Are you "Solo Certified"?

[Stoo]

I've dived solo off of several charter boats ... including just a few days ago in the Channel Islands ... and never had a boat operator either ask for a solo card or tell me I couldn't.

Maybe I'm just choosing a better class of dive operator ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Or maybe they just sensed that you were a Surly B*stard and didn't want to have to duke it out with you on the dive deck...

 

[Stoo]

Well, as of Friday, I am an officially certified Solo Diver! I tested out my new certification with a 160' dive off of Bad Neighbor Rock up here in Tobermory. The current was ripping, but vis was 100' plus at depth!

More to the point, I'm "legal" for our liveaboard next month!

 

[lowviz]

Well, as of Friday, I am an officially certified Solo Diver! I tested out my new certification.......//.....

Good job! I have a month to go yet...

.......//......More to the point, I'm "legal" .....//.....

Let's see, 160' is good for about 5min. unless you went into deco, which you didn't, cause solo says no hard or soft ceilings.
Ripping current at depth, where "depth" would be a pinnacle dive and ripping current would be extreme conditions.

Did you get a book with this course?

...//..... I'm "legal" ...//.....

Nah, but you are solo!

 

[Stoo]

Let's see, 160' is good for about 5min. unless you went into deco, which you didn't, cause solo says no hard or soft ceilings.

Oops, I guess I missed that part of the class....

This is one of our "primo" wall dives up here. The charters hardly ever come here due to the difficulty of getting a hook in, and the distance from town. Much of the top of the shoal is made up of ledges that are about 20' and about 10', so it's a really easy spot to do deco, and just putz around killing time.

The shop that certified me was out of books at the time, but as the Instructor who certified me commented, he always thought that I wrote the book on solo...

 

[lowviz]

....//....The shop that certified me was out of books at the time, .....//.....

It shows.



-nevermind me, just a bit jealous...

 

[Stoo]

It shows.
-nevermind me, just a bit jealous...

As you should be. It was a, ummm, "express" course...

 

[lowviz]

As you should be. It was a, ummm, "express" course...

-it helps when you "wrote the book".


I'll be "legal" in August, but I'll have the good sense NOT to tell you how I "test" mine. Paybacks, being, you know...

 

[scuba=dude]

all right stoo.........you card carring solo diver you

 

[ermaclob]

Currently, I've just started diving beaches solo. no real reason for a certification, IMO.

 

[CaveMD]

I have the sdi recreational solo cert but i rarely "use it"

most of my solo diving is beyond the scope of the card, or any card offered. I like the NACD's stance on solo overhead- "The NACD does not condone or disapprove of solo diving and believes that individuals have the right to make decisions to dive within their limitations in the manner they choose so long as other divers and the environment is not damaged. The NACD believes there are many ways to dive safely and in the freedom of each diver to make decisions regarding his own well-being"