Solo tech/deco

[waterpirate]

This is the querry,

My diving is decidedly moving deeper and longer to get better hunting oppotunities off of wrecks not visited often. All of my diving is same day same ocean, if your not back by max runtime buddy on boat calls next of kin.
I called several intro to deco procedures instructors and ran head on into the gear natzis. While some of the gear made sense, alot did not.
If diving same day same ocean,
why do I need a seven foot hose?
I was told by all of them to practice diving doubles with isolator
independants are strictly forboden
if I dive doubles for practice I would like to know how to do a valve drill first
or do you dive all valves open use slung bottle for bailout?
anyone have any advice on these topics?

I fully suport mentoring in dive training.
I have the opportunity to be mentored, should I move forward and F the cards?
or should I keep shoping for an instructor that fits the bill?
Eric

 

[Wookie]

Solo and intro to tech are two different classes. Although tech diving allows you to "dive more independently", it is not a solo class. TDI specifically prohibits solo tech diving. If you want to dive solo, your instructor shouldn't care about a 7 foot hose, that is an intro to tech requirement. Solo is a recreational level class, designed to teach a diver to dive with redundant gear, so a buddy is less necessary. Intro to tech is designed to get you ready to dive in a overhead environment, where a buddy is very necessary.

 

[wedivebc]

TDI specifically prohibits solo tech diving. .

Where do they state that?

 

[DA Aquamaster]

The TDI classes I took promoted the concept of each diver being configured and using gas planning procedures to ensure they were fully self sufficient in the event of a back gas reg or tank problem or the loss of a deco gas. If the need arose to share gas it was because you had a multiple failure.

Consequently, a buddy was not specifically required but was deemed handy to have around in entanglement situations, etc. I suspect the emphasis on the buddy thing is instructor dependent.

The DIR approach is much more team driven and a buddy is basically mandatory.

Personally, I think it depends on the type of diving you are doing. Cave pentration is very team beneficial and a team greatly reduces the risks. However, not all echnical situations are that ammenable to a buddy team or benefit from the compromises involved in a buddy team.

 

[texdiveguy]

Solo and intro to tech are two different classes. Although tech diving allows you to "dive more independently", it is not a solo class. TDI specifically prohibits solo tech diving. If you want to dive solo, your instructor shouldn't care about a 7 foot hose, that is an intro to tech requirement. Solo is a recreational level class, designed to teach a diver to dive with redundant gear, so a buddy is less necessary. Intro to tech is designed to get you ready to dive in a overhead environment, where a buddy is very necessary.

I am not quite sure your statement regarding TDI prohibiting solo diving is accurate...I never have read that...?

Also I would disagree that all overhead diving requires a buddy as you have stated...just not a true. Most cave divers team/buddy dive...but many deep o/w divers and wreck penetration divers prefer to dive solo.

 

[Solitude Diver]

While I am all for diving with a buddy if you want, and acknowledge that maybe I might be happy he is there on occasion (just in case...medical issues, blackouts, etc) .... I hope I NEVER feel I NEED or HAVE to have to have a buddy around for my safety.

If I can't take care of myself, and deal with whatever comes up (within reason) on my own, I probably shouldn't be down there in the first place. What if I loose my buddy just before (or during) the emergency? There is only one person I will ever count on to get me home.

 

[waterpirate]

I hope this does not turn into a standards debate. The question maybe should have been, how many sameday same ocean divers use a seven foot hose? and if so, for what? I fully understand the concept of iso manifold for access to all your back gas, but for planned deco dives that only require less than 80cu for bottom gas, why not independant 80's if you are going to sling 02 for accelerated deco anyway?
Eric

 

[stu_in_fl]

i know people who used the 7ft hose for class and then after a short time went back to the shorter hose (as they were spearing, and effectively "solo", so didn't need/want a long hose).

You can do the adv nitrox/deco in singles, but of course if you are planning to continue diving in doubles it makes sense to do the classes in them. I never made the jump to doubles so can't help there i'm afraid.

Shame you are not in FL - in Tampa/St Pete, Chad Carney teaches the classes you are interested in with a spearfishing theme (He's on SB : MOBILE SCUBA INSTRUCTION)

 

[Rick Inman]

The question maybe should have been, how many sameday same ocean divers use a seven foot hose? and if so, for what?

Weather I'm team diving or solo, I like using the same configuration that I'm used to, trained on, and will automatically know where everything is, should things go south. The long hose is a superior configuration (IMO) for team diving, and I'd rather not changes things around every time I change who I'm diving with - or who I'm not.

If every dive I did was solo, and I was sure I wouldn't ever run into another diver who might need gas, I would get rid of the sever footer. Otherwise it stays, even solo.

 

[francousteau]

If every dive I did was solo, and I was sure I wouldn't ever run into another diver who might need gas, I would get rid of the sever footer. Otherwise it stays, even solo.

Well said, Rick.

Waterpirate - I see some guys on boats using independent doubles and they seem to have no problems with 'em. I might be wrong, but I think w/using independents, after using a certain % of gas from 1 cylinder, you switch to the other reg/cylinder. That's what I'd be doing anyway. IMO, if ya wanna go for independents . . . have at it. YMMV