Solo Diver Course
Solo diving is considered one of the most advanced recreational certifications you can earn. While the standard is to always "buddy dive", that simply may not be feasible depending on your geographic area, circumstances or profession. Our solo diving course teaches you to dive completely independently from the planning to the execution stage. Rather than relying on a buddy, “Solo divers” are trained to plan & equip themslves for all likely contingencies, practice skills to overcome complications while diving and understand the benefits & risks of solo diving.
Please choose START YOUR E-LEARNING TODAY (on the "start date" below) if there is no class currently scheduled, the classes we have scheduled won't work for you OR you would like a private class* (*additional fees may apply). We will contact you to get a course scheduled that works for you.
Availability: In Stock
What to expect in this course:
The Solo Diver course is one of the most challenging recreational courses you can take. Your instructor will challenge you with no mask swims, recording your SAC rate, affixing & using spare gas sources, handling dive emergencies without the help of a buddy, general dive planning and pre-dive preparation. Whether you want to dive alone or just want to be better prepared for diving with others (especially your family, children or less experienced divers), the goal of this class prepare a diver for the challenges of solo diving.
Who this class is for:
- The certified advanced diver who is interested in learning how to dive solo.
- The certified advanced diver who is interested in strengthening their buddy team diving skills
- Underwater photographers or videographers
- Adults diving with their children as their dive buddy
Our Solo Diver certification class fee includes:
- Your online learning, tests, & one-on-one instructor review
- 2 instructor-led dives in open water
- Checkout "solo" dive (under indirect supervision) demonstrating what you've learned
- Solo Diver certification card & processing fees
- When should/shouldn’t you solo dive
- Pros and cons of buddy diving & solo diving
- Legal liability assumed by buddy diving
- How to use the SDI Solo Diving waiver & release
- Who must solo dive?
- The solo diving mentality
- Equipment configuration appropriate for solo diving
- Planning & conducting a solo dive
- Navigation
- Management of solo diving emergencies
- How to plan dive limits based on personal air consumption rate
- Plan exact dive and properly execute the planned dive within all predetermined limits
- Equipment configuration appropriate for solo diving
Course Requirements:
Solo diver certification prerequisites:
- Proof of Advanced Diver Certification
- 21 years or older
- Proof of 100 or more logged dives
- Approved diver medical form
- Liability waiver
Gear requirements:
- Standard scuba gear (regulators, BCD, weights, tanks, computer, redundant inflation source, redundant timing and depth gauge or 2 computers, redundant cutting tools, redundant visual and audible signaling devices, etc.)
- Personal scuba gear (2 masks, fins, snorkel, boots – student must own).
- Independent air source (pony bottle with independent regulators – first and second stage and SPG, twin cylinders with isolation – “doubles”, single cylinder with H-Valve, or independent doubles – “sidemount”)
- Spare mask (must be carried during dive)
- Slate, wetnotes or other materials to write on underwater.
- Compass
- SMB or lift bag
- Reel or spool
Class requirements:
- 200 metres/600 feet surface swim in full scuba equipment, configured for local diving conditions; must be non-stop and performed in an open water environment
- Demonstrate adequate pre-dive planning
- Plan dive limits based on personal air consumption rate
- Plan exact dive
- Properly execute the planned dive within all predetermined limits
- Proper descent/ascent rates
- Proper safety stop procedures
- Monitoring of decompression status equipment; tables, computers, equipment, etc.
- Navigation skills – demonstrate proficiency of navigation with compass
- Demonstrate emergency change over to redundant air supply (not to exceed 30 metres/100 feet)
- Deploy surface marker buoy (SMB)
- Use of audible signaling device
Time requirements:
- 2 – 4 hours for online learning
- 12 – 16 hours* of instructor led surface & in-water training (over 2 days)
