WooHoo!

[DivingGal]

Originally posted by DiverInAk
. . . Mike Ball Dive Expeditions in Queensland and Papua New Guinea has been offering solo diving for their guests.

When you board Mike Ball’s dive boat, you may request solo diving, and if you meet the pre-requesites, you may dive at your leisure, all on your own. To participate in their Safe Solo Diving program, you must be a Divemaster over the age of 18 years, or be over 21 years of age with proof of 100 dives. You must have a redundant air system, a ‘Dive Alert’ air horn ar similar signalling device, knife and compass. You will also be subject to a skills evaluation before you will be permitted to proceed. ....

I'm not in favour for solo -- for me that is. I just get so much enjoyment sharing my experience with my buddy (who ever that is). And seeing a solo diver just tooting around has always made me a wee bit nervous - for them. But if charters were like Tony described for Mike Ball, well I wouldn't be nervous. I know, I know you solo divers will say "it's my choice to dive alone, so don't you be concerned" but hey, that's the way I am. I just knowing you have the best of opportunities to come back and dive again.

PS the April edition of Rodale's has an article just on this subject.

 

[ScubaBaby]

...that people who already solo dive are going to be that bothered about another certification card????

All these organisations are doing is bring out new and improved courses to fill our wallets with more cards and theirs with more cash!

Take PADI for instance, the ever growing education flow-chart. Their new adventure diver. Where you have to do five types of a certain type of diving and you have another certification card - however you still have to pay all the nice little hidden prices.

I personally think that SDI/TDI isn't going to get that far with this course. If people want to solo dive they will. What can they training you to do that you dont already know???

If your an instructor (for example) taking an unqualified diver for their first open water dive, then the instructor is basically doing a solo dive while watching out for someone else! If the organisations permitt this then i dont see the difference.

If a diver thinks that he/she is capable of diving solo, and is prepared to take the risk, i think thats their choice. If someone doesnt feel they can, then they shouldnt do it!

However, i do feel you need to be a reasonably advanced diver (at least Rescue withPADI) before you do dive alone, cause at this level you learn a lot more about safety.

Well, thats my views anyway - now i guess i get the floods of objections!!!

 

[turnerjd]

Originally posted by DiverInAk
No one should cry about a SOLO diver, and no one has to be responsible. This is a very individual choice. Precious few of those left anymore. This should put much more emphasis on whether the instructor felt the student was really ready, before signing off on the cert.

Unfortunately this is not the case the world over. All european countries have the idea of implicit duty of care. This is where as a DM or above, if I am on the same dive site as you, I have a legal duty of care that can not be waved. It doesn't matter if we have never met, or you aren't paying me any money etc.. Just the fact that I am there gives me an inescapable legal duty of care.

Whilst I am all for some sort of recognition of solo diving, I am a little apprehensive as to the duty of care aspect. Having looked over the course content, it looks like a quite comprehensive course, however, I think that there should be a more formal way of notifying other divers at a paricular dive site that solo diving is under way just so that we can be aware of what is going on is necessary. I like the regulation that specifies SMB's and dive flags to be used on all dives.

Jon T

 

[carlislere]

All of this is very interesting to read. I tell my entry level classes about solo diving, but also tell them that they are not ready for that yet. I let them know that it is not unusual to see solo divers at our local lake. Where I go into more emphesis is in the Advanced, Rescue, Master Scuba Diver courses because these are the folks who may be considering solo diving or become interested.
Solo diving is obviously not for everyone. A diver who is wanting to solo dive is going to have an idea that they want to try it. The idea usually is born because someone is wanting to dive but they are having to wait on someone else's schedule to open up. I know that is how I got started. This usually happens during the winter months around here.
I am not sure a course is necessarily going to promote or hinder solo diving. I think solo diving has been out of the closet for several years. There was even a book written called "Diving Solo" back in the late 80's or early 90's, I believe. Someone interested could read that book and get the information they need.
Regarding the SDI course, I find it interesting that a pre-requisite is 21 years of age. I wonder how someone who is 21 or 25 would feel about an 18 or 19 year old SDI instructor teaching them a solo diving course. This is the first time I have seen such an age descrepancy unless there is something similar in Cave or Tech diving that I am not aware of. The course content is pretty comprehensive, but I think an instructor teaching the course should be at least 21 and have 500 dives and document 100 solo dives. Is this a bit of overkill? Maybe, but we are talking about a different method of diving and possibly no support of any type.
I also wonder about insurance issues. I know my instructor insurance covers solo diving. I wonder about the others instructor insurance agents. What I had not even considered was TurnerJ response about implied duty of care in Europe. Ouch! That may be a good reason for having the course available.
I also do not believe that the card is going to have any effect at dive resorts. Mike Ball is going to have them go through their own evaluation. He won't care what certification card a diver has. Resorts that I have stayed have allowed me to solo dive on occasion, but that is after they have watched me in the water for a few days. They could care less that I am a course director.
OK, this is more than my 2 cents worth, maybe a nickel. I have been diving solo for 15-16 years and this is a favorite topic of mine. I have enjoyed the thread and the various responses/opinions. However, my wife will not agree with me at all!

 

[ericfine50]

People solo dive. Ok, we know that. But it looks like this is more like we need to make some more $$, lets add another course.

I don't know.

Eric

 

[large_diver]

There is an article on this in the April issue of Rodale's Scuba Diving. The author is Bret Gilliam, who I think is the head of TDI/SDI (free advertising).

 

[raffles]

..for the link. The syllabus looks OK but nothing very startling.

I will have to check out the liability angle for us as a Dive shop tho' before considering accepting it. It may be as some people say that someone is trying to get people to pay for another card but take it from me at present no-one in Belize is going to accept it till we check with our insurance carriers because there is no SAR here. It's all done by whoever takes you Diving until you get to the chamber. Which could make us vunerable unless the Insurance carriers accept the Card.

Raffles.