Training for Solo diving?

[pir8]

Not everyone learns the same way or at the same rate or comfort level. You may not need a class in any particular area but it will help someone else. That doesn't make them a bad person for wanting to take a class that you don't think anybody should ever need. I would wonder about someone critisizing people for trying to better themselves though. I hate it when I get judgemental!

 

[blatter]

Formal training for solo diving may be useful for many people and may encourage this activity.

I recently did a solo course, although I had been solo diving for 28 years and usually do between 30 to 60 solo dives each year in addition to other dives. I didn't learn anything new but was still very happy to have completed the qualification.

I agree with many of the above posts and think that people who are most likely to enjoy solo diving, and who can do it safely and well, are probably the sort of people who are self reliant and can easily teach themselves. That's what I did anyway.

So why do a course if you are not going to learn anything new?

Firstly, it's obvious that many charter boats/dive operations don't like solo divers. I have found most places will let me dive alone after they have seen me do a few dives and after a little negotiation, but if I am on a short trip or in a place where policies are restrictive, a formal qualification is going to the the quickest way to get into the water alone and keep everyone happy. When my regular dive buddy wants a break during a live aboard trip I will still be able to go diving without being lumbered with some hopeless buddy or a dive master/instructor/guide that has much less experience than me, or being forced to dive in a group (I would rather not dive). A formal solo qualification also means that operators that already recognise this training and support solo diving will be happy to allow me to dive solo.

Secondly, I see doing a solo course as a way of getting the dive industry to recognise solo diving as a legitimate activity. If enough people want to do the current solo courses then market forces may encourage those instruction agencies that don't already have a solo course to develop their own. Just look at the spread of tech courses over recent years. I hope that just showing my solo card will get some operators to start thinking about making solo diving a realistic option if they haven't already done so.

The safety benefits of having a buddy diving are largely a myth and solo diving can be a great way to go diving. It is time the dive industry supported solo diving.

 

[TomP]

Formal training for solo diving may be useful for many people and may encourage this activity.

....

The safety benefits of having a buddy diving are largely a myth and solo diving can be a great way to go diving. It is time the dive industry supported solo diving.

The larger agencies will support solo diving in their own due time; translation - when it's profitable to do so. And the more I think about it, the less certain I am that it would be a good thing. Like you and I, it seems most folks that have a solo cert were already practiced solo divers just trying to simplify their lives.

That's not to say that I don't value training, just the opposite. If solo were to be commoditized specialty geared towards the card collectors,ala shore-diver, boat-diver etc... it will not only lose all legitimacy but also may have some very ugly results.

 

[divemaster_jim]

Explain "silly" please.

From the American Heritage Dictionary.

sil·ly (s¹l"¶) adj. sil·li·er, sil·li·est. 1. Exhibiting a lack of wisdom or good sense; foolish. 2. Lacking seriousness or responsibleness; frivolous. 3. Semiconscious; dazed. --sil"li·ly (s¹l"…-l¶) adv. --sil"li·ness n.

 

[Nemrod]

Divermaster Jim says:

"We don't use the same equipment, we don't use the same tables, we use more than one gas, It's apples and oranges here, the ablilty to process is the only thing that hasn't changed. We all learn either through formal or infomal avenues. All I'm trying to say is that to base experience only on going solo is "silly""
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Well, now that you have explained "silly" then explain the "we" because the above paragraph makes no sense to me--there is no "we" in solo and this is the solo forum. N

 

[captain]

From the American Heritage Dictionary.

sil·ly (s¹l"¶) adj. sil·li·er, sil·li·est. 1. Exhibiting a lack of wisdom or good sense; foolish. 2. Lacking seriousness or responsibleness; frivolous. 3. Semiconscious; dazed. --sil"li·ly (s¹l"…-l¶) adv. --sil"li·ness n.

Cute, you can use a dictionary.

 

[divad]

.

A formal solo qualification also means that operators that already recognise this training and support solo diving will be happy to allow me to dive solo.

.

Do you find this to be true in practice. Has anyone said no?

 

[divemaster_jim]

Divermaster Jim says:

"We don't use the same equipment, we don't use the same tables, we use more than one gas, It's apples and oranges here, the ablilty to process is the only thing that hasn't changed. We all learn either through formal or infomal avenues. All I'm trying to say is that to base experience only on going solo is "silly""
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Well, now that you have explained "silly" then explain the "we" because the above paragraph makes no sense to me--there is no "we" in solo and this is the solo forum. N

We as in divers as a whole, but if you want a more narrow use of the term, those who dive solo. I am however curious, What part of that statement do you not understand?

 

[divemaster_jim]

Cute, you can use a dictionary.

well you did ask for me to explain it.

I'm going to take a leap here and ask you a couple of questions.

What are your ideas of experience?
what do you consider enough experience?

 

[captain]

well you did ask for me to explain it.

I'm going to take a leap here and ask you a couple of questions.

What are your ideas of experience?
what do you consider enough experience?

Frankly I don't care what a persons experience is. If that person feels comfortable with his decision than that is fine with me. You learn to dive, period, how I don't care, After you know how dive, dive which ever way you feel comfortable. Maybe my opinion is biased on my experience of teaching myself to dive and doing my first dives solo so I know it can be done. Can everyone do it that way probably not, but I am not going to tell everyone they can't do it that way. And other than a card that may or may not be recognized I do not see any great benefit to solo training and I have read the solo training course outline. Other than stessing self reliance and redundancy and a spare air was considered redundancy, I didn't see much else that is not applicable to diving in general.