay in answering, but I had a pleasurable 3 week dive trip with 26 dives...

Really? Is that a big problem in Finland.

Back to your question: bad gas is as rare here as it is elsewhere. I took my SDI course abroad. But you still read about cases related to bad gas. For example early last year there was a case of three simultaneous casualties in Norway, that was suspected to be caused by bad gas.

must take ages waiting at different dive shops if diving for more than 1 day

I personally have a Bauer compressor as well as the club has. Since I own six twin sets and even more stage tanks, it really is no problem to fill and select tanks based on different combinations of fill dates. However, the main point is that the "spare air" stage tank is normally not consumed at all, so no additional fills are needed either. That is, as long as the spare air tank is from a different fill batch, I might as well fill all the other tanks at one go. Thus, this precaution does not cause any overhead.

 

[sylpha]

is that a portable compressor?

we have enough cylinders to do a weekend, but if you are on holiday and there is only 1 compressor on the island you are stuffed!

we have had bad fills twice in 18 years once at a place which specialises in tekkie diving and tells everyone how good it is when complaining that the gas tasted funny they told us that we could get it tested by trading standards if we wanted there was nothing wrong with their gas. trading standards didn't agree they said it was the worst gas they had ever tested, then we had to get a lawyer involved to get them to pay for our cylinder re cleaning.

the other time we were unlucky as the gasket blew whilst ours were being filled. they shut down the compressor, refused to let anyone breathe the gas they had filled for the last hour & referred us to their competitor on the other side of the harbour - that's what i call dealing with a problem (oh yes they paid for the O2 cleaning without a quibble - that's what insurance is for).

 

[Doc Harry]

I think that taking a solo course is a MAHVELOUS idea.

Just make sure that your instructor knows that you want to LEARN and that you're not just taking the course to get the card.

I just needed the card, so the course was a brief formality for me.

If you want to learn, then make sure your instructor puts you through the wringer.

 

[ameneon]

For example early last year there was a case of three simultaneous casualties in Norway, that was suspected to be caused by bad gas.

No. The tanks were checked, along with all the other equipment, but this is standard procedure in fatal accidents here... The results showed nothing out of the ordinary.

 

[r4e]

No. The tanks were checked, along with all the other equipment, but this is standard procedure in fatal accidents here... The results showed nothing out of the ordinary.

Has any final reason shown up then?