Updated list of agencies offering Solo certification

[Hatul]

The main reason I solo dive I for lack of available dive buddy when I shore dive. On a boat there are lots of people so I ask to be paired off. In any case I'm prepared to take care of myself and at times the buddy has even been safety liability.

Adam

 

[String]

The PADI course is a solo course except they call solo "independent diving" presumably for PR reasons.
A few quotes from the outline:

"... To develop the skills of planning and carrying out dives without a partner when preferred or necessary"

"... knowledge and techniques necessary to rely on themselves first, whether or not they are diving with a partner"

"..potential risks of diving alone, and how to manage those risks"

From the liability release:

"... I further acknowledge that choosing to dive without a buddy, as a "Self-Reliant" Diver has additional inherent risks and hazards"

There are plenty more in the course philosophy. Its a 30m, no deco solo diver cert.

 

[exposure]

In the PADI TEC Courses, you learn to be self-reliant. Does it give you the ability for solo dive? Self-reliant in the Tec course doesn't mean solo dive, but it explain the way you can deal with issue with your buddy. So self-reliant or solo-dive are different concept.

 

[markmud]

The PADI course is a solo course except they call solo "independent diving" presumably for PR reasons.
A few quotes from the outline:


From the liability release:


There are plenty more in the course philosophy. Its a 30m, no deco solo diver cert.

Hey String,

What language is actually on the PADI cert card? Is there a definition for "Self Reliant" diver on the card?

The information I have read about this course is that it is designed to make a diver more self sufficient to enhance the buddy system. I don't have access to the course outline, texts, or cert cards. Was my conclusion wrong?

Right now, I am still convinced that I should take the SDI course because SDI is calling a duck, a duck.

I want a cert that does not play semantic games.

thanks,

markm

 

[DevonDiver]

PADI Self-Reliant Diver - Instructor Manual:

General Purpose

The purpose of the Self-Reliant Diver specialty course is to recognize and accept the role of the buddy system and its contributions to diver safety while identifying and developing self-reliance and independence while diving. There are two reasons for an experienced diver to take the Self-Reliant diver course:


• To develop the skills of planning and carrying out dives without a partner when preferred or necessary.


• To sharpen skills of diving self-reliance, making the diver a stronger partner in a dive pair or team.


This course covers when diving alone may be applicable, and the need to compensate for those situations, including dive planning, life support system readiness, adaptive training, equipment and responsibility.


This course is an introduction to self-reliant diving that helps student divers develop the skills, knowledge and techniques necessary to rely on themselves first, whether or not they are diving with a partner, including:


• The value and application of the buddy system.
• The philosophy of, and motivation for, diving without a partner.
• Potential risks of diving alone, and how to manage those risks.
• The value of equipment redundancy and what back-up equipment is needed.
• Dive planning and gas management.

 

[DevonDiver]

PADI Self-Reliant Diver - Instructor Manual:

B. Course Goals

1. To develop understanding of the value and application of the buddy system and the philosophy of, and motivation for, diving without a partner. 2. T o introduce the potential risks, risk management techniques and the need for equipment redundancy in self-reliant diving.
3. To improve self-reliant dive skills, dive planning and gas management abilities.

E. Can diving alone be done responsibly?

1. Diving without a partner requires experienced scuba divers willing to make the necessary commitment to train and equip themselves properly, and to accept the added risks involved.

a. A person must have the required attitude and aptitude to pursue responsible independent diving. This is true in other adventure sport activities such as independent rock climbing.


2. PADI Worldwide’s position is that responsible independent scuba diving is not for everybody, however, it does have a place.


a. To responsibly engage in independent scuba diving, a diver must first be highly experienced, have a hundred or more logged buddy-accompanied scuba dives, be absolutely selfreliant and apply the specialized procedures and equipment needed to engage in the activity.
b. This includes, but is not limited to redundant air sources, specialized equipment configurations, specific dive planning, and management of independent diving problems and emergencies.
c. Diving without a partner requires mental discipline as well as the right attitude and equipment. However, no amount of redundant equipment can effectively back up a diver’s brain better than another individual.
d. Photographers, videographers, dive leaders and others will find the principles of self-reliant diving useful when diving as a group, or when otherwise choosing to dive without a partner.
e. Experienced divers who typically dive with a partner will find the self-reliant diver course bolsters their skill and confidence when diving with unknown partners or those less experienced.
f. TecRec divers can apply the principles of the self-reliant specialty to team diving – learning to rely first on themselves before others.

Who should develop self-reliant diving skills and why?

1. Instructors and Divemasters
a. Instructors and divemasters are often with a group of students or certified divers exploring the local dive sites, however, they may not have a specific dive buddy.
b. Being self-sufficient and self-reliant provides the skill set needed for instructors and divemasters to respond to emergencies independently.


2. Photographers and videographers
a. A photographer’s or videographer’s buddy is usually in the viewfinder and sometimes a distance away.
b. Photographers or videographers may pay attention to the environment around them, but not pay much attention to a dive buddy
c. Because divers capturing images are typically concentrating on their subjects (such as fish or environment), and often not as much on their buddies, photographers/videographers and their dive buddies benefit from learning self-reliant diving skills.


3. Traveling divers
a. While traveling, divers may end up with a dive buddy they have not met and that may not share the same dive objectives.
b. Buddy separation can be avoided in many ways, but if it does happen a self-reliant diver is better prepared to handle the situation.

4. Wreck divers
a. Recreational wreck, cavern and ice divers should not dive alone in overhead environments.
b. However, the wreck diver who has the skills and knowledge of a self-reliant diver is more likely to properly handle buddy separation and to deal with emergency situations.


5. TecRec divers
a. Diving without a partner is not unusual for TecRec divers.
b. In some cases, trained cave divers dive without a partner in no mount and sidemount areas.

 

[Barracuda2]

The information I have read about this course is that it is designed to make a diver more self sufficient to enhance the buddy system.

Solo diving is very much common sense: (1)Experience+fitness=confidence=comfort; (2)Well maintained gear; especially regs; (3)Redundant air source;

(4) Know how to shoot a bag. What else is there?

I could take the time to flesh out these 4 requirements, but I don't want to insult your intelligence since we are all solo divers. I took my SDI solo course just so I could dive my local dive hole legally; (Commercial Quarry) same reason I took my AOW, so I could legally dive the deep (130') side of said dive hole. I can't say I really learned anything new at all, yet I had to spend about $400 to get these certs. The solo dive course is "designed" to move money from one pocket (yours) to another and so are other such courses. On the other hand; Nitrox, tech courses like trimix, rebreathers, cave diving, and wreck penetration diving is another story; instruction by a qualified and competent instructor is a must before engaging in those types of diving. $250 to get a "night diving cert card"? Com'on! It won't be long and we'll need a cert. to put a pee valve in our dry suit. I'm not trolling; I just needed to vent a little---it's my age.