How long did you wait before you started Solo Diving?

How many dives before you started soloing?

  • 0-24

    Votes: 43 42.6%
  • 25-49

    Votes: 11 10.9%
  • 50-99

    Votes: 15 14.9%
  • 100-249

    Votes: 19 18.8%
  • 250+

    Votes: 13 12.9%

  • Total voters
    101

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halmo


Seems to me that you make big CLAMES that you don't back up with numbers or any other form of poof to what you say
 
As far as "what I know for sure" I subscribe to the Four States of Knowing;

The first state of knowing is when you know you know.

The second state of knowing is when you think you know.

The third state of knowing is when you think you don't know.

The final state of knowing is when you know you don't know. :idk:
 
Among the things I do know;

I know how to properly address someone in a polite conversation.

I know that answering questions directed at me with a polite and thoughtful response is better than ignoring the questions and launching into an attack.

You wouldn't happen to be politically conservative would you?

In a forum such as this, or any other where you have questions about my claims, what numbers or proof would satisfy you?

Speaking just for me, when someone whom I don't care what they think posts, it doesn't piss me off even when they are perhaps directly addressing me, especially if they resort to insults. :mooner:

People that resort to insults never really get there point across.....where you able to understand that?

:rofl3:
 
Or take an SDI Rescue course...or find an independent PADI instructor who knows how to read the instructor manual and understands the standards.


As for the SDI Solo course, in and of itself, it's not a very thorough course. It is basically just a recreational solo diving specialty. IANTD has a course called Self-Sufficient Diver which encompasses much more and truly prepares the diver for being self sufficient. Whether I'm teaching SDI Solo or IANTD Self-Sufficient, I teach the same course, minimum of 2 days and 4 dives. SDI only requires 1 day, 2 dives for Solo.

Does SDI require something beyond OW before Rescue? I looked for someone close that was NAUI in the past and didn't find one. ScubaTech is training through SDI so maybe I'll check with them.

Would an independant PADI instructor be able to go beyond PADI's AOW requirement? Would I get a card for my money? You know I'm all about the card. :rofl3:

What are the prerequisites for IANTD Self sufficient course - would it alow me to dive solo on dive boats like the SDI is supposed to? From the title and the fact that your requirements are more stringent, I think I could learn something from your IANTD/SDI training - what does the course cover?
 
OW training today ... no matter how good the instructor might be ... doesn't prepare you to dive solo. Those who choose to ignore that reality are just jumping in the water and hoping for the best.


... Bob (Grateful Diver)


Gee I've been only OW certified for 40 years with almost 2000 dives many of them solo. I'm lucky to alive!:shocked2: Now you've gone and scared me!:D
 
Gee I've been only OW certified for 40 years with almost 2000 dives many of them solo. I'm lucky to alive!:shocked2: Now you've gone and scared me!:D

Well, two things ...

1. The OW class you took encompassed what is currently covered in OW, AOW and Rescue ... plus some skills that aren't covered at all anymore. Today's OW class doesn't even BEGIN to prepare someone to dive solo.

2. And you didn't learn what you know about diving in your OW class ... you learned it through the subsequent 2000 dives.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
 
Last edited:
Well, two things ...

1. The OW class you took encompassed what is currently covered in OW, AOW and Rescue ... plus some skills that aren't covered at all anymore. Today's OW class doesn't even BEGIN to prepare someone to dive solo.

2. And you didn't learn what you know about diving in your OW class ... you learned it through the subsequent 2000 dives.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

You are correct Bob. I was just fun'in ya anyway. I'll say this, after being here on SB for a year now I've come to realize that my early experience with diving was very different from that of many others. I don't believe a youngster these days could have anywhere near the experience I had. Any comprision is probably unfair and not realistic.

Back to the subject of the thread, I was freediving solo at the age of 10 or 12 in a freshwater lake. I'd tow a tire tube around in case I needed floation and spent hours fining around the lake. By the time I got certified at 16 being alone in the water wasn't anything new to me. So I think, if I'm remembering right I fall into the 0-24 dives.
 
Does SDI require something beyond OW before Rescue? I looked for someone close that was NAUI in the past and didn't find one. ScubaTech is training through SDI so maybe I'll check with them.

SDI requires "Advanced Diver certification or 40 logged Open Water dives."

Would an independant PADI instructor be able to go beyond PADI's AOW requirement? Would I get a card for my money? You know I'm all about the card. :rofl3:

There's no going beyond. Almost all of PADI's courses have their prerequisites "or equivalent".

What are the prerequisites for IANTD Self sufficient course - would it alow me to dive solo on dive boats like the SDI is supposed to? From the title and the fact that your requirements are more stringent, I think I could learn something from your IANTD/SDI training - what does the course cover?

AOW or equivalent, 15 logged dives, 18 years old. I can't comment on the dive boats. They have their own policies. I typically issue both certs so you're covered on the boats. The course covers S-drills, RMV calculation, propulsion techniques, valve drills, buoyancy/trim, navigation, lift bag deployment, and several drills used to evaluate proficiency.
 
There's no going beyond.

That's not true. You can do quite a few things in AOW, including extending to some of the rescue course. Further, an instructor can include plenty of other skills provided they do not evaluate those skills as a course requirement for passing.
 
That's not what he was asking. He wanted to know if a PADI instructor could interpret the prerequisite requirement different than AOW required.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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