Solo Checkout Dives this Sunday...

[saying]

... and I'm getting pretty psyched.

I'm perfectly comfortable with all the exercises as described and perfectly confident I can extricate myself from pretty much any problem in any environment where I would consider solo diving... ie: utterly benign places.

I'm wondering, though... I've never actually been in the cold darkness of the bottom of the quarry by myself -- not afraid of it; on the contrary I'm quite looking forward to it -- will I really be at ease down there as I imagine I will?

I guess that's what The Dive Shop wants to know too.

 

[Soggy]

I've always wondered about this. How do they do a checkout dive for a solo diver?

 

[saying]

Instructor will be chilling on a lawn chair up on one of the quarry beaches.

Dive 1:
Gotta be below 70 feet (instuctor will be checking computers), gotta come up to the surface some distance from the beach before him and inflate a saftey sausage. When he acknowledges that he sees you, you are to deflate and stow the sausage, shoot an azimuth, drop to 15 feet and navigate to the steps of the beach. ("I wanna see you come up right in front of the stairs.") Yeah, navigate a single straight line... I don't want to talk any smack about it, though, because I'm convinced I'll jinx it and an unnoticable 10 knot current will blow through the quarry and wind me up on the wrong side of the lake.

Dive 2: Gotta be below 60 feet (He's really trying to drive this "Alone in the Dark" thing home. And below the 50 foot thermocline these days... dark it is) and wind up surfacing at this one particular buoy (the buoy is attached to a sunken Cessna, so it's not like we're gonna be puttering around in the dark looking for a single thread of polypropylene line). From that buoy we are to surface swim all the way back to his stairs. Probably about 100-120 meters.

 

[Soggy]

Cool, thanks. Good luck!

 

[Snowbear]

What's the time limit before he starts gearing up to come looking for you?

 

[eponym]

Bubbled Saying:
I'm wondering, though... I've never actually been in the cold darkness of the bottom of the quarry by myself -- not afraid of it; on the contrary I'm quite looking forward to it -- will I really be at ease down there as I imagine I will?

I'm repeating myself from a post elsewhere, I think, but . . .

I was solo in my local mountain lake earlier this week and working on navigation. I headed out East from my dive flag buoy line at thirty feet. Seventeen minutes later I was still going East. Since the viz is about ten feet, and I'm at least that far off the bottom, there is nothing to see but green soup and my compass and computer on my wrist. It got oddly unsettling, like a sensory-deprivation experiment.

My brain was asking for some external confirmation that my traverse was going according to plan. I could keep the compass needle pegged forever, but it felt increasingly weird to not have any other feedback. Just kick, glide, breathe, over and over.

Very wierd. I was all too happy to turn and start back. Then I had to fight the chatter in my head that said, "you can't possibly expect to find the buoy line in this muck at that distance." I decided I could be happy just trying, and would allow the result to reveal itself at the proper time.

Good luck, have fun!

Bryan

 

[MikeFerrara]

... and I'm getting pretty psyched.


I'm wondering, though... I've never actually been in the cold darkness of the bottom of the quarry by myself -- not afraid of it; on the contrary I'm quite looking forward to it -- will I really be at ease down there as I imagine I will?

I guess that's what The Dive Shop wants to know too.

You're doing solo training check out dives in an unfamiliar environment?

you have absolutely no reason to be at ease, IMO.

Instructor will be chilling on a lawn chair up on one of the quarry beaches.

And you're payting money for this? What good does he do you there?

Tell you what I'll conduct the check out for you for half the price. Just send me a printout from your computer. A freind is a TDI/SDI IT. I'll have him send me an instructor card and I'll ship you you're solo card.

Dive 1:
Gotta be below 70 feet (instuctor will be checking computers),

Now that's earning your pay. LOL

gotta come up to the surface some distance from the beach before him and inflate a saftey sausage. When he acknowledges that he sees you, you are to deflate and stow the sausage, shoot an azimuth, drop to 15 feet and navigate to the steps of the beach. ("I wanna see you come up right in front of the stairs.")

Window dressing.

From the bottom of my heart...may God watch over all you folks who buy in to this utter BS. Especially since the instructor will be chilling in a chair.

 

[msandler]

I am sure you'll do great. You will definitely be rewarded with confidence and a feeling of self reliance. MillBrook is about as safe an environment as one would ever find. By now, you should be an experienced diver. For the record, How many dives have you done? MikeF, unless Saying is a beginning diver you are grossly over-reacting. Enjoy the dive and the feeling of independance. Do put yourself at ease before starting the dive and stay at ease. Breath, relax, take your time and think. The surface is only a few kicks away.

Curious, who is your instructor?

 

[MikeFerrara]

MikeF, unless Saying is a beginning diver you are grossly over-reacting.

Maybe I am and maybe I'm not. I do know that based on my own training and experience that it's not a good sign that he seems nervouse about the environment.

I also have concerns about the SDI solo course in general. I sure don't see what good the instructor will do sitting on shore. He may as well stay home.

 

[msandler]

Maybe I am and maybe I'm not. I do know that based on my own training and experience that it's not a good sign that he seems nervouse about the environment.

I also have concerns about the SDI solo course in general. I sure don't see what good the instructor will do sitting on shore. He may as well stay home.

Lots about SDI is questionable.

I like that they have a Solo course. Not so long ago PADI NAUI and others all voiced their anti-Nitrox opinion. It is noteworthy that SDI is recognizing this "side" of diving and trying to contribute positively to the practice. I am sure the instructor did more than mount a lawn chair - sheesh. I'll bet there was ample discussion and introduction to methods of self sufficiency and skills. I think an actual solo dive in a relatively controled environment under observation (even if only by watching bubbles on the surface) is a proper end to such a course. In this case the diver appears to have a suitable amount of experience (by the individual's profile). Also, I did not interpret any fear or apprehension, just a proper amount of mental awareness. Until a new diver has a chance to dive with a less experienced buddy, they never really lose the feeling of dependancy on others. This solo course adequately addresses this. While were here, I don't see how deploying a SMB is window dressing. Before you attack the instructor you might consider he may be as good as you - if thats possible