What skills do you actually learn in a Solo course?

[Edward3c]

I need to get the card just in case I decide to go on a boat solo. I have done hundreds of solo dives in my nearby lake and river and am certified to Intro Cave.

I am going to talk to my old instructor and see if he will pencil whip me one for some bucks. The only thing I really need a bit of practice in is deploying an SMB and I have recently made an SMB set-up and I am going to start by practicing on my safety stop and then moving deeper.

Deploying a DSMB from depth is easier than from 5-6m. The real skill is deploying mid-water with no reference points. Something all BSAC Dive Leaders have to do.

 

[Superlyte27]

Same thing for Nitrox, do we really need a course and training to breath gas with a higher 02 content? Learn the MOD tables and your'e done. The question is of course rhetorical.

It may be rhetorical, but I’ll answer it anyway...
Yes, some people need a class. In fact, I had someone just this week find my emergency contact number on the website and call me at 9:30pm (From NC, I’m in FL) to ask if they should be diving 32% or 36% on a 100’ shark tooth dive the next morning.

Try to remember, some of these classes are built for the lowest common denominator.

 

[caruso]

In fact, I had someone just this week find my emergency contact number on the website and call me at 9:30pm (From NC, I’m in FL) to ask if they should be diving 32% or 36% on a 100’ shark tooth dive the next morning.

Try to remember, some of these classes are built for the lowest common denominator.

Well I don't know about that last minute call but I've seen the topic of MOD limits as they relate to 1.4 or 1.6 P02 limits be hotly debated on this forum and elsewhere. It could be he was just trying to resolve some conflicting information he received regarding the depth limits of those 2 particular blends, which for his depth could both work depending on your comfort levels.

I'm 1.6 all the way given that I'm a single tank no deco diver and there has never been an instance of an 02 toxicity hit on a diver under those conditions when using Nitrox blends under 40%. Not one.

 

[tursiops]

I am going to talk to my old instructor and see if he will pencil whip me one for some bucks.

I certainly hope not, as that would violate standards for all agencies offering the course.

 

[tursiops]

I'm 1.6 all the way given that I'm a single tank no deco diver and there has never been an instance of an 02 toxicity hit on a diver under those conditions when using Nitrox blends under 40%. Not one.

This is not true, and you are living dangerously. You are ignoring the danger of CO2 buildup contributing to O2 toxicity. The 1.6 is, at best, for resting deco, and even then is not a sure thing.

See: https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/files/Tech_Proceedings_Feb2010.pdf, pages 38-66. Much is summarized in this statement on page 61:
"What oxygen partial pressures are safe? The question does not have an unequivocal answer. The Navy is responsible for the safety of Navy divers and publishes its safety guidelines in the U.S. Navy Diving Manual (4). DAN attempts to provide the best information available and offers to assist the diving community in formulating its own safety guidelines. At present, the available information seems sufficient to say that the risk of oxygen may be worrisome at or above 1.3 to 1.6 atm, but even this non-specific conclusion is tempered by the possibility that intra- and inter-individual variability, environmental effects, pharmaceutical influences and O2-CO2 interactions could reduce the threshold to less than 1.3 atm."

 

[tarponchik]

What a silly, uninformed statement. As an opinion, fine. As a fact, silly.

Another solo skill many divers never take seriously until the class is air consumption rates and consequent dive planning.

Like, seriously? Wow, turns out I missed so much!

 

[EireDiver606]

With regards to safe PO2 limits. GUE recommends:

 

[caruso]

This is not true, and you are living dangerously.

Nothing in your post or the linked article contradicts my statement that in recreational single tank non decompression divers, there has never been a single case of 02 toxicity when breathing Nitrox at or below 40%. Regardless of the depth or the P02 levels.

 

[tursiops]

Nothing in your post or the linked article contradicts my statement that in recreational single tank non decompression divers, there has never been a single case of 02 toxicity when breathing Nitrox at or below 40%. Regardless of the depth or the P02 levels.

Read it again. The issue is partial pressures. Or, since you are so sure of yourself, can you please cite the research that backs up your assertion?

 

[caruso]

Read it again. The issue is partial pressures. Or, since you are so sure of yourself, can you please cite the research that backs up your assertion?

I can't prove a negative. Since there's never been a documented incident of an 02 toxicity hit during a single tank recreational non deco dive on Nitrox at or below 40% there's nothing to provide.

It would be like me telling you I've never seen Santa Claus scuba diving and you tell me that's not true and if I'm so sure of myself then provide proof that there's no Scuba Santa.