Self Reliant Diving Required?

[gcarter]

From your example, I do not know what will happen on a calm day in the water. The fact that you are going underprepared is a liability that the Solo Diver Should not responsibly undertake.

Please describe a possible scenario for that dive where my safety would require a light. Please describe a possible scenario for that dive where a failure of the poodle jacket will be catastrophic and could have been avoided my use of a BP/w. Please describe a possible scenario for that dive where I would die because I was not wearing a drysuit.

Then tell me why if my air fails and my redundant air also fails I can't just do a CESA.

Please also acknowledge the fact that redundant everything, thousands of dives under your belt, and the best training available does not remove all risk.

---------- Post added May 4th, 2015 at 01:15 AM ----------

Having taken the course I can tell you it has


SDI Lists what is required, it is more than a Stage Bottle

---------- Post added May 3rd, 2015 at 10:08 PM ----------

Its not worth a argument.

Anyways. We both dive in Canada

Please provide a reference for the changes. If you are in fact correct I will state for the record that I consider the course to be providing erroneous and misleading information. I do not believe this to be the case.

Not all my diving is in Canada, I have never used a drysuit. I do not take lights on every dive. I have a BP/W, but I also have a BCD.

I take the equipment appropriate for the dive.

 

[Ken T]

Having taken the course I can tell you it has


SDI Lists what is required, it is more than a Stage Bottle

Not an instructor but, here is the link direct from the SDI website:

Dated 04/01/2015 Revision 15.1

https://www.tdisdi.com/wp-content/u...ual/SDI Specialty Standards_23_Solo_Diver.pdf

23.8 Required Equipment

1.
Basic open water scuba equipment as described in section three
of this manual with exception of a safe second, or octopus, is not allowed as a redundant air source.
2.
One of the following must be used to provide an additional independent regulator attached to an air source:
pony cylinder, twin cylinders with isolation, H-valve, independent doubles, or SpareAir™


A SpareAir appears to be the minimum requirement for your back up air supply.

Makes no mention of DIR sytle equipment or expensive regulators or lights.

 

[Kharon]

At least $1000.00 on a First and Second Stage
High Quality Drysuit
Stage Bottle Setup AL 40 with a First and Second Stage
Second Mask
Backplate and Wing
Redundant Light
Redundant Knife
Lighting System and a Backup Light $1400

SDI Has a specific list they require to meet.

To do Solo Diving Safely you need the equipment that I listed.

I call total and utter BUSHWAH!!! I have the SDI Solo card and I just checked the book. Chapter 6 Page 77: "A properly equipped Solo diver will carry the same equipment with only one major modification and a few small additions".

The major modification is redundant air. I put mine together (tank, 1st & 2nd stage, SPG, sling) for around $200.The other mandatory equipment is: SMB, reel, and audible signal (they suggest a whistle). None of this is expensive. Further, SDI suggests that the equipment configuration should be kept simple.

+1 for the OP. My personal first rule of diving is:

1. You are always diving solo no matter how many divers are in the water, or how many buddies you have, or how much experience they have or what you discussed during the dive plan.

If everyone were equipped, trained, and skilled in being self reliant (able to dive solo) the underwater world would be a safer place. NOTE: I'm not sayine everyone should dive solo - only that they should be competant to do so. I'm also not saying it belongs in OW, but there is no reason not to included it as one of the required courses for SDI AOW - maybe as the final course.

 

[tursiops]

scubadude223, you are incorrect in your assertions about the equipment requirements for the SDI Solo course. I teach it.

The current Standards and Procedures say:
23.8 Required Equipment
1. Basic open water scuba equipment as described in section three of this manual with exception of a safe second, or octopus, is not allowed as a redundant air source.
2. One of the following must be used to provide an additional independent regulator attached to an air source: pony cylinder, twin cylinders with isolation, H-valve, independent doubles, or SpareAir™

The "section three" reference says:
The students must have the following equipment:
1. Mask, fins and snorkel
2. Buoyancy compensator device (BCD) with a low-pressure power inflator
3. Regulator with submersible pressure gauge
4. Alternate air source
5. Weight system
6. Personal dive computer (PDC)
7. Exposure suit adequate for the training conditions
8. Compressed gas cylinder
9. Compass; during navigation skills
10. Knife or cutting device
11. Rescue signal

There is NOTHING about BP/W, high-end regs, or "redundant everything."

You have confused your opinion and the instruction you received with what are actually the class requirements.
Your instructor may have required a BP/W, for example. I'm OK with that, although I disagree. When I'm teaching the class I do not allow a SpareAir and discourage an H-valve, and any pony must be 13 cuft or larger. That is my privilege as the instructor, but it is not *required* by SDI.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Why is buddy diving the rule or rather nonredundancy the rule? Wouldn't it make sense for all divers to be trained and equipped for self rescue. Even if they were part of a team/pair?

My thinking is that the semi-inter-reliant "buddy system" developed as a compromise solution. As others have mentioned here, training and redundant equipment can get expensive. So why not have a school of thought that encourages each buddy to rely on the other to the extent it can help minimize the expense of equipment and training. For example, an economical solution to the low-on-air problem is for each buddy to understand he is carrying the other's reserve gas and know how to donate it effectively when circumstances dictate.

There are two sayings I really like:

"I dive solo, but sometimes I like to have other people with me on my solo dives."

"The only equipment that cannot be made redundant is one's brain."

The first one is persuasive, but the second trumps it for me. I won't solo dive unless I can have a second brain.

 

[redacted]

There are two sayings I really like:

"I dive solo, but sometimes I like to have other people with me on my solo dives."

"The only equipment that cannot be made redundant is one's brain."

The first one is persuasive, but the second trumps it for me. I won't solo dive unless I can have a second brain.

Unfortunately, it seems to me there are quite a few divers who think they are buddy diving but are only working with one brain, much to their unpleasant surprise. I am sure this is more a problem in the recreational community than the tech community.

 

[doctormike]

Diving Solo, you MUST have the very best equipment. In my opinion.

Atleast $1000.00 on a First and Second Stage
High Quality Drysuit
Stage Bottle Setup AL 40 with a First and Second Stage
Second Mask
Backplate and Wing
Redundant Light
Redundant Knife
Lighting System and a Backup Light $1400

The List Continues

SDI Has a specific list they require to meet.

This is to do it properly. It is a tall order when you just need a rental BC and Regulator Setup

Not to pile on, but I'm also SDI solo certified, and the only thing on this list that would be required would be a redundant air source (a pony bottle, not strictly speaking a "stage" bottle, which is something used to extend a dive). A backup mask is a good idea, as is a backup cutting tool (I never carry knives, just a Trilobite and some trauma shears). But I don't think that those are part of the SDI requirements for solo.

However, I can see the advantage in telling one's significant other that you absolutely needed to get that $1400 can light because it is "life support equipment"..!

 

[tursiops]

Oddly enough, the SDI requirement is actually for a redundant first stage....hence the allowance for an H-valve.
I prefer to raise the bar when I'm teaching a class and require a redundant gas source, enough to get to the surface calmly and with a safety stop, hence a 13 cuft minimum. No silly SpareAir. I personally carry a 19 cuft if possible.

 

[RJP]

Four times may be a bit much. The point I was trying to say was that It can be expensive to set yourself up with a backplate and Wing. Stage Bottle Setup
Drysuit. Canister Light. Redundant Mask. Custom first and second stage setup.

Diving Solo, you MUST have the very best equipment. In my opinion.

Atleast $1000.00 on a First and Second Stage
High Quality Drysuit
Stage Bottle Setup AL 40 with a First and Second Stage
Second Mask
Backplate and Wing
Redundant Light
Redundant Knife
Lighting System and a Backup Light $1400

The List Continues

SDI Has a specific list they require to meet.

This is to do it properly. It is a tall order when you just need a rental BC and Regulator Setup

Why on earth do you need a $1,000 reg to dive solo?
Or a drysuit?
Or a BP/W?
Or a $1,400 "lighting system"

The SDI list doesn't contain any of those things.

You're just being silly now.

 

[uncfnp]

Four times may be a bit much. The point I was trying to say was that It can be expensive to set yourself up with a backplate and Wing. Stage Bottle Setup
Drysuit. Canister Light. Redundant Mask. Custom first and second stage setup.

Diving Solo, you MUST have the very best equipment. In my opinion.

Atleast $1000.00 on a First and Second Stage
High Quality Drysuit
Stage Bottle Setup AL 40 with a First and Second Stage
Second Mask
Backplate and Wing
Redundant Light
Redundant Knife
Lighting System and a Backup Light $1400

The List Continues

SDI Has a specific list they require to meet.

This is to do it properly. It is a tall order when you just need a rental BC and Regulator Setup

To do Solo Diving Safely you need the equipment that I listed.

Wrong. On so many levels.

Atleast $1000.00 on a First and Second Stage - price has nothing to do with quality or dependability, or maintenance. Same "requirement" solo or buddy

High Quality Drysuit - Seriously? Drysuit? Whatever for?

Stage Bottle Setup AL 40 with a First and Second Stage - wrong yet again. Redundancy is required for class and I agree that for most divers, dive plan and experience dependent, an independent redundant gas source is a good idea but cf of source is a highly individual variable.

Second Mask - "required' for class but its up to the individual if they want to continue.

Backplate and Wing - Just plain ridiculous.

Redundant Light
Redundant Knife
Lighting System and a Backup Light $1400 - Not even worth additional comments.