I recently had a student that went through my Intro to Tech course ask me to teach him the solo diver course. A few years ago (before I knew better) I became a solo diving instructor. As my diving career evolved, I realized that this was the biggest waste of money since my PADI IDC Staff Instructor course. Regardless of how much money is offered, I will not teach this course. Below is my response to him.
For those of you thinking about a solo diver course. Unless you can grow another head with an independently thinking brain, you will never have TRUE redundancy!!!!
Man is judged by how he stands next to his values.
Hi xxxxxxx,
I’m glad you had a good class and learned a lot. Practice, practice, practice is the only way to become great.
In regards to the solo class, I will still have to say no. There is no amount of money that could make me feel better if you got hurt from an activity I taught you that I knew was inherently dangerous. I’m a man of values and I stand behind them. I’d question those who want you to do something with a high level of risk. Why do they want you to be a solo diver? Anybody can strap on a bunch of redundant gear and solo dive. But very few people can function effectively as a team. I would be more than happy to point out the pitfalls of solo diving, but I will not put my name on a solo diving c-card. That would be very hypocritical of me to say that solo diving is bad, then certify someone in that activity. If you do decide to pursue a solo diving course, I wish you well.
Dive Safe,
Duane
www.PrecisionDiving.net
About Duane Johnson
I took Duane’s Intro to Tech class not too long ago. I was of the philosophy that I was a “solo” diver. Not meaning that I dove alone, but that I believed I was solely responsible for myself underwater. If the poo hit the fan, I was responsible for me. Granted, this is not what you learn in an OW class. We dive in buddy teams, right? However, how many times have you and your buddy lost contact long enough for one of you to drown? So, I voiced my opinion in Duane’s class. I treat every dive as a solo dive (note that my regular dive buddy held this same philosophy).
We know Duane’s philosophy…no diver is completely redundant unless he has a second brain. This is a much nicer philosophy than mine is. I like to think that I can (and have had to on more than one occasion) rely on my buddy for assistance. Based on Duane’s argument on the subject, his experience and knowledge, and on his overall philosophy of diving in general…I have had to reconsider mine (Duane, I admit I was quite skeptical when you first told me what you thought of solo divers).
How does one, whose experiences have led them to the “solo” diver philosophy like mine, learn to completely rely on a buddy? Simple, both myself and my buddy must recognize the fact that if things go wrong, we must be there for the other guy. This means better pre-dive planning, better buddy checks, and better buddy awareness. All of these were brushed over in my OW course, but have fallen by the waste side the more I dove. I have not had the chance to get back in the water since Duane’s class, but I look forward to implementing these concepts, as well as the many others I learned in Duane’s course, into our next dive and the many after.