What skills do you actually learn in a Solo course?

[Superlyte27]

Already full Nitrox, already Cavern and Intro Cave, already Rescue and have done much work as a DM candidate that I never quite finished due to moving with a job change. All with his shop. It isn't like I have never demonstrated the requisite skills before him previously nor made a couple hundred solo dives since. The only thing I lack is the SMB skill and I can self-acquire that at this point.

Not the point of his statement.
In a lot of our standards it states whether we can use previous dives towards a class. For SDI Solo, that statement doesn’t exit. Pencil whipping a card is a violation of standards. He has to do the dives with you or he risks harsh penalties. Frankly, losing the 10’s of thousands of dollars it costs to get to this point is not worth helping you get a rubber stamped card.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

I won't tell and he won't.

 

[soggybadger]

I won't tell and he won't.

Probably shouldn't have mentioned it. I would have got the card and said nothing.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

With the right instructor, you learn how not to die. With the wrong instructor, you learn nothing.

• As a solo instructor, I expected trim, buoyancy, propulsion.
• I taught students to run reels correctly.
• I required the student to be able to remove and replace the scuba unit hovering over the bottom, hovering at a deco stop, and on the surface.
• I would remove hand wheels/knobs from tanks and have students fix them underwater.
• I would remove OPV's.
• I taught tank valve breathing.
• I taught underwater regulator 2nd stage disassembly, cleaning, assembly.
• Wilderness First Aid/Self-treatment
• I would create multiple failures, lost masks, fins, gear, etc.
• The list goes on ...

I would use a system of reward and punishment. Do something right, I would leave you alone. Do something wrong, I'd create the most likely failure. The last dive was the worst. I would tell the student that the gloves were now coming off and that I was going to "bring it" after they had already survived the scuba version of Normandy. Then, I would do nothing. They kept expecting me to pounce and bring a rain of stress and terror. By the end of the safety stop, they would realize they might be home free. The lesson was any time you think of doing something lazy, risky, or stupid, imagine I'm hovering over your shoulder waiting to punish you. If you did "x" what would I do to spank you? That would probably be the consequence you need to plan for to live.

 

[caruso]

The last dive was the worst. I would tell the student that the gloves were now coming off and that I was going to "bring it" after they had already survived the scuba version of Normandy. Then, I would do nothing.

Like it!

 

[jadairiii]

Swim away from and return to your rig at depth? That would prove monumentally difficult if not impossible.

I've done it a few times, not impossible, but you better know what you are doing.

 

[AJ]

I've done it a few times, not impossible, but you better know what you are doing.

I'am still baflled how I should do this with steel doubles and drysuit. It don't think I would pass this course.

 

[MichaelMc]

The lesson was any time you think of doing something lazy, risky, or stupid, imagine I'm hovering over your shoulder waiting to punish you. If you did "x" what would I do to spank you? That would probably be the consequence you need to plan for to live.

Nice.

I was helping a girl I liked in the kitchen and dropped a fork. As I was about to still use it, she had a look that I read as 'I'd rather you didn't get sick from still using that', in no way snooty as she was very grounded, just tiny expressions that I read that way. Stuff I drop goes in the sink.

How would Trace cascade this to punish me...?

 

[Superlyte27]

Would Trace punish me for this...?
Sort of like, would my diving officer be embarrassed as he wrote my accident report...?

It's not about being embarrassed. It's about having a spotless record of all your previous students still living and diving.

 

[jadairiii]

I'am still baflled how I should do this with steel doubles and drysuit. It don't think I would pass this course.

May want to practice with a rash guard, board shorts and a single 80 in 30' first......