What solo cert do you have, has it ever been turned down?

[raftingtigger]

I just posted this elsewhere but it's relevant here...
For traveling it's pretty handy to get an independent twin set up if you can. You can easily switch from single to twin to whatever. You don't have a manifold so you need to manage your air differently, switch to your other reg at some point for longer dives, but it's really versatile.You can just twin up two rental cylinders quick and off you go.
I've set up my old AP Commando for this. You can just feed the cam bands and spacers as needed and they're just some light weight extras really. Love it.

Sidemount, great independent twin rig.

 

[Subcooled]

You bring up an interesting issue - what non-solo diving certifications ought to be counted as equivalent to it?

Any certification that attests your skill to use at least two tanks and two regulators (or two breathing apparata) and two buoyancy control devices and (where needed) two lights, should be considered equal to self-reliant diver (or solo diver).

This would mean various mixed gas and/or overhead and/or deco diving courses. And all rebreather courses, save the rec rebreather courses.

 

[Subcooled]

From USN Diving Manual, Rev 7, Section 10-3:

Normal working dives that exceed a ppO2 of 1.4 ata are not permitted, principally to avoid the risk of CNS oxygen toxicity.​

Two very important words:
1) normal
2) working

#2 probably refers to hard work, thus CO2 buildup, thus increased risk
and #1 probably refers to peacetime.

A higher ppO2 would then be allowed in "abnormal" situations, right?

 

[tursiops]

Two very important words:
1) normal
2) working

#2 probably refers to hard work, thus CO2 buildup, thus increased risk
and #1 probably refers to peacetime.

A higher ppO2 would then be allowed in "abnormal" situations, right?

That is one statement, not two. "Normal" modifies "working. It is not a normal dive or a working dive.
If you look at the full reference, 1.4 is for ALL scuba dives. Higher than 1.4 requires surface supplied gas.

"Dives exceeding the normal working limits of Table 10-1 require the Commanding Officer’s authorization and are restricted to surface supplied diving equipment only."​

Table 10-1 is just MODs for PPO2=1.4 for various nitrox percentages.

 

[tursiops]

In my case I can tell you exactly what is in the PADI Self-Reliant and the SDI Solo courses as of about 8 years ago. I 'took' both on paper by reading, studying, and digesting all their material. What I didn't do was get an instructor to pay attention to me long enough to verify I could do all of this at that time. At this point I have been diving with MANY GUE Tech divers who will attest to my competence as a diver and solo capabilities. Paying for a card is a waste of my money. Never been asked for it, never likely to in the places I go. If I'm asked, I tell them I am solo qualified and equipped.

And in my case I can tell you exactly what is in those two courses because I've taught them both. They are essentially identical. And they BOTH require that you do the class or you don't get the certification. There is no "I'm good enough, give me a card" BS. You want the card, do the damn class. You don't want the card, fine, but don't spout off about how you deserve it because you are wonderful.

 

[Subcooled]

For grins and giggles I often use my first certification (NASDS OW from 1971 with maiden name and no picture).

I am a certified body recovery diver. I have thus no obligation to bring back my buddy alive. Dude, let's go diving!
- Sorry, I have to make fun of this cert, or else it would be too much. Certain things are not emotionally easy.

 

[scubadada]

Sorry, nearly everyone requires nitrox cert to dive nitrox. Many operators require AOW or equivalent recent experience to dive certain sites. Many operators require a solo cert and appropriate equipment to dive solo. That's just the way it is. These are all rec certifications.

I started diving solo almost 10 years before I was solo certified. All these operators knew me very well. I became solo certified to expand my opportunities to dive with operators who did not know me. This strategy worked very well. @Wookie approved my solo diving off the Spree for the Florida wreck trek until I was able to arrange for my son to join me on the dive. Another diver joined us part way through the trip when his buddy did not work out.

Many of you may think your technical certs can replace solo, some operators may disagree with you, though it may not be based on the content of your cert. Operators may not have the flexibility or knowledge to make the decision.

 

[Celt]

I've dived solo a lot and all my sport diving has been entirely on my own the last 2 years, Are people saying you need a cert to get on certain boats but if it's your boat do what you like, or do you need a cert to visit certain dive sites irrespective of what boat your on. And if you have surface support your not solo so why would you need a solo cert in that case?

 

[Akimbo]

And if you have surface support your not solo so why would you need a solo cert in that case?

You wouldn't, unless you lack the experience and skills. Areas that cater to vacation divers tend to be more concerned with liability issues. I doubt there are any dive boats in California that care about solo certifications and very few actually care if you have a buddy.

 

[Germie]

Any certification that attests your skill to use at least two tanks and two regulators (or two breathing apparata) and two buoyancy control devices and (where needed) two lights, should be considered equal to self-reliant diver (or solo diver).

This would mean various mixed gas and/or overhead and/or deco diving courses. And all rebreather courses, save the rec rebreather courses.

Exactly. In the IANTD normoxic book is also written: If you don't think you can do the dives solo, don't do them.

Solo/self reliant/self sufficiant courses are also not directly for people who want to dive solo, they are also for divers who want to learn about things they never thought about or the cases when you loose a buddy.

But every techdiving cert is more than a solo cert and that means a solo cert is not needed anymore then. The solocert is for 40m within NDL. The tech certs also go deeper, further, deco, overhead, etc. So are absolutely more worth.

When I did my cave diver course, there was no technical wreck diving course. Cave diving was and is always over wreck diving courses. Also the cave diver course is more than the minediver course. So with a full cave cert you can do also technical wreck and mines.
I did my cmas 3* in the time that it was a 60m cert, even that this depth is not on it written. Then it changed to a PO2 of 1.4, so 57m. Now it is I believe also a 40m cert. This means the 3* certs up to 2014 are 60m certs, then till 2020 57m certs and now 40m certs. Divecenters have to know this.
Also the 2* cert means 40m, so then no deep diver needed.

And if you start cavediving after your AOW, the intro to cave cert gives you a limit of 40m depth within NDL. Then you don't need a deep diver cert anymore.

The most funny discussion I ever had with a divingcenter was that they wanted from me a nightdiver cert. I was a that time 3* diver and within cmas 2* there is nightdiving and in the 3* you need to guide nightdives. But you don't get a specialty card. Also I was at that time a technical cave diver. So more darkness than in a cave you will never find. So sometimes, divecenters just want to make money.

Another example was a diver who did with me the technical cave diver course and then went for work to Iceland. The diver took his own drysuit, but never did a drysuitcourse (that is never required, even sidemount courses are not required for techcourses in sidemount, also an intro to tech or essentials is not needed to enter advanced nitrox courses. Fundies is different, but I talk about the biggest group of courses that are done). But there they wanted to see a drysuit cert to dive the Sifra. The diver showed pictures of him in a cave in drysuit, pictures of him diving a drysuit on wrecks, but no, there were not 20 dives without cert signed off by an instructor. I answered the email that I was the photographer, AND instructor and that you can see on exif times and dates that there are more than 20 dives made. And even my email as instructor was not enough. So that divecenter in Iceland is an absolutely no go and only wants to sell ********. A diver who comes with his own drysuit, can proof more than enough certs, can proof he dived a lot in drysuit, then you really don't understand your task as a divingcenter.

Another funny thing is that I was already diving sm ccr in caves before there was a sm ccr cave course. Also, I already used my sm ccr as bailout ccr before courses came. I have developed my own knowledge. No course needed.

As already written earlier, there are useful diving courses like ow, nitrox, cave, trimix, etc. Other courses are for some divers useful like drysuit, ppb/into to tech/essentials, dpv, sidemount, you can learn yourself, but if you don't trust take a course. And there are courses that are really just for fun, but not to make better divers like biology, photography, etc.

For dpv I arranged a 'Scooter' card. No open water or cave mentioned. that means I can use it everywhere.
And I solved this problems and discussions with an 'Everything diver instructor' card. This also means you can dive solo.