Solo

[Steve Stokes]

Why do you need a certificaton? Do you need to justify your actions? Do you need approval? SDI has a solo certification, but you don't have enough dives logged to take it.

Walter, very interesting question. I have been pondering it for a while.
I have found, that with certs, people sure treat you different. Respect?
I think it is true in most aspects of life. College degrees, certifications, awards, honors, all contribute to perceptions people have of you. It can open a lot of doors.

By the way, I have no idea where my college degrees are. Never put them up.
I do however know where my diving certs are. After all, a guy needs priorities.
Regards
Steve

 

[Guy Alcala]

Why do you need a certificaton? Do you need to justify your actions? Do you need approval? SDI has a solo certification, but you don't have enough dives logged to take it.

There's one (and only one) reason I can think of -- see "Hitler isn't AOW". Since all my solo diving to date has either been from shore or off a private boat it's not been an issue, but I suppose there are places it might be. I suspect that I'd just avoid those, as I get really peeved when someone else assumes they have the right to make risk assessments for me.

Guy

 

[azchipka]

Getting the Cert card is not a bad idea I have mine and a number of commercial operations will honor it and allow me to dive solo.

 

[T210RVR]

In the eighties I was a frequent diver, often three or more dives each week. Generally, they were charter trips for the purpose of game diving. Luckily, I often had mid-weeks open, but the bad news was that my regular buddy could only dive the week ends. After picking up a few buddies on trips that turned out to be unqualified or worse I began diving solo. I didn't carry extra equipment, but was mindful not to place myself in difficult situations.

Solo is certainly not for everybody, but under some situations may be safer than diving with an unknown or unqualified buddy. Interestingly, of the couple of difficult situations I found myself in I was accompanied by a buddy. In each case I was able to extricate myself without the assistance of a buddy.

Nowdays, I prefer to only dive when I have a buddy that is known to me.

 

[Doc Harry]

I know ...according to PADI,NAUI, I am a bad boy.....too bad.

Now that's the proper spirit!

Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!

 

[liuk3]

If you have a solo cert card and are diving solo, who do you show your card to?...

 

[Amphibious]

When i solo dive (99% of my dives) I take the exact same gear as I would if I was buddy diving, with the exception of my Octopus, which is removed, and replaced with a AL30 DIR stage rigged. I find stage bottle rigging grants me the same redundancy as a pony, but make it far easier to manage entanglements. an AL30 isn't small, but you really don't notice it's there.

my redundancy is built into my personal guidelines for solo diving. I'll dive any depth/location/etc within recreational limitations, but if one system fails, the dive is scrubbed.

here's a short vid a freediver took of me chasing shrimp on a safety stop. my standard solo gear config. (if the kicking looks funny it's because I had my knee rebuilt shortly before this was taken)

YouTube - pav diving 2

 

[Akimbo]

"What duplicate equipment do you take?"

None. I assume all dives are solo regardless who else happen to go in the water with me.

 

[Meister481]

Solo cave: Take an AL80 per 1000 ft penetration.
Open water: Doubles, always use them anyways.

 

[craracer]

Some might consider this overkill but...

Double steel HP 95's
40cf Pony slung
50# lift bag
Sausage
Extra mask
Whistle and mirror (mirror helps to locate a leak)
2 computers
Finger spool and reel
Knife and sheers
2 lights
Diver down flag (law requires it here)
compass

I can't stress enough the importance of planning your dive/diving your plan, and letting others know where you are, calling them just before you hit the water, and again after you exit.

I also leave my dive log on the dash of my car. It's got all of my contact information and medical info in it.