ever needed solo cert?

[rjchandler]

Has anyone ever been asked for a solo cert?

Whitestar Quarry in Ohio has a rule posted that you can only dive solo with the proper certification. This rule has been there long before the SDI course by the way. Never seen anyone police this rule. Never run into it anywhere else.

 

[TwoTanks]

Has anyone ever been asked for a solo cert?

When I dove in Bimini last year, You could only dive solo if you had an advanced ow or better and a redundant air supply. They didn't care about a solo cert.

TT

 

[cortez]

Haigh Quarry outside of Chicago also has that rule. I'm not sure how actively they police it, however, I'm sure that if Tina (the owner) caught you she would enforce the rule.

 

[scubasrm2]

In the Key's I had no problem going solo.(no cert)
I did have a pony and camera equipment.

 

[Diver Mike]

Has anyone ever been asked for a solo cert?

Whitestar Quarry in Ohio has a rule posted that you can only dive solo with the proper certification. This rule has been there long before the SDI course by the way. Never seen anyone police this rule. Never run into it anywhere else.

I was asked at Gilboa Quarry for my Solo Cert. One of the dive instructors form another shop went tot he owners about my diving solo. I showed my SDI cert and that was the end of that.

 

[Iruka]

That's one nice thing about Guam...diving is all around us, so you can walk to pretty much any beach....the hotels are (I believe) required to allow beach access to the public through their grounds....and dive. The first few times I did this I felt nervous, thinking someone would chase me away. So, where and who you dive with is generally up to you. On boats you might be encouraged to find a buddy/tag along with a guided group, but even then I don't think anyone pushes you too hard about it.

 

[jagfish]

In Thailand (Pattaya)
My experience so far is that only the SDI/TDI outfits that teach the solo course will allow solo diving on their boats, and only with the cert.

Here in Japan, many places let you solo dive w/o a cert once they know you well enough. A couple weeks ago, I was at a site that I dove maybe 12 times. On that last day (Monday), I found myself alone as the rest of my group had to leave on Sunday. I know the operator lets one of my friends dive solo there, so I inquired.

It was obvious he did not know me well enough as he started saying that an OW card is only for buddy diving, blah, blah, blah. So I pigeonholed him on that point and asked him if that were the only reason (OW card limitations). He said "yes", and I said, "well, I have a solo cert". He didn't believe such a card existed until I showed it to him, and luckily he was familiar with TDI.

In the end, he gave me the OK.

 

[DiverJP]

Twice when diving on two seperate boats in southern California, I have asked the DM permission and have been allowed to dive solo and they never asked to see any cert beyond the AOW card that I presented upon boarding the boat. I have noticed when looking at the website for Dutch Springs in PA that they evidently require a solo diving cert if you don't have a buddy. I have no idea whether they enforce it.

 

[landfish]

at dutch springs you get away with NOTHING
the scuba nazi's are allways watching
dont beleive me try solo divng or better yet just jump over the fence!!!

 

[whitehead]

Thailand is a no no. the only exceptions I have found are when its an operator (boat owning operator) that actually teaches the course or when I know the owner personally (and even then I have to whinge and whine).

Also the more touristy the area the harder it is to get agreement, in addition to the operators nationality, surprisingly Thai owner/operators are much more likely to allow you to dive to your certification level whilst European/USA/Aus operators generally regard everyone as OW with 10 dives.

This has driven me to such annoyance (I dive specifically for photography and thats why I went solo) that I tend to actually hire a local boat and supply my tanks these days to make sure I can do what I want.