PDIC has a solo diver certification as well. While SDI offers solo training at the recreational level, the PDIC solo course can be taught at both the recreational and technical levels. Technical solo training is designed to prepare the diver to function independently of a team and be self-sufficient while making the diver appreciate the many advantages of having a unified buddy team in comparison to going it alone. Team breakdown does occur and problems may arise for any team member or members who find themselves alone. Technical solo training may be carried out by qualified instructors at any level such as cave or rebreather with the idea being that lives may be saved in the process of evaluating the equipment, gas management and skill level of a diver at the diver's highest level of certification. We hope the process will help a diver identify personal weaknesses such as poor bailout gas planning or reducing a desire for aggressive solo diving in favor of better training and team diving. PDIC doesn't condone solo technical diving, but we realize that training a diver for solo recreational diving at the diver's highest level makes sense because the more you bleed in training the less you may die in combat. The PDIC Solo Diver certfication card is recreational in nature, but we realize many technical level divers are interested in greater self-sufficiency and we wish to accommodate such training needs. While any solo course may be a cause for debate, one of the things that my solo students have discovered in training is how ill-prepared for solo diving they have been even at the divemaster and instructor levels. This creates an interest in better personal skill development. Also, the course isn't meant to be easy.
Checks in the mail.
