Solo Diving: It's time to set the record straight

[redacted]

The OP is nothing but a thinly-veiled advertisement for the instructor's dive training class. I think it is inappropriate.

I'll bet the OP and the author are inseparable.

But I would like to see wider acceptance of the solo diver certification.

 

[captain]

First, thanks to everyone that has weighed in on this subject with a thoughtful or lucid comment. Soliciting feedback wasn't just lip service. This is a community and that's about conversation, not just one person's opinion. I'll respond personally to all the comments that were either thoughtful or lucid. For those of you that don't think training or certifications are necessary and that you should be able to do anything you want to do on any dive, we'll just have to agree to disagree and leave it at that. Someone asked who certified the first solo diver? To that, we might all ask who certified the first diver period. According the accident statistics in DAN's annual report, its clear that (some or most) solo divers need more training.

So for everyone that has responded so far: do you or do you not have a redundant air source when you solo dive. Thanks for your answers.

I haven't used a redundant air source for the last 53 years and don't plan on starting any time soon.

 

[adventure dude]

Hmmm ... OK, since you solicited it, I'll give you my comments and insights.

First off, there are MANY reasons why people might want to solo dive that have nothing to do with the quality of a potential dive buddy. Sure, buddies can assist you with all the things mentioned in the second paragraph of the article ... but if you're having those types of difficulties, you probably shouldn't be considering solo diving in the first place.

"Inconvenient" should never be a reason to make any dive planning decision ... solo or otherwise. The mental process that goes into your dive plan needs to be a bit more pragmatic than that, and include an honest assessment of the risks involved.

Then there's the assumption that dive photography and buddy diving are mutually incompatible. They're not at all ... you just have to know how to do it, and have a buddy who is willing to be a part of a team, rather than another diver in your general vicinity at the same time. I routinely engage in underwater photography ... as do many of my diving friends. Sometimes we go alone, and other times we go as buddies ... it depends on the dive profile and the reasons why we're going. It doesn't take much effort, really, to learn how to be both an underwater photographer and a responsible buddy ... it only takes a commitment to learn and a bit of self-discipline.

Finally, the article reads like a commercial for an SDI Solo class. The fact is that most solo divers are self-taught, and while a solo class might be helpful to a relatively new diver who wants to try solo diving, it is probably not going to provide the experienced diver with much in the way of useful information.

The answer to the solo diving debate isn't to get another C-card ... it's to make sure that you have honestly evaluated the risks associated with solo diving, have taken steps to mitigate those risks, and have the skills and mental discipline needed to self-rescue should you find yourself in an unanticipated bad situation.

Perhaps in some parts of the world a dive charter would not allow someone to solo dive without the SDI card ... but most solo divers are independent-minded enough to prefer avoiding operators who put those kinds of restrictions on their clients.

It's a mindset thing ... which is, in fact, what solo diving really boils down to ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Thanks for those comments Bob, we agree on a lot of things:

You're right, there are MANY reasons why people want to dive solo, but as Afterdark's and other's comments reveal, the biggest is that they don't want to be inconvenienced. I've heard this on dive boats for the last 20 years.

You said, "Inconvenient" should never be a reason to make any dive planning decision ... solo or otherwise. The mental process that goes into your dive plan needs to be a bit more pragmatic than that, and include an honest assessment of the risks involved." and I couldn't agree more completely. This is one of the main points of the post.

You also made the point, "Then there's the assumption that dive photography and buddy diving are mutually incompatible. They're not at all ... you just have to know how to do it, and have a buddy who is willing to be a part of a team." And I couldn't agree more. They shouldn't be mutually incompatible. I know a number of u/w photogs that make great buddies but a lot more that don't.

"Finally, the article reads like a commercial for an SDI Solo class." Sorry about that but there aren't a lot of other options out there short of more advanced tech training.

"The fact is that most solo divers are self-taught, and while a solo class might be helpful to a relatively new diver who wants to try solo diving, it is probably not going to provide the experienced diver with much in the way of useful information." It is important that we address the new solo diver and this does that. Also, I see a lot of current solo divers diving without a redundant air supply.

"The answer to the solo diving debate isn't to get another C-card ... it's to make sure that you have honestly evaluated the risks associated with solo diving, have taken steps to mitigate those risks, and have the skills and mental discipline needed to self-rescue should you find yourself in an unanticipated bad situation." I agree completely with your mental assessment of solo diving. If there is no "formalized" training for this, where do you think people should get the experience?

"but if you're having those types of difficulties, you probably shouldn't be considering solo diving in the first place." Couldn't agree more. But those are some of the people that are solo diving and the guest stars in DANs Annual Report.

"Perhaps in some parts of the world a dive charter would not allow someone to solo dive without the SDI card ... but most solo divers are independent-minded enough to prefer avoiding operators who put those kinds of restrictions on their clients." Its unfortunate that we live in such a litigious world. My preference, as yours, is to let people take responsibility for their own actions and diving decisions. Unfortunately, that's not how the courts work anymore.

 

[adventure dude]

I'll bet the OP and the author are inseparable.

But I would like to see wider acceptance of the solo diver certification.

For everyone who didn't read the original post and the disclosure contained herein: I am not an SDI instructor nor have any affiliation with SDI whatsoever nor with the Solo Diving course they offer.

I did stop off at their booth last weekend though at the Long Beach SCUBA Show and they thought it was funny that I was being accused of being a shill for SDI.

 

[redacted]

For everyone who didn't read the original post and the disclosure contained herein: I am not an SDI instructor nor have any affiliation with SDI whatsoever nor with the Solo Diving course they offer.

I did stop off at their booth last weekend though at the Long Beach SCUBA Show and they thought it was funny that I was being accused of being a shill for SDI.

But you are the author, are you not?

 

[adventure dude]

Having been a solo diver for some time, the only reason I can see for a Solo Diving C-card is to keep lawyers away from dive operators that let you dive solo. And a big THANK YOU to those operators that still think a diver should plan their own dive.

Although I am a strong proponent of self-sustained diving, and expect every diver to dive within their limits for the given situation/environment/equipment, I acknowledge that many will not do a good job of this.

Let's face it, if a diver dies the odds of his/her family suing that operation are going to be pretty high if the family aren't divers, and still an odds-on favorite if they are.

At least with some sort of C-card to reference the operation is going to have some sort of defense against the near-certain (at least here in the U.S.) lawsuit that will follow.

Thanks for that lucid comment Steve. We agree. Diver's should be responsible for their own plan and dive but the legal system thinks otherwise. When a diver gets injured or killed, no matter what happens, typically everybody gets sued. You couldn't be more spot on with the following comment:

"Let's face it, if a diver dies the odds of his/her family suing that operation are going to be pretty high if the family aren't divers, and still an odds-on favorite if they are. At least with some sort of C-card to reference the operation is going to have some sort of defense against the near-certain (at least here in the U.S.) lawsuit that will follow."

Because of our legal system today (at least in the US), when we dive, the liability of the decisions we make falls on the people we dive with. Its not right, but its true. So if an operator tells you that you can't solo dive without a cert, this is a big part of what is in play and is driven by the courts and insurance companies.

 

[adventure dude]

But you are the author, are you not?

Of course I'm the author but as stated, have nothing to do with SDI.

 

[adventure dude]

The article completely misses the point of solo diving, at least for me.

Thanks for that Harry. I'm genuinely interested; what is the point of solo diving for you?

 

[adventure dude]

As with all fun and enjoyable things, they eventually get popular, change, and become regulated. Solo diving in particular carries some mitigatable risk, but most people do not posses the knowledge and understanding to recognize what people must be informed about before they go out and dive in by themselves.

Though most solo divers are the kind of people that have a pioneer, self sufficient, attitude and don’t require the education because they already have learned a lot from hard knock experience and preparation, this does not mean they always will be. There will always be a group of people that want to follow into it because of its gaining popularity, and no matter how many times you tell them they don’t have enough experience, or the right equipment, or the right attitude, they will think your trying to keep it from them. This will result in these people hurting or killing themselves.

When you get people that want to be part of a hobby that are hurting and killing themselves and the individuals and families saying “nobody was willing to help them learn how to do it safely.” You are going to end up with families protesting and forcing some sort of regulatory action, which is never a good thing.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[adventure dude]

I must admit the article p****d me off with the oft repeated factually wrong concept that Solo divers die.

In incidents I have read about and are discussed on this board, the facts seem to be that the victim was diving with a buddy, separated and the situation deteriorated. Implying that the problem is Solo diving rather than the failure of the buddy system maligns Solo divers and does nothing to solve the actual problem.

Bob

Bob, you are correct in saying that a number of fatalities occur every year when buddies become separated and don't follow lost buddy procedures. It is also fact that a number of undertrained and under prepared solo divers die every year. Its all in DANs Annual Report and their fatality statistics. The original post was factually and statistically correct.