What is your motivation to solo dive?

[Wibble]

Is that a Great White in the distance?

 

[SlugLife]

These skills need to be practiced and mastered prior to the workshop

That reminds me:

When, where, and how does one practice SCUBA-skills? While trying to look at pretty fish on a dive-charter you paid $50 to $200 for? While your dive buddy is waiting for you? That works for some skills (finning), or in some contexts (dsmb at safety stop).

For "real" dedicated practice, such as deploying a DSMB 20 times in an hour, your two best options (a) a buddy that is willing to dive with you while you practice, or (b) while diving solo.

• (a) The willing buddy is obviously great when you have it, but requires someone willing, competent, patient, arranging a time/place, and understanding you're taking time out of their schedule that might be used for more interesting dives. A good number of divers don't mind mentoring, or perhaps you have a buddy at your level who also wants to practice DSMB deployment.
• (b) Solo is much easier, because you can just go whenever you please and practice at your own pace. (Obviously, one must remain keenly aware of any safety concerns around any skill being practiced, and do so in a safe environment)

Even if you do have (a) the willing buddy, it's still incredibly useful to also (b) practice solo, because you can alternate between making improvements at your own pace and gathering feedback.

 

[VikingDives]

In the Solo course, one knows going in what the skills are to be demonstrated and they can be practiced prior to the course. For example taking the mask off and swimming around for 2 minutes then replacing the mask and clearing. Other examples, hovering, DSMB deployment, gas switching over and over, navigation compass skills, swimming without fins, shutting off main tank demonstration and then go to Pony, taking off redundant bottle and reattaching, cutting off attachments to pony bottle, etc.

For "real" dedicated practice, such as deploying a DSMB 20 times in an hour, your two best options (a) a buddy that is willing to dive with you while you practice, or (b) while diving solo.

I'm all for practice, but if someone is reading this intending to take the solo course, I'd suggest that they talk to their instructor before setting off on doing all this practice.

I treat my solo class like a tech-lite course, so if a student is going to take a class from me, they would likely be wasting their time practicing DSMB deployments, swimming around without fins, or cutting things off their pony bottle.

There are plenty of goofy techniques out there for doing things, and I'd suggest that practicing how to do something incorrectly is worse than not practicing at all.

As far as doing the practice solo, I think shallow water or a pool would be advised. Especially if you can video yourself. A camera will show you all the things you can improve, and you'll see all your mistakes.

 

[RIHappyDiver]

That reminds me:

When, where, and how does one practice SCUBA-skills? While trying to look at pretty fish on a dive-charter you paid $50 to $200 for? While your dive buddy is waiting for you? That works for some skills (finning), or in some contexts (dsmb at safety stop).

For "real" dedicated practice, such as deploying a DSMB 20 times in an hour, your two best options (a) a buddy that is willing to dive with you while you practice, or (b) while diving solo.

• (a) The willing buddy is obviously great when you have it, but requires someone willing, competent, patient, arranging a time/place, and understanding you're taking time out of their schedule that might be used for more interesting dives. A good number of divers don't mind mentoring, or perhaps you have a buddy at your level who also wants to practice DSMB deployment.
• (b) Solo is much easier, because you can just go whenever you please and practice at your own pace. (Obviously, one must remain keenly aware of any safety concerns around any skill being practiced, and do so in a safe environment)

Even if you do have (a) the willing buddy, it's still incredibly useful to also (b) practice solo, because you can alternate between making improvements at your own pace and gathering feedback.

It’s funny you mention practicing DSMB deployment. I have thought about this many times and can’t figure out how to do it safely while towing a friggn’ dive flag.

 

[Wibble]

You need to know what good looks like before you can self-assess your skills.

Tech-lite is all well and good but arguably the solo candidate should already possess those skills.

 

[VikingDives]

You need to know what good looks like before you can self-assess your skills.

Tech-lite is all well and good but arguably the solo candidate should already possess those skills.

How would you propose that they get the skills? You can show up for a solo class with OW/AOW and 100 dives.

I wouldn't expect any rec trained diver to have experience with gas switches for example.

 

[SlugLife]

It’s funny you mention practicing DSMB deployment. I have thought about this many times and can’t figure out how to do it safely while towing a friggn’ dive flag.

I've never towed a dive-flag, those things seem like safety hazards, but are are mandated in some places. Though I think the regulation is usually that you're within some distance of the flag, not specifically that it's towed. I'd tie the dive-flag to the bottom, or some kind of small weight/anchor, and then separately deploy the DSMB.

Also bring 2+ cutting devices, each of which can easily and quickly cut any line you use.

 

[happy-diver]

Nah mate the white pointers travel in pairs around here and obliviously get changed on the grass out the front
or not obliviously

White Pointers - Definition of 'White Pointers' - Slang.com.au

Find out the meaning of Aussie lingo 'White Pointers' on Slang.com.au. View an example of how 'White Pointers' is used by fair dinkum Australians.

slang.com.au

Australian White Pointers

Is that a Great White in the distance?

 

[Wibble]

There’s 100 dives and there’s 100 dives. Someone without the underlying competence won’t pass muster.

 

[Celt]

Solo diving is no big deal, find a nice quiet body of water on a good day, put on your gear and go for a dive. You’ve made your first solo dive. Take it from there.