Posted by CalAbDiver on August 14, 2001 at 08:48:59:
In Reply to: SDI/TDI Solo Diving Course posted by AADIVER on August 14, 2001 at 08:18:04:
it is pretty good reading. basically they list all the considerations and all the extra gear you need to solo dive appropriately.
for example, since you dont have a buddy during a solo dive, your pony bottle becomes your alternate air source rather than your buddy's octo.
equipment redundancy also becomes an issue, in case you drop something that you might need.
experience level is critical, so the book recommends you have at least a Rescue level certification plus 100 or more open water dives.
they also suggest that you never solo dive at a site that you have not dived before with a group.
they further suggest you limit your depth on your solo dives to shallower than 100 fsw, if I recall correctly.
I would think a class in solo diving would simply reinforce all those points, then send you out solo, properly equipped, and debrief you after the dive, IF you make it back alive.
It seems to me that a special C-card for solo diving could facilitate a boat captain in sanctioning a solo diver on his boat, but most boat captains allow solo diving now, without any added special C-cards. Maybe that trend will change, but so far it has not. Money is still green, and boat captains still need to make a living off their diving passengers.
FYI.