Taboo

[yle]

This is why the Self-Reliant Diver card is pointless. Certainly in the UK it's not accepted anywhere for solo diving.

It's not about a "card". It's about training. Technically a plastic card is irrelevant to diving safely. But the course is not pointless.

But... I could certainly see how it would be viewed as "pointless" to anyone that dives only in the UK, since it's not accepted anywhere in the UK. For those of us that have to settle for diving only at non-UK locations, maybe the SRD course can partially compensate, just a little bit, for what we're missing.

 

[TMHeimer]

I assume someone can enlighten me as to why PADI decided against calling it Solo. I probably should know that.

 

[yle]

I assume someone can enlighten me as to why PADI decided against calling it Solo. I probably should know that.

Possibly to widen the appeal. All solo divers are self reliant. But you can desire the mindset of, and training for, a self reliant diver while still diving with others.

Solo divers are a subset of self reliant divers.

Just my guess.

 

[TMHeimer]

Possibly to widen the appeal. All solo divers are self reliant. But you can desire the mindset of, and training for, a self reliant diver while still diving with others.

Solo divers are a subset of self reliant divers.

Just my guess.

That sounds plausible. I may take the SR course here at some point. But if there was a shop offering Solo I would do that instead. Why risk being denied by a charter.

 

[tursiops]

That sounds plausible. I may take the SR course here at some point. But if there was a shop offering Solo I would do that instead. Why risk being denied by a charter.

No need to choose. Take the course from someone certified to teach both. Get both cards.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I assume someone can enlighten me as to why PADI decided against calling it Solo. I probably should know that.

Because it’s PADI. They don’t do anything that is simple and to-the-point.

 

[scubadada]

I was once told that SDI has the name rights to Solo Diver and that is the reason that PADI calls theirs Self-Reliant Diver and SSI calls theirs Independent Diver. I have never seen any corroboration for this.

From Wikipedia, Solo diving:

Certifications in solo and self-reliant diving[edit]

• CDG – (Cave Diving Group) – the UK organisation prepares divers for solo cave diving in sub-optimum conditions as part of their cave diving skills requirement.[40]
• CMAS – (Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques) – Self-Rescue Diver:[16] prerequisite – Two star diver.[25]
• DIWA – (Diving Instructor World Association) – Self-reliant diver: prerequisite – Advanced open-water diver.[41]
• SDI – (Scuba Diving International) – Solo diver: prerequisite – SDI Advanced Diver or equivalent.[42]
• IANTD – (International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers) – Self-sufficient diver: prerequisite – IANTD Deep Diver or equivalent.[18]
• PADI – (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) – Self Reliant Diver: prerequisites: PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, at least 18 years old and 100 logged dives.[17]
• SSI – (Scuba Schools International) – Independent Diving: prerequisites: Night & Limited Visibility, Navigation, Deep Diving and Stress & Rescue Certification.[43]

 

[VikingDives]

If someone was choosing an instructor/cert. blindly, they'd probably be better off picking the PADI course. More dives required, more specific academic requirements, SDI's course can be completed with a Spare Air...

I assume someone can enlighten me as to why PADI decided against calling it Solo. I probably should know that.

In my IDC I was told that when PADI decided to embrace solo diving they'd been anti-solo for so long that they decided they needed to re-frame by renaming the course. I've got no idea of the truth, however.

 

[VikingDives]

How would you all describe the differences between the "courses"?

It really comes down to the instructor, but if you want to blindly stack agency requirements side by side, PADI wins.

First a little disclaimer, I'm not a PADI Self-reliant instructor, but I am an SDI Solo Instructor. I have a copy of the PADI distinctive specialty manual from 2011, which I do not believe is current, however I believe that when you stack the courses side by side, PADI's is more rigorous.

Off the top of my head, PADI requires 3 dives, SDI requires 2. PADI has mandatory SAC/RMV rate training in the course, SDI does not. SDI will allow you to complete the course with a spare air as a redundant air source, PADI won't.

As far as self-reliance goes. SDI has a major emphasis on this in their training as well. Both courses highlight the same things, with the exception of what I mentioned above. I believe @tursiops is both a PADI and SDI instructor, so hopefully he'll correct me if I've mischaracterized something.

Personally, how I teach the course is going to depend on a lot of factors. If you have hundreds of dives and I know you, and you know your SAC/RMV, we probably aren't going to do much work there. It all depends on what the student brings to the class. That's the cool part about SDI, you show up "weak" and I'll keep going until I feel you're strong. That's harder to do in the PADI system, if you are meeting minimum requirements, you should get certified. SDI is ok with instructors exercising discretion, PADI not so much.

 

[Wibble]

It really comes down to the instructor, but if you want to blindly stack agency requirements side by side, PADI wins.

The challenge is the high standards required for self reliance are more that for a technical diver, most of whom would easily meet the skills requirements. PADI, the 600lb gorilla, almost exclusively specialises in training recreational divers; everything's set up around this down to the DiveMASTERs with limited experience, most of whom spend their dive time training novices.

It utterly depends upon the instructor. Personally I believe the instructors need to be active technical and/or solo divers such that the skill levels are much higher than those of recreational diving.

And to pick one aspect; Solo Diving shouldn't be a course, it should be an assessment, and a tough one at that. Self-reliance is -- by it's very definition -- a much lower standard, which all competent divers should meet (e.g. lost buddy, can competently look around and get themselves out of Dodge).