28 replies to this topic

[Walter]

only PADI charges for classes.

Where'd you get that idea?

[drbill]

Walter- This could be the reason PADI doesn't offer solo certification. After all, solo divers come in "1's" and there isn't enough money in a class of one!

[Diverbrian]

Actually one of the more well-regarded technical instructors up here (actually in ONT) is making the SDI solo course a pre-req. for his TDI technical program.  I guess that it is to give the divers enough information to where they won't be dependent dive buddies underwater.

that or its to line his pocket with more money. oh wait, only PADI charges for classes.

Actually, from what I understand about the gentleman in question, his classes are expensive enough already and still border on where he is basically breaking even by teaching. He just covers that much material and includes that many dives with his courses.

I know of him because of the time that his classes spend at Gilboa Quarry, which is a favorite training area of the dive group that I associate with out here.

[peterbj7]

there isn't enough money in a class of one!

Most classes we teach (PADI & IANTD) are in classes of 1! Maybe that's why I don't make any money.

[Terri]

Hey Peter - Nice to finally have a face to put to the name!! Nice picture!

[peterbj7]

Grief - that didn't take long!!

[cmt489]

Grief - that didn't take long!!

I agree with Terri! Great to finally see you!

[TraceMalin]

I'm about to shed some true enlightenment on this topic as a recent graduate of a TDI solo diving course. The course is definitely not a joke as it was conducted by my instructor.

Let me say that I have been diving by myself since I was a kid. I would snorkel alone, scuba dive alone and when I'd wreck dive off the east coast of the U.S. a buddy team simply hits the water together and then it becomes two divers/same ocean after that. I thought that a solo diving class was more or less a joke because most of my recreational shore dives have been solo and while I'm teaching a class as an instructor, I'm solo diving & handicapped by students. The same can be said of any situation in which you are teamed up with a new buddy with whom you haven't been diving before. So, most of my dives have been solo dives. What could I possibly learn? Lots!

For those divers who have not taken any technical diving courses, by taking the right solo diving course, they will find themselves really learning dive planning with tables and software and gas management as well as gear configurations like never before. I'm very familiar with this, of course, but whenever I take a class I try to view it not just from my own perspective as an experienced diver and an instructor, but also from the perspective of a student who would be new to some of the information. I would highly recommend taking a solo diving class (from the right instructor) after one completes advanced and rescue training. For DM's and instructors who find themselves caught up in the dive industry's lust to shake & bake them into instructors overnight, a solo course may fill in some of the experience gaps. Most of us who have been diving for a long time will find ourselves experiencing a myriad of wonderful incidents such as entanglements, muscle cramps, narcosis, becoming lost, running low on gas, etc. You name it we've experienced it. Experience allows a diver to build confidence in his or her skills and abilities to handle situations and over time this forms the foundation of dive leadership. For the fast track divers who go from OW, AOW, rescue, DM & instructor in just a few months or a couple of years, often the experience of surviving nuisances and emergencies never happens. In my course, the worst case seemed to happen on every dive, plus it was being conducted in caves --GOOD TIMES!

I was required to complete all my solo dives with twin back gas tanks and to have either a 40 cuft bottle or an 80 cuft bottle as my "buddy." My instructor really socked it to me when we developed a plan to leave our 80 cuft bottles at the gate in 115 feet of water at Vortex Spring, unlock the gate and pass through the first restriction, gap this with spool and continue on to the second restriction past the fissure, turning at thirds on back gas and returning to get our stage bottles after locking the gate. On the way in, my jet fin ended up becoming snagged on a 4 inch piece of bar protruding from the gate, I tried to wiggle free, but I was locked fast. I thought I had just cinched my fin in between two of the bars, but as I studied it with my light I could see that a piece of the gate had found its way into the vent in front of the foot pocket. (Maybe ScubaPro Jet Fins aren't DIR after all?) I removed the fin myself (after all, I was buddyless, my instructor was just there as a lifeguard) while juggling my deployed spool and then replaced it and crawled on my tummy with my tanks scraping against the rocks above past the first restriction and gapped to the main line on the other side. I swam until I reached thirds (which was before the second restriction since I had used more gas than I thought playing footsie with the gate), turned, collected my spool, passed the restriction, and began to untie from the main line on the other side of the gate. My instructor now decided to punish me for leaving my buddy. He tied me up brilliantly with my spool line around my fins and legs. As I began to unwrap myself and maintain line awareness, he stole my 80cuft "buddy" and hid it in the cave. I looked at my back gas & calculated my decompression. I really needed my "buddy!" I had to do a lost buddy search to locate it. Thankfully, I have my name & the MOD of my "buddy" marked on the bottle in glow decals so my light was able to find it hidden in a corner. I went to put it on and my instructor cut me off and began writing in his Wetnotes. "Are you solo?" I nodded, yes. "Then, why did you leave your buddy at the gate?" I shrugged, I don't know, nearly laughing to myself since I was thinking of Bill Cosby's stand up routine, "Bill Cosby: Himself" which launched his famous 80's TV show, "The Cosby Show" and the part about his son being brain damaged with, "I don't know," being every teens answer to just about any question. My instructor then pulled my mask off my face & swam away. I replaced it, clipped my bottle in place & began to exit. When I reached the cavern zone, I untied my primary reel from the main line and began to reel up line heading toward my secondary tie-off. My instructor & his assistant deployed a couple of spools over my valves and decided to wrap my manifold up. I had to untie these by myself, reel out and ascend to decompress for 30 minutes. Lesson learned: NEVER LEAVE YOUR BUDDY!

The course pretty much consisted of planning dives and deciding which set of tables or software, gas mixtures, and so forth would allow me the best compromise between decompression safety, carrying my "buddy" bottle, streamlining and completing assigned tasks before making the dives. During the dives I was stress tested at depth with instances like the one I previously mentioned, out of gas situations, failures, etc. A couple of dives saw true genuine failures occur. I normally prefer carrying 30 or 40 cuft bottles, but I became adroit at carrying an 80 during the course and I stopped viewing it as a bottle, but as my buddy. As an instructor and as a lifeguard, the course changed my view of a piece of gear and all that goes with it. I was impressed by the attention to detail we gave to our dive planning since my instructor sees the solo course as being for cave or trimix divers who will be cave or deep diving alone.

I came away with better confidence in my abilities to untangle myself. In the past, if I couldn't undo something easily, I'd either cut it or get a buddy to help me. But, now, as a cave diver, I'd prefer not to cut anyone's line and take the time to unwrap myself. I had lots of practice during my course at doing this as a solo diver. My instructor evaluated me regarding my situational awareness, my environmental awareness, my awareness at checking my time, depth and pressure, problem solving, gas management & diving style.

If you're a cave or a mixed gas diver, a solo course will allow you to think from a different perspective. You'll see that you aren't really as alone as we think we are when diving solo if we equip and plan accordingly and if you've come from the GUE team approach to diving, you'll see the value of solo training in changing your mindset toward how to plan for a "solo" dive if a team breakdown should occur and buddy separation results.

If you are a recreational diver or a dive pro, you'll learn far more than you probably have been taught or are probably teaching your students and you'll think about your own safety in a different light and to maintain your own life so you can lifeguard those in your care as a teacher or divemaster while underwater. It's a worthwhile course and a confidence builder. Plus, if you do want to dive solo at various facilities that will honor the card, you'll have a c-card in your possession that does allow you to actually gain access to a certain type of diving.

I enjoyed it.

Trace

[drbill]

An interesting post, Trace. I, too, have been solo diving off and on since my early days in the 60's. Usually it was the case of no buddy available, but much of the time the work I was doing "required" doing it solo (at least back then). While I don't view myself as a technically proficient diver (I'm a marine biologist who dives), I certainly agree with your comment that the more one dives the greater the opportunities (or chances) that you will encounter sticky situations you must work your way out of.

The course you describe sounds far too technical to be a standard solo diving certification. Given the type of diving I do, I'm not sure it would be appropriate for me (were I to consider getting solo certified). I'm fortunate in that the two LDS'es here on Catalina know my abilities and allow me to solo dive off their boats any time.

It isn't for everyone (and diving with a buddy can be a LOT more fun... especially if she's an awesome diver!).

[Diverbrian]

I'm about to shed some true enlightenment on this topic as a recent graduate of a TDI solo diving course. The course is definitely not a joke as it was conducted by my instructor.

Let me say that I have been diving by myself since I was a kid. I would snorkel alone, scuba dive alone and when I'd wreck dive off the east coast of the U.S. a buddy team simply hits the water together and then it becomes two divers/same ocean after that. I thought that a solo diving class was more or less a joke because most of my recreational shore dives have been solo and while I'm teaching a class as an instructor, I'm solo diving & handicapped by students. The same can be said of any situation in which you are teamed up with a new buddy with whom you haven't been diving before. So, most of my dives have been solo dives. What could I possibly learn? Lots!

For those divers who have not taken any technical diving courses, by taking the right solo diving course, they will find themselves really learning dive planning with tables and software and gas management as well as gear configurations like never before. I'm very familiar with this, of course, but whenever I take a class I try to view it not just from my own perspective as an experienced diver and an instructor, but also from the perspective of a student who would be new to some of the information. I would highly recommend taking a solo diving class (from the right instructor) after one completes advanced and rescue training. For DM's and instructors who find themselves caught up in the dive industry's lust to shake & bake them into instructors overnight, a solo course may fill in some of the experience gaps. Most of us who have been diving for a long time will find ourselves experiencing a myriad of wonderful incidents such as entanglements, muscle cramps, narcosis, becoming lost, running low on gas, etc. You name it we've experienced it. Experience allows a diver to build confidence in his or her skills and abilities to handle situations and over time this forms the foundation of dive leadership. For the fast track divers who go from OW, AOW, rescue, DM & instructor in just a few months or a couple of years, often the experience of surviving nuisances and emergencies never happens. In my course, the worst case seemed to happen on every dive, plus it was being conducted in caves --GOOD TIMES!

I was required to complete all my solo dives with twin back gas tanks and to have either a 40 cuft bottle or an 80 cuft bottle as my "buddy." My instructor really socked it to me when we developed a plan to leave our 80 cuft bottles at the gate in 115 feet of water at Vortex Spring, unlock the gate and pass through the first restriction, gap this with spool and continue on to the second restriction past the fissure, turning at thirds on back gas and returning to get our stage bottles after locking the gate. On the way in, my jet fin ended up becoming snagged on a 4 inch piece of bar protruding from the gate, I tried to wiggle free, but I was locked fast. I thought I had just cinched my fin in between two of the bars, but as I studied it with my light I could see that a piece of the gate had found its way into the vent in front of the foot pocket. (Maybe ScubaPro Jet Fins aren't DIR after all?) I removed the fin myself (after all, I was buddyless, my instructor was just there as a lifeguard) while juggling my deployed spool and then replaced it and crawled on my tummy with my tanks scraping against the rocks above past the first restriction and gapped to the main line on the other side. I swam until I reached thirds (which was before the second restriction since I had used more gas than I thought playing footsie with the gate), turned, collected my spool, passed the restriction, and began to untie from the main line on the other side of the gate. My instructor now decided to punish me for leaving my buddy. He tied me up brilliantly with my spool line around my fins and legs. As I began to unwrap myself and maintain line awareness, he stole my 80cuft "buddy" and hid it in the cave. I looked at my back gas & calculated my decompression. I really needed my "buddy!" I had to do a lost buddy search to locate it. Thankfully, I have my name & the MOD of my "buddy" marked on the bottle in glow decals so my light was able to find it hidden in a corner. I went to put it on and my instructor cut me off and began writing in his Wetnotes. "Are you solo?" I nodded, yes. "Then, why did you leave your buddy at the gate?" I shrugged, I don't know, nearly laughing to myself since I was thinking of Bill Cosby's stand up routine, "Bill Cosby: Himself" which launched his famous 80's TV show, "The Cosby Show" and the part about his son being brain damaged with, "I don't know," being every teens answer to just about any question. My instructor then pulled my mask off my face & swam away. I replaced it, clipped my bottle in place & began to exit. When I reached the cavern zone, I untied my primary reel from the main line and began to reel up line heading toward my secondary tie-off. My instructor & his assistant deployed a couple of spools over my valves and decided to wrap my manifold up. I had to untie these by myself, reel out and ascend to decompress for 30 minutes. Lesson learned: NEVER LEAVE YOUR BUDDY!

The course pretty much consisted of planning dives and deciding which set of tables or software, gas mixtures, and so forth would allow me the best compromise between decompression safety, carrying my "buddy" bottle, streamlining and completing assigned tasks before making the dives. During the dives I was stress tested at depth with instances like the one I previously mentioned, out of gas situations, failures, etc. A couple of dives saw true genuine failures occur. I normally prefer carrying 30 or 40 cuft bottles, but I became adroit at carrying an 80 during the course and I stopped viewing it as a bottle, but as my buddy. As an instructor and as a lifeguard, the course changed my view of a piece of gear and all that goes with it. I was impressed by the attention to detail we gave to our dive planning since my instructor sees the solo course as being for cave or trimix divers who will be cave or deep diving alone.

I came away with better confidence in my abilities to untangle myself. In the past, if I couldn't undo something easily, I'd either cut it or get a buddy to help me. But, now, as a cave diver, I'd prefer not to cut anyone's line and take the time to unwrap myself. I had lots of practice during my course at doing this as a solo diver. My instructor evaluated me regarding my situational awareness, my environmental awareness, my awareness at checking my time, depth and pressure, problem solving, gas management & diving style.

If you're a cave or a mixed gas diver, a solo course will allow you to think from a different perspective. You'll see that you aren't really as alone as we think we are when diving solo if we equip and plan accordingly and if you've come from the GUE team approach to diving, you'll see the value of solo training in changing your mindset toward how to plan for a "solo" dive if a team breakdown should occur and buddy separation results.

If you are a recreational diver or a dive pro, you'll learn far more than you probably have been taught or are probably teaching your students and you'll think about your own safety in a different light and to maintain your own life so you can lifeguard those in your care as a teacher or divemaster while underwater. It's a worthwhile course and a confidence builder. Plus, if you do want to dive solo at various facilities that will honor the card, you'll have a c-card in your possession that does allow you to actually gain access to a certain type of diving.

I enjoyed it.

Trace

As I consider the other post on my doubles as "buddy" in situations such as you describe (although I loved hearing the story in NC), I see this as a bit more than than I would do right now.

If I had a detachable bottle, I wouldn't be going somewhere that it would be out of my sight without a real live buddy though (OK, lets exclude silt-outs )!

[hnladue]

yea! Don't make me get out my rope, Brian! Remember I'm really good tieing knots now!

[normblitch]

Can I produce a log of 500 solo dives instead of taking the class?

My requirements are Read Von Meyers book, Own the equipment, and pass a quick interview to ensure you are not an idiot. If TDI ever got around to producing their own material I may take it more seriously. Most of the people that really want the card from me are looking for something to get them out of being buddied up with someone who needs constant attention.

So Yes Walter you probably could.

Cheers Jim

Is that book still in print/available??

Norm

[normblitch]

I came across an article about that specialty.  The descriptions of the course weren't about a gentle touch method.  It wasn't a demonstrate the skill and get a handshake from the instructor style of curriculem.  The instructors were described as swimming above and behind the student and inflicting emergencies on them before grading how well they dealt with all kinds of malfunctions.

Hmmm... they did that in my LAC "open water" certification nearly 40 years ago. It was taught by an ex marine who wanted to make sure you knew your stuff before going in the water after certification. I thank him for it.

Of course back then there was less gear to mess with- no octo, no SPG, no BCD...

25 years ago, there WAS some of that stuff; it was just OPTIONAL...

My OWI (PADI) back then was a rpivate (ie no Shop) guy...we dove BC. no BC...octo, no octo...single hose, DOUBLE HOSE, the gamut...

And YEAH, we had Hell Night...manual buddy breathing, one tank/team, 1000 yrds on the bottom of his Gunite pool, valve harassment, station breathing, FULL ditch & don (including first breath off of the VALVE before rigging 1st stage UW)

I miss it...

Maybe that is why I don't feel odd when solo'ing under CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES...like most Diving, you can dial in your own Risk Management levels...

Norm

[normblitch]

I'm about to shed some true enlightenment on this topic as a recent graduate of a TDI solo diving course. The course is definitely not a joke as it was conducted by my instructor.

Let me say that I have been diving by myself since I was a kid. I would snorkel alone, scuba dive alone and when I'd wreck dive off the east coast of the U.S. a buddy team simply hits the water together and then it becomes two divers/same ocean after that. I thought that a solo diving class was more or less a joke because most of my recreational shore dives have been solo and while I'm teaching a class as an instructor, I'm solo diving & handicapped by students. The same can be said of any situation in which you are teamed up with a new buddy with whom you haven't been diving before. So, most of my dives have been solo dives. What could I possibly learn? Lots!

For those divers who have not taken any technical diving courses, by taking the right solo diving course, they will find themselves really learning dive planning with tables and software and gas management as well as gear configurations like never before. I'm very familiar with this, of course, but whenever I take a class I try to view it not just from my own perspective as an experienced diver and an instructor, but also from the perspective of a student who would be new to some of the information. I would highly recommend taking a solo diving class (from the right instructor) after one completes advanced and rescue training. For DM's and instructors who find themselves caught up in the dive industry's lust to shake & bake them into instructors overnight, a solo course may fill in some of the experience gaps. Most of us who have been diving for a long time will find ourselves experiencing a myriad of wonderful incidents such as entanglements, muscle cramps, narcosis, becoming lost, running low on gas, etc. You name it we've experienced it. Experience allows a diver to build confidence in his or her skills and abilities to handle situations and over time this forms the foundation of dive leadership. For the fast track divers who go from OW, AOW, rescue, DM & instructor in just a few months or a couple of years, often the experience of surviving nuisances and emergencies never happens. In my course, the worst case seemed to happen on every dive, plus it was being conducted in caves --GOOD TIMES!

I was required to complete all my solo dives with twin back gas tanks and to have either a 40 cuft bottle or an 80 cuft bottle as my "buddy." My instructor really socked it to me when we developed a plan to leave our 80 cuft bottles at the gate in 115 feet of water at Vortex Spring, unlock the gate and pass through the first restriction, gap this with spool and continue on to the second restriction past the fissure, turning at thirds on back gas and returning to get our stage bottles after locking the gate. On the way in, my jet fin ended up becoming snagged on a 4 inch piece of bar protruding from the gate, I tried to wiggle free, but I was locked fast. I thought I had just cinched my fin in between two of the bars, but as I studied it with my light I could see that a piece of the gate had found its way into the vent in front of the foot pocket. (Maybe ScubaPro Jet Fins aren't DIR after all?) I removed the fin myself (after all, I was buddyless, my instructor was just there as a lifeguard) while juggling my deployed spool and then replaced it and crawled on my tummy with my tanks scraping against the rocks above past the first restriction and gapped to the main line on the other side. I swam until I reached thirds (which was before the second restriction since I had used more gas than I thought playing footsie with the gate), turned, collected my spool, passed the restriction, and began to untie from the main line on the other side of the gate. My instructor now decided to punish me for leaving my buddy. He tied me up brilliantly with my spool line around my fins and legs. As I began to unwrap myself and maintain line awareness, he stole my 80cuft "buddy" and hid it in the cave. I looked at my back gas & calculated my decompression. I really needed my "buddy!" I had to do a lost buddy search to locate it. Thankfully, I have my name & the MOD of my "buddy" marked on the bottle in glow decals so my light was able to find it hidden in a corner. I went to put it on and my instructor cut me off and began writing in his Wetnotes. "Are you solo?" I nodded, yes. "Then, why did you leave your buddy at the gate?" I shrugged, I don't know, nearly laughing to myself since I was thinking of Bill Cosby's stand up routine, "Bill Cosby: Himself" which launched his famous 80's TV show, "The Cosby Show" and the part about his son being brain damaged with, "I don't know," being every teens answer to just about any question. My instructor then pulled my mask off my face & swam away. I replaced it, clipped my bottle in place & began to exit. When I reached the cavern zone, I untied my primary reel from the main line and began to reel up line heading toward my secondary tie-off. My instructor & his assistant deployed a couple of spools over my valves and decided to wrap my manifold up. I had to untie these by myself, reel out and ascend to decompress for 30 minutes. Lesson learned: NEVER LEAVE YOUR BUDDY!

The course pretty much consisted of planning dives and deciding which set of tables or software, gas mixtures, and so forth would allow me the best compromise between decompression safety, carrying my "buddy" bottle, streamlining and completing assigned tasks before making the dives. During the dives I was stress tested at depth with instances like the one I previously mentioned, out of gas situations, failures, etc. A couple of dives saw true genuine failures occur. I normally prefer carrying 30 or 40 cuft bottles, but I became adroit at carrying an 80 during the course and I stopped viewing it as a bottle, but as my buddy. As an instructor and as a lifeguard, the course changed my view of a piece of gear and all that goes with it. I was impressed by the attention to detail we gave to our dive planning since my instructor sees the solo course as being for cave or trimix divers who will be cave or deep diving alone.

I came away with better confidence in my abilities to untangle myself. In the past, if I couldn't undo something easily, I'd either cut it or get a buddy to help me. But, now, as a cave diver, I'd prefer not to cut anyone's line and take the time to unwrap myself. I had lots of practice during my course at doing this as a solo diver. My instructor evaluated me regarding my situational awareness, my environmental awareness, my awareness at checking my time, depth and pressure, problem solving, gas management & diving style.

If you're a cave or a mixed gas diver, a solo course will allow you to think from a different perspective. You'll see that you aren't really as alone as we think we are when diving solo if we equip and plan accordingly and if you've come from the GUE team approach to diving, you'll see the value of solo training in changing your mindset toward how to plan for a "solo" dive if a team breakdown should occur and buddy separation results.

If you are a recreational diver or a dive pro, you'll learn far more than you probably have been taught or are probably teaching your students and you'll think about your own safety in a different light and to maintain your own life so you can lifeguard those in your care as a teacher or divemaster while underwater. It's a worthwhile course and a confidence builder. Plus, if you do want to dive solo at various facilities that will honor the card, you'll have a c-card in your possession that does allow you to actually gain access to a certain type of diving.

I enjoyed it.

Trace

Trace,

Damn Fine Read!

Having recently gone from the Eye to the Gallery 'olo, I can appreciate the stress level your Instructor put you through...

And as a former DM, I was glad to see you point out that ALL OWI's ARE solo'ing

Norm