The Final Chapter On Solo Diving

[SARdvr]

Here you go everyone, straight from those at Rodales. Researched and factual! Maybe DIR should reconsider things?

http://www.scubadiving.com/training/instruction/solocert/

 

[devjr]

Thanks for the link. It's obvious the authors applied a lot of time and thought to this subject. As a spearfisherman, I've spent many hours solo diving. I don't use all the gear that they call for in the article but many of the suggestions or proposed requirements make sense. If ever I misjudged my ability to get back to the boat and was left adrift, it would be nice to have a lunch packed and, oh yes, a strobe light would help too. There are many kinds of diving lumped together as a single sport and some probably require as much preparation as is done for a moon walk, especially so for a solo plan.

 

[100days-a-year]

SARdvr,a little tongue in cheek perhaps?I dive 80% solo(over 100 dives a year)the only time DIR is an issue for me is in the type of diving that DIR evolved from.And guess what,if you follow the maxim"don't dive with strokes"you eliminate the potential drawbacks of the buddy system with following exception and that is the legal liability issue.Nothing you can do will eliminate that problem.As for acertification,if you want a new card that's up to you.

 

[old_mike]

maybe you could get a hold of George Irvine and get his opinion on things ;-)

yeah, most of my diving is solo (hunt and photog). Not that i'm gonna waste my money on a new patch, unless the boat operators insist on it!

 

[jmsdiver]

It's been a long time coming. I have always felt that certification agency have been somewhat hypicritical about their standards. They state that one must always dive with a buddy, however how many professionals do you know that dive alone (ie Divemasters taking a group down, instructors teaching a class, etc)? Ice and SAR divers tend to dive alone as well, with their "budies" being at the other end of a rope. And, one other demographic group of divers: the single diver on a trip. You know the ones: "who needs a buddy?" And two divers raise their hands, they've never dove with each other before, they don't know the level of experience of each other, and so forth. As an experienced diver, I always feel more comfortable with a diver that has been diving regularly and has had some continuing education (read Rescue cert or above). I feel that if my buddy is comfortable with their skills and in the water, then I don't have to keep as close an eye on them and I know that they will be able to help me out in an unlikely event something should go wrong.

However, I am all for solo diving if it is done responsibly. Some of my best dives have been alone, without the crowd of divers the water sometimes holds. I feel with the appropriate amount of education, experience, comfort, and responsibility that solo diving can be both safe and enjoyable. So, cheers to SDI for developing a course that addresses this. It's unfortunate that the rest of the industry doesn't acknowledge this as a growing section of the diving population. I would rather have trained divers diving solo than some average joe diver doing it. As a SAR diver myself, I don't really want to begin finding divers at the bottom of lakes. I think knowledge is power, and skills can be learned to make diving safe and enjoyable.

Regards

 

[joeldm]

Researched and factual, really? What research, what facts?

All the research I've ever seen indicates that solo diving is FAR more dangerous than buddy diving. I do a lot of dive accident research reading and solo diving is a one of the primary causes of accidents and fatalities.

Don't buy the hype. Note that the article is accompanied by a certifying agency's announcement that they just happen to be offering a solo certification. That agency also just so happens to have a lot of ads in Rodale's and one of their founders is a regular contributor to Rodale's.

Be cynical, don't read something from a commercial interest who's primary source of income is advertising and that also trumpets one of its customer's new programs as the best thing since sliced bread and believe it without a close examination.

Notice that they also slam buddy diving as unsafe and use scare tactics that include the fear of lawsuit if you buddy dive . . . pathetic and obvious. You can be sued by anyone for anything.

If you want to dive solo, go ahead, there's plenty of room on the Darwin List for your name too. Just remember to yell, "hey, watch this," before you jump in.

JoeL

 

[mirage]

when dive pros dive with new students, its in essence diving solo, cause most of teh students have no clue at that point what to do.

ive dove solo and will again, at times i perfer it most times im with a buddy. but its not up to anyone else or any agenecy to tell me if i can or cant.

 

[JustinW]

when dive pros dive with new students, its in essence diving solo, cause most of teh students have no clue at that point what to do.

ive dove solo and will again, at times i perfer it most times im with a buddy. but its not up to anyone else or any agenecy to tell me if i can or cant.

When instructors dive with students, there is a divemaster or two watching, also keep in mind that the students are all trained on providing air, or they wouldn't have made it to the OW dives. Also, OW dives are done at a depth that provides for a controlled ascent to the surface on one breath of air, Instructors are not alone, they have more trained partners than most other divers, your point is invalid

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Here you go everyone, straight from those at Rodales. Researched and factual! Maybe DIR should reconsider things?

http://www.scubadiving.com/training/instruction/solocert/

FYI - When I click on the link I get a screen saying the page has been moved.

Did you enjoy setting fire to the notices pinned on the bulletin boards when you lived in the dormitories? :shakehead

 

[jagfish]

Yeah, it's moved for me too.

Would liked to read it...

JAG