What skills do you actually learn in a Solo course?
- Thread starter Tom_Ivan
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I think you mean "scam", not "hoax". The latter suggests they advertise something that doesn't exist. The former means they take your money and don't deliver anything of value.
Personally, I'm not sure either applies, but YMMV.
Personally, I'm not sure either applies, but YMMV.
Soloist
Contributor
It’s ignorant to imply you will not learn anything from solo dive training without knowing your experience level. Best thing to do is seek out a competent instructor that will provide a challenging and thorough training experience. The instructor makes the course! By the end you should be able to ascertain and resolve problems proficiently, quickly and independently. Being able to switch to a pony, rig a pony, contend with an OOA situation (regardless of the circumstances), lose and replace your mask at depth, make a long surface swim, carry redundant gear and completely remove your BC at depth, swim away from it and replace it are just some of the skills you should glean from your instruction. This can be a great course, so choose your instructor wisely. Hope this was helpful. Good luck!
caruso
Banned
There's a mandatory minimum number of dives required in order to take a Solo diving course so the experience level is going to be there. There really isn't anything new to learn in regard to skills when talking about a solo diver course other than knowing how to deploy a backup gas source and knowing what additional redundant gear to carry.
It's really all about attitude- being self sufficient, independent and not needing to rely on another diver to save your butt when something goes wrong.
Concur with @Soloist - I personally got a lot out of my course and I know it was because my instructor had a lot to do with that. I took the training for the same reason that @scubadada did. Even after years of being a divemaster and diving solo, I was running into places and locations that required the certification. In addition to all of the skills mentioned already, we also practiced shooting a surface marker buoy from depth. This was not a new thing for me, but none of the other students in my class had ever done it and it was a valuable, new acquired skill for them. I found the gas planning and management to be the most useful for me and I also learned that if I ever have to, I can dive underwater in a controlled fashion and make my way to safety stop depth and complete a safety stop without a mask on. I thoroughly enjoyed the training, but again, I think my Instructor had much to do with that.
caruso
Banned
I think I had crappy solo diver training. We did a couple of dives where we shot an smb and I had to untangle myself, that was pretty much it. It was more like a test than me learning anything. Got much more out of the book.
Rusty Shackleford
Contributor
I use my Shearwater.
As others have said, a good course will talk about gear redundancy, great methods for mounting that gear, gas management, and some common perils and how to overcome or avoid them. Sure you can read about all of these things, but sometimes hands in help has a place.
Most of the people who pass my cavern class would automatically be qualified for a solo card.
Rusty Shackleford
Contributor
I need to get the card just in case I decide to go on a boat solo. I have done hundreds of solo dives in my nearby lake and river and am certified to Intro Cave.
I am going to talk to my old instructor and see if he will pencil whip me one for some bucks. The only thing I really need a bit of practice in is deploying an SMB and I have recently made an SMB set-up and I am going to start by practicing on my safety stop and then moving deeper.
I am going to talk to my old instructor and see if he will pencil whip me one for some bucks. The only thing I really need a bit of practice in is deploying an SMB and I have recently made an SMB set-up and I am going to start by practicing on my safety stop and then moving deeper.
caruso
Banned
Isn't that the main reason we get most of the more entry level certifications? We've probably all dived a wreck and done a dive greater than 60' prior to getting our AOW and many who get the solo card have dived off a boat and done their own thing at least once, but at least in some areas such as the Florida Keys you won't be allowed to do those dives without the card mainly due to insurance liability reasons not because you aren't skilled or experienced enough.
Same thing for Nitrox, do we really need a course and training to breath gas with a higher 02 content? Learn the MOD tables and your'e done. The question is of course rhetorical.
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