Training...

[pir8]

No class is going to make you an instant expert. What they do for you is point you in the right directions to get a head start on the subject.

You learn to dive by diving!!!!!! Whatever you are doing.

Any C-Card is just a license to really learn, but it will help you get started.

 

[wedivebc]

If there ia a solo instructor on this board please chime in and post the course work for a solo certification. I would really like see it. Maybe I will see what it is I don't know about solo that I haven't learned in 40 years of doing it.

yeah but some people don't want to take 40 years to learn it. It is very unlikely you would learn anything about solo diving from me or any solo instructor but there are lots of people out there who would like to learn from others experience and that applies to all facets of diving. I have turned as many potential students away from this course for too much experience as I have for lack of experience.

 

[Timeliner]

Hi everyone, I am a PADI DM and decided to solo dive. I beleive that the training is very important , both for safety and be a role model as PADI refers

I looked in to SDI course, however i am not 21. I have been diving for 4 years, own all my equipment, have over 125 dives and been in very stressful conditions and i think i can do it.



Cheers

My Opinion....

Find a lake you think you'll enjoy... A cold one... A new place thats even better!...
All by yourself.... with nobody around for miles to talk you into it or out of it or even to save you. Go out all alone and just do it.
If you want to you will it's that simple. If not ... no big deal.
It's not Suicide people have just tried to brain wash you into believe it is.
If you can just get that crap out of your mind and get in the water you'll be fine.

Your a DM ? I'm just curious but... how have you lasted this long without doing a solo dive. :huh:

 

[fire_diver]

Exactly.

That's what training is for, to fill in those blanks many divers don't even know exist. Is it absolutely necessary? Of course not. But the majority of people are probably unwilling or unable to put in the requisite time and effort to learn on their own in a relatively safe manner comparable to good instruction. In most cases, good instruction not only speeds up the learning process but makes it safer too.

And this is very type of person who should not be solo diving. This would be akin to someone learning how to do deco diving without having the requisite bouyancy skills.
Anyone can use V-planner and go do a deco dive today. Are their skills up to the task?

Some things you sould just "know" your ready for before you try it.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Exactly and my fear is that there will be people out there who get a solo card from some unscrupulous operation that will end up dead because they paid their money and got the card but not the skills or mindset to use it properly.

 

[Scuba]

And this is very type of person who should not be solo diving. This would be akin to someone learning how to do deco diving without having the requisite bouyancy skills.
Anyone can use V-planner and go do a deco dive today. Are their skills up to the task?

Some things you sould just "know" your ready for before you try it.

I think I understand your point of view, that one needs to go beyond formal instruction. but that is not what i meant. What I'm saying is that if a person is unwilling or unable to learn on his own, from scratch, which can be a difficult and perilous course, in a comparibly safe manner equivalent to that of learning through instruction courses, the route the vast majority take, in no way disqualifies them from being able to safely learn and partake in diving. Obviously you would not disqualify those who learn, at least in part since one can not learn all from formal instruction, how to dive, dive tech, overheads etc., from having the ability to become a safe diver.

Exactly and my fear is that there will be people out there who get a solo card from some unscrupulous operation that will end up dead because they paid their money and got the card but not the skills or mindset to use it properly

And we could say this about any type of diving too, can't we?

 

[captain]

There are some parts of basic dive training that some people need training on in a formal teaching enviroment. Gas laws, tables, equiptment operation, etc. Once you are trained and have X number of dives you should be capable of determining if and what you need to solo dive. There is enough information in this forum and books for someone to be able to make their own decision. After reading the SDI solo course overview I don't see any thing in it that pretains specifically to solo other than the philosophical discusicion of self-reliance, self rescue, pros and cons of solo,etc. The rest of it is what any diver of moderate experience should know and consider either solo or buddy depending on the type and conditions of the dive site.