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I became a certified diver in 1984. I have always been a solo diver. I am not interested in depending on anyone but myself when I am in the water. If you depend on a buddy to save you, you may drown. I am a commercial diver now. I dive using a surface air supply. It has its own risks, but running out of air is usually not one of them. I have been in some scary situations, but I always got through them. The best thing I can do is make sure I am well rested, well hydrated, have more strength than I should need, and try to expect the unexpected.
Ive been certified since 1978 and dive solo 90% of the time, I dont prefer it but its hard to find non cattle-boat buddies. Im not a comm diver but as a solo diver im usually in less than 30 fsw, and still pack a pony bottle. it does require one to think which is probably not encouraged these days. I have a computer but I know the 9-7 air ndc tables as well as the revised ( latest revision inc) as a general guide for shallow water. this is a good course with the right instructor, granted im not a fan of PADI's " a course for everything" approach, but it is a business and has to have money to function. Its always good to take refresher courses, as the sport does change.
Hell yeah. I did hull cleaning and zinc replacement for years. I maintained a mooring field using lift bags. Hooked up shackles with seizing wire by braille in zero viz. Also once used a hydraulic chainsaw to remove a piling from a pier. I’m Open Water Certified. Nothing wrong with certifications. I do want to take more classes but they don’t have classes in maverick freelancing 💪🏼 Stay safe, buddy!
Did you take solo diving courses or did you just get a basic cert and start solo diving? I got my cert but I have a really hard time finding other divers in my area. There is a diving club but they seem to want to along at all. I have thought about just going out with a friend who I can be tethered to on the surface and keep me close, but I know it can be dangerous
Excellent video, I still have lots of dives and AOW to do but I can't wait to get there. Solo had always been my style in almost every aspect of life, nobody else to blame but yourself, and nobody else to bring you down
Been doing it off and on since 1957... When the gear got modern, I had two tanks and a reserve tank and three regulators. Shallow water close to shore, familiar areas... You can only take so many precautions. 'Nuff said!!!... Good stuff, thanks for posting...
Most buddy pairs are already solo diving, they just don’t realize that their buddies don’t have any idea where they are at any given moment or if they did know , are even capable of doing anything beneficial
That is a very, incredibly true statement. Even more so in my area (Northwest NM) where we dive exclusively in fresh water, high altitude lakes where visibility on a GOOD day is 4 feet. I think that the PADI Self Reliant Diver course sort of discredits the Open Water Course. As a PADI MSDT, I feel it is important that all of my students are aware and capable of handling an emergency on their own in the event they are separated from their buddy or cannot get their attention. Not placing emphasis on that, to me, is negligent.
I'm a non current PADI, DSat, IANTD, TDI and EU instructor with more than 10,000 dives. With a student(s) with me I consider myself to be solo. Navigation in extremis is always "ascend". A pony cylinder ideally at 300Bar (rare) should be air for flexability. Nitrox should be in the primary normally at 230Bar. The dive computer should be set to air. I've used these for more than 30yrs. With this redundant set up, I'm much safer than I would be with a buddy. If I'm decompression diving then I use a 7-10ltr pony cyl side mounted with air. I was one of the first to develop this system which is now generic. Finally, if I'm boat diving, I always have two large cylinders with double 2nd stages staged below the boat at 9 and 6M pumped with Nitrox.
This video is just incredible. I can't imagine something better explained. Now I'm super excited and I definitely will take this course in the future. Thanks for showing us this!
44:59 Technically that's not your SAC (Surface Air Consumption), but your RMV, (Respiratory Minute Volume) and that's not specific to your cylinder since you're taking cylinder volume into consideration. RMV allows you to compare your actual gas usage between different sizes and types of cylinders.
Thank you for saying it. If you are measuring how much air you are consuming in litres or cubic feet, you tank size plays no role in it. Whether you are using a 3 litre tank or a 15 litre tank the volume of your breathing stays the same.
You can dive solo all the time as long as you have a personal minimums set. dont exceed X depth. X amount of time. if any of the equipment fails go to surface. Its alot like flying single engine aircraft. not a big deal.
I tend to always check out the gear people use, and the most common setups tend to be Apeks XTX-50 regs, an Apeks BCD or BP&W, and a Shearwater Perdix AI, despite whatever manufacturer they may sponsored by. I'm very much a beginner diver, but have just purchased my own dive gear. I've looked at what experienced divers like to use (not what they advertise), and copied that :), except I went with the MTX regs on a long hose instead of the XTX. Thanks for all the great videos. Even on land I learn more about SCUBA every day.
I've read both the PADI and SDI manuals for their Self-Reliant/Solo courses, I would say the SDI version is a bit better to some degree. But if one wants to really prepare themselves for solo diving, the knowledge gained in certain "tech" courses are very beneficial. In some instances, truly better than either PADI or SDI courses. Courses like GUE Fundies, or TDI Intro to Tech, Advanced Nitrox and Deco Procedures with the right instructor. Especially in the areas of dive planning, gas management, and certain underwater skills.
Great set of videos, Lyell!! I find it interesting that some in the dive community get quite wound up about diving solo (which I have been for about 6 years - SDI solo certification). Take the amount of training, evaluation and mental preparedness that are recommended for solo diving and compare that to what the FAA requires to fly a plane solo. Solo flight is instructor discretion, but you can solo with surprisingly little time in the aircraft. When I did my flight training (longer ago than I care to admit) I did my first solo flight with about 9 hours total time and about 4 minutes notification. The way I look at diving in general, whenever you leave the surface, whether by yourself or with others in close proximity, you are a solo diver. You are the first line of responsibility of your own safety.
Mitch, thank you for your comments and I've never really thought about comparing this to solo flying but you are so right! And I love the last line of your comment: "You are the first line of responsibility of your own safety." We stress this endlessly to our students all the time! Thank you sir!
Comparing SCUBA to flying isn’t really a good comparison. The end goal of getting a pilot’s license is that the pilot can fly independently. That’s why Student Pilot’s are closely supervised by their instructor. Flight planning needs to be checked. Students need endorsement for each non-local flight. That’s not to say solo diving cannot be conducted relatively safely. But there are some situations you can’t self-rescue from. Maybe contaminated gas (unlikely). That said, as an instructor, I am essentially diving by myself. My point is you really can’t compare diving to flying. You probably wouldn’t compare solo diving to driving a car either.
I’ve solo dived for decades. I started before the internet and mobile phones. Usually at the same site which I have an emergency exit strategy. It started when I didn’t have anyone to dive with and I just went from there. I’m now highly regarded for my experience even though I thought solo diving was highly frowned upon. I started from when I was only a 20 year old open water certified diver. That’s what I’ve done. I don’t encourage others to do it. It’s just what I do.
Hi! I noticed one thing rewatching this video and I hope you will answer: when you talk about redundant air sources you correctly talk about the possibile failure of ‘octopus’ regulators and the need to have a second tank. Right but… I am Italian and in Italy is very common to have tanks with double valves, even if usually people use just one with an octopus. When I dive as Solo (even if with buddies) I ALWAYS have two first stages on my back tank and a second pony tank with me, so I have three levels of redundancy. I am able to close a valve if I’d have a leaking regulator and end the dive in complete safety. In many countries most of tanks have just one valve, which makes impossible to dive with two separate first stages. What do you think about? Thanks for your work 🙏🏽
One gear observation . Jeff/Geoff didn’t wear a snorkel as part of his redundancy breathing apparatus and Lyell did…why? Isn’t a snorkel a primary piece of equipment to aid (say) a missing diver to breathe in unsettled surface water until rescued? I agree totally with “Plan your dive & die your plan.” I draw my dive coordinates in distance, degrees and direction of my dive vis-a-vis start to finish. I leave a copy at home with my family, explaining the intended dive and I leave a copy of the dive coordinates and emergency contacts with my local dive shop and an A4 sized copy inside a clear plastic sleeve on the passenger side floor or seat of my car. My car is insured if stolen. My life is insured if I die. But at least I am comfortable knowing my family and rescuers know where to look for me should a mishap occur. That comfort level adds to my ZEN whilst enjoying the many wonderful things we see whilst diving solo or with buddies coz the same coordinates apply to two or more divers the same they do when diving solo. Happy and safe diving to all of my global dive buddies. Start safe, finish safe and come home safely to your loved ones 🤿👌
Got some questions: 1. How do you check the finimeter of your redundant air source? For what I’ve seen, I would have not been able to check it during dive. 2. Why not using double cylinders with bridge valve and two first stages and two equivalent second stages? (a V-Valve Drill then should be a mandatory routine for each solo diver) 3. Why not using a stage as standard? Would be also better to check? 4. Why is it not mandatory to use at least a second device for depth and time or even a back up dive computer? 5. What about having an own emergency oxygen set in your car, boat or wherever you store it? DCS incidents need immediately actions until a doctor will arrive, such as oxygen, water to drink and something to keep you warm. 6. Due to the fact that you are not able to see your first stages, how do you ensure that there is no leakage? (I for example use a dive mirror). 7. Why not having a lift bag with you? If your BCD fails, you may not be able to surface. Even if you have a balanced rig, you may will not be able to hold yourself on the surface. 8. If you want to use a single tank configuration, why not using a Y or T valve at the cylinders? If one stage fails, you can switch off the one side that failed. Just asking, because I got trained like that even as a non solo diver.
Being a former Navy diver I feel comfortable on my own and tend to be alone even in groups... I think not cutting corners and having specific equipment can mitigate some risk...some
@@sarahann530 no, but they do teach us how to recover from almost any problem and how to operate independently as needed. What we are taught almost no civilian diver can accomplish within many many years of diving... I personally see how many divers dive and honestly I recognize how easy people panic... I tend to stay away from that drama.
@@keithtravelrn There are thousands of civilian divers around the World that are better trained than Navy divers . Like all military you follow orders and do as you are told by the Rank above .
@@sarahann530 lol.... yes but on submarines not ao much...yes dive officer assigns or captain assigns the job... but I picked the way it was done...and ive seen plenty of civilian divers panic and seen plenty of shit techniques.... navy divers are the ones that set and test the stuff you use....that we stopped using decades ago... lol
@@divemaster5 Rec divers encompass every one from kids to highly trained Tec Divers . Navy Divers have to be retrained as Commercial Divers if they want to dive in the civilain world because their training is not up to par with commercial standards . Mini Subs and ROVs recover Space Shuttles not divers the same way as Cameron recovered stuff off the Titanic . As for PT standards the US military has a huge problem with obesity in the ranks . Blubber is quite common
I am all for safety. But the whole buddy aspect for me usually means, trusting some random guy I don’t even know in a diving group on a holiday. Is it really that much safer? I don’t know man. My last experience of the one time buddy wasn’t a success for me. He was just doing his own thing and ignoring everything. Making me not enjoying my dive and experiencing more stress then necessary.
A bad buddy is worse than no buddy. If they can't help you, aren't paying attention, or are a huge risk in almost every aspect, you are better off alone/solo.
Dive solo if the rest of the divers has much lover skills and dive in the group if the group has at least the same skills as you - thats how I am doing it.
NAUI trains all divers to be self-reliant and fully-capable of diving solo from even the most basic level. There is no such thing as a “solo diver” certification, or “self-reliant” certification with NAUI, because all NAUI divers are trained to be self-sufficient from day one. It is still “recommended” to dive with a buddy, but there is zero need for any type of certification or specialty for solo diving with NAUI. 👍🏻
Solo Diver certification is rather a test of how experienced is the diver with some additional comments and equipment suggestions. Experience, both in theory and practice, is the most important part and the course itself cannot provide it.
I mount 19cu.ft pony upside down strapped to my main tank so that I have easy access to the pony tank valve, SPG to a bottom right side D ring and the reg to a top right side D ring. No octo since I use an Air source BCD inflator. In-line shutoff for pony 2nd stage, so tank valve is always open,but no chance of free flow.
One thing I ever dream of each day I see the sun bringing it's rays to the earth is The Master diver level. But i know will get there someday, nah am a rescue diver. But all in one of the darkest lakes, Victoria from East Africa. Whenever i look at such things under water, it feels like diving in the ocean, but as I Know the will continue to wake up every morning, I'll see self of me in ocean. Ask me about Zero visibility in 18m depth. I Know. Finally liked the vedio, is good.
I am early in my diving career -AOW with about 30 dives - but very interested in acquiring and learning to use redundant systems. I understand the buddy system is meant to provide redundant safety, but I also see a buddy as a risk. If my buddy suffers a catastrophic equipment failure at depth just before ascent pressure, do I have enough air to get us both back to the surface in a controlled ascent? Especially when my buddy is panicked, and I am at least under elevated stress, so we are sucking air faster? Does the buddy system save my buddy, or result in 2 dead divers? I like the idea of the additional stage bottle, as it offers redundancy to me, but I could also unclip it and give to an out of air buddy, allowing us to ascend more independently. I guess my thought is that the skills and equipment for solo diving shouldn't be "gate-kept" behind 100 dives and a bunch of other certs, even if those are good requirements to actually dive solo. Thanks for the video.
Thank you for this video, very informative and great to go over the theory and see it in practice. you both had different redundant air setups than I do and that was interesting as well. Glad I found your channel Dive safe and as often as you can. Cheers from Australia.
Awesome video Lyell! Thank you for the compilation! It was great to be able to watch the whole series in one setting. Looking forward to doing everything necessary to getting this certification through my local dive shop. :-)
It really is the case that if you are not quite sure what might be required of you to solo dive - you’re not ready to solo dive. Kind of an annoying statement, I know, but I suppose it attempts to express that you need to not only know what you know and what you don’t know, you should be in a position to predict and understand all reasonably foreseeable contingencies and provide and be able to reliably execute a recognised procedure for meeting those contingencies. You should have a correct answer for most problems reducible to a predictable correct solution spontaneously at the ready without needing to think about. Everything about it should be second nature to where it also enables you to come up with quick and relevant solutions to unusual situations. You need the skills, knowledge, competencies and tools of complete self reliance within the framework of the particular dive. You should exactly what your personal and situational limits are and how to work on staying, comfortably within them. In my opinion if you are working as an instructor you need to fundamentally think of yourself as a solo diver because you can’t reliably expect all divers on a course to be able to rescue you if you get in trouble, and aside from being alternate air sources they should be conservatively estimated to potentially present more of a hazard to you than a resource. And if you’re in trouble, they’re in trouble and it’s your responsibility to make sure they’re not. Your safety will most likely be their safety. So the basis should be a solo diving level of self reliance, that factors everything else, including in the presence of others as it might be in a worst case scenario.
I would assume that if it were to come undone unexpectedly it could cause panic in new divers. Maybe let some water in depending on how the clip is designed.
The Navy made me a Diver in March 1970. Most of my diving HAS BEEN SOLO DIVING,with my own methods from tried and true experience . This is a product of training in doing such diving. You’re not trained? DONOT DO SOLO, ALWAYS HAVE A BUDDY!
I like to have a Buddy to share the experience, but I allways gear up as if I am going on a solo as I dont want to rely on anyone but me. I have been certified since 94 and im also a trained commercial diver and I do alot of solo dives as we as with a buddy at times and people please remember a Spare Air is NOT a pony Bottle lol if you are going to Solo Dive Invest in a proper pony bottle setup not with a Spare Air..
Would you share a link/links to the items you show in the "Must Have (additional) Gear for Solo Diving" section of this video? I am certain that I could find similarly functioning gear via amazon/my local dive shop, but I would like to have the actual items you spoke about as a frame of reference before purchasing other gear that may be inferior or just plain lacking in the wanted features.
I've have been diving since 1989 when I first got my open water certification so I now have over 1000 log dives not included the ones i didn't log in, two years ago I decided to get into full-face and do my advance diving certification which I never needed but I said since I'm doing a full-face I might as well do them both at once. I'll tell you this I knew more than he did, which was embarrassing to him, he didn't even own his own full-face so I let him use one of mine with coms so we can talk on the dive, I learned with diving buddies and also educating myself with all the safety protocols on a full face mask. I just did it to get both my certification, which I needed to go on a liveabord trip with was awesome to I'm planning to do another one this time with some of my dive buddies. really, if you're a reasonable person and responsible who has a lot of common sense and like to study on your own and have friends who enjoy doing the same things you can learn without same of these dumb certification. You don't need to spend your hard earned money on same of these dumb certification unless you are diving off a dive boat that is required for their insurance. Padi is a business, and in a business, it's all about the money. but for many, they should, because many people now a days don't have common sense even with training. it's like some people can learn very fast how to use a tool and some can't get it. I thank my Dad for showing me so many skills as a kid growing up many Dads now a days don't take the time to show their kids, boy or girl how to be an Independent adult and teach them the skills so they can handle themselves in the future, its really sad to see this happen.This is why common sense it's not that common anymore. Well, this is what I'm seeing now a days. Safe Diving to all. 🇺🇲👌🏼🙏🏼
In my mind if ur a confident diver and have the skill there be no need to do the course Use the money to get kit that will save your life I don’t bother with paying for a full face course either teached my self the full face drills in shallow water But have my mask and second stage at ready
I have lots of comments on this video. I'm sure I'll be lambasted by some people because many people can't stand when someone questions authority -- but to me facts are facts and thinking for one's self it a crucial skill in diving. That doesn't mean ignoring wise people and well developed rules; it means pointing out or questioning even instructors and seasoned pros. Anyone ANYONE can be wrong and everyone EVERYONE can get better. #1: Great video. It lays out the terrain for thinking about diving without a buddy. And clearly you have passion for safety and diving. So great. -- Also really great that you mention and bust the myth that solo diving is always bad. No, it's not. It can be safe -- or at least as safe as diving with a buddy. (See #5 below). #2: Not very important but just on presentation you could do better. For example @14:41 you flash up that you are going to get into what the required gear for solo diving is...then you go into what the PADI requirements for the course are. Just as you should plan a dive, you should plan a video. If the next topic is course requirement, that's what you talk about. If the topic is required gear, that's what you talk about. --- Plan the Dive, Dive the Plan == Plan the Course, Course the Plan. #3: Semantics: I'm not a fan of the "Solo vs Alone" nomenclature. Of course it is helpful to have a term the distinguishes a diver who happens to be "alone" (like if they happened to get separated from their buddy) vs a diver that is "solo" (who PLANNED to be alone and had redundant gear). The problem with using "Alone vs Solo" to make this distinction is that in standard everyday language that distinction is not clear. ---- You can see that @7:23 that even the guy in the video uses "Alone" when he is talking about a "Solo" diver. I would suggest something like "Alone" and "Solo" just mean you are in the water by yourself and use a term like "Self Reliant Diver" (SRD) to mean someone who is trained and prepaired to be self reliant. That is much more clear and easy to remember. #4: You never mentioned being healthy. It's important for all humans to be healthy. It's especially important for divers that may face stress, heavy equipment (above water), and high physical exertion. But for Self Reliant Diving (SRD) being physically fit has to be one of the top things (after air supply) that will help someone ensure their primary objective (getting back alive). In SRD you don't have a buddy to help you, to call for help, to give you CPR. An SRD need to be physically fit to be safe --- Sorry to say it, but that other guy in the video is obese. Yes, obese. That size stomach indicates a Body Mass Index (BMI) of an obese person. That is not safe as a Self Reliant Diver. --- Sure, it's up to him if he want's to take that risk. But if you certify a person as an SRD while physically unfit you might as well certify them as SRD when they don't have a second dive knife or compass. #5: Would like to see mention that a bad buddy can be worse than no buddy. Lots of people get buddied up with some person they just met while on a dive boat. That person might be panicky. They might be the type to not pay any attention to you. They might even swim off and leave you. They might not know what to do to help you in an emergency. They may well be a huge risk just waiting to happen. --- Yes, there are good buddies. But there are also buddies that are not good. -- Would be good to hear the "pro" say that. #6: Minor Nit-Pick. In listing reasons to solo (SRD) dive you mention being an instructor is basically solo-diving and also being a safety diver. But you said at the beginning of the video you were talking about RECREATIONAL divers. People instructing or being a safety diver are not recreational divers, they are professionals. Again, no big deal -- but plan your video and material as carefully as you would plan your dive. Don't hang a bunch of unnecessary stuff on your video just as you wouldn't "Charismas tree" yourself with unneeded equipment on a dive. #7: Just an observation, but a lot of this is stuff EVERY diver, solo/SRD diver or not, should do. Planning. Knowing the weather. Having a whistle, Having two cutting tools, knowing how to use a compass, anticipating problems, knowing your SAC rate -- that's for everyone. Sure, solo/SRD requires it even more. But to be a safe diver, even with a buddy, you should be doing all this already. ---- Anyone NOT doing those things is one of those buddies I pointed out in point #5 -- a buddy that may well be more of a liability than a help. NOW SOME QUESTIONS: Of course we can double up on everything and it's "safer". We could also have two snorkels, a spare set of fins, two DSMBs, etc. But at some point, every piece of gear you add actually becomes a liability. It's just more to carry, more to think about. Also, as (correctly) stated, if any primary gear breaks, we call off the dive and return ASAP. So, with that in mind: ** Are two compasses really a net-positive? If my compass breaks, call the dive. Surface. ** Are two masks really a net-positive? If my mask breaks, surface. We're recreational divers. So we shouldn't be in a position to need to do a deco or even safety stop. ** Is a spare SPG (air pressure gauge) a net-positive? If my primary PSI gauge or computer stops functioning, I'm calling the dive right there. Again, I get people will say, "Well, two is better than one". But, again, then why not two whistles, two pair of fins, two snorkels, two DSMBs, two flashlights?? I'm NOT saying don't take these spares. But I'd love to hear REASONED (not just emotional) arguments for WHY these particular parts of gear are so important to have redundances.
Gary, thanks for your lengthy comments. We will do our best to add to your statements below and answer the questions you posed. (We have copied your entire comments and added our inputs at the appropriate points....in all caps....not because we are yelling at you but to just separate our responses from what you wrote....unfortunately TH-cam comments don't allow us to respond in different colors, which would be helpful here..... "I have lots of comments on this video. I'm sure I'll be lambasted by some people because many people can't stand when someone questions authority -- but to me facts are facts and thinking for one's self it a crucial skill in diving. That doesn't mean ignoring wise people and well developed rules; it means pointing out or questioning even instructors and seasoned pros. Anyone ANYONE can be wrong and everyone EVERYONE can get better. (WE FULLY AGREE THAT ANYONE AND EVERYONE CAN LEARN MORE, INSTRUCTORS AND EXPERTS INCLUDED....JOSH AND LYELL HAVE ALWAYS BEEN OPEN TO INPUT FROM OUR VIEWRS AND HAVE LEARNED AGOOD THING OR TWO FROM THEM. WE AREN'T TOO PROUD TO CONTINUE TO LEARN, AND WE AGREE WITH YOUR POJT THAT YOU SHOULD QUESTION WHAT AND WHY YOU ARE BEING TAUGHT.) #1: Great video. It lays out the terrain for thinking about diving without a buddy. And clearly you have passion for safety and diving. So great. -- Also really great that you mention and bust the myth that solo diving is always bad. No, it's not. It can be safe -- or at least as safe as diving with a buddy. (See #5 below). #2: Not very important but just on presentation you could do better. For example @14:41 you flash up that you are going to get into what the required gear for solo diving is...then you go into what the PADI requirements for the course are. Just as you should plan a dive, you should plan a video. If the next topic is course requirement, that's what you talk about. If the topic is required gear, that's what you talk about. --- Plan the Dive, Dive the Plan == Plan the Course, Course the Plan. (WE AGREE WITH YOU COMMENTS HERE. WE HAVE LEARNED MORE AND MORE ABOUT MAKING VIDEOS AND PRESENTING THINGS BETTER FOR OUR VIEWERS SUCH THAT NOT ONLY IS THE CONTENT EDUCATIONAL BUT ENTERTAINING....IF YOU VIEW SOME OF OUR MORE RECENT VIDEOS HOPEFULLY WE HAVE MADE PROGRESS IN THIS AREA.) #3: Semantics: I'm not a fan of the "Solo vs Alone" nomenclature. Of course it is helpful to have a term the distinguishes a diver who happens to be "alone" (like if they happened to get separated from their buddy) vs a diver that is "solo" (who PLANNED to be alone and had redundant gear). The problem with using "Alone vs Solo" to make this distinction is that in standard everyday language that distinction is not clear. ---- You can see that @7:23 that even the guy in the video uses "Alone" when he is talking about a "Solo" diver. I would suggest something like "Alone" and "Solo" just mean you are in the water by yourself and use a term like "Self Reliant Diver" (SRD) to mean someone who is trained and prepaired to be self reliant. That is much more clear and easy to remember. (AGAIN WE AGREE WITH YOU RATIONALE HERE.) #4: You never mentioned being healthy. It's important for all humans to be healthy. It's especially important for divers that may face stress, heavy equipment (above water), and high physical exertion. But for Self Reliant Diving (SRD) being physically fit has to be one of the top things (after air supply) that will help someone ensure their primary objective (getting back alive). In SRD you don't have a buddy to help you, to call for help, to give you CPR. An SRD need to be physically fit to be safe --- Sorry to say it, but that other guy in the video is obese. Yes, obese. That size stomach indicates a Body Mass Index (BMI) of an obese person. That is not safe as a Self Reliant Diver. --- Sure, it's up to him if he want's to take that risk. But if you certify a person as an SRD while physically unfit you might as well certify them as SRD when they don't have a second dive knife or compass. ( WE HAVE PRODUCED SEVERAL VIDEO TALKING DIRECTLY TO THIS TOPIC. AFTER LYELL EXPERIENCED A (TAKOTSUBO TYPE) HEART ATTACK DURING A LIVEABOARD TRIP....AGAIN YOU WILL GET NO ARGUMENTS FROM US THAT DIVERS SHOULD WORK TO BE FIT, AND ESPECIALLY SO IF PLANNING TO DIVE SOLO.) #5: Would like to see mention that a bad buddy can be worse than no buddy. Lots of people get buddied up with some person they just met while on a dive boat. That person might be panicky. They might be the type to not pay any attention to you. They might even swim off and leave you. They might not know what to do to help you in an emergency. They may well be a huge risk just waiting to happen. --- Yes, there are good buddies. But there are also buddies that are not good. -- Would be good to hear the "pro" say that. (YES, THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED.) #6: Minor Nit-Pick. In listing reasons to solo (SRD) dive you mention being an instructor is basically solo-diving and also being a safety diver. But you said at the beginning of the video you were talking about RECREATIONAL divers. People instructing or being a safety diver are not recreational divers, they are professionals. Again, no big deal -- but plan your video and material as carefully as you would plan your dive. Don't hang a bunch of unnecessary stuff on your video just as you wouldn't "Charismas tree" yourself with unneeded equipment on a dive. (IF WE HAD THE CHANCE TO REDO THIS VIDEO SERIES, THERE IS NO DOUBT WE WOULD ADDRESS THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND PERHAPS USE DIFFERENT LANGUAGE.) #7: Just an observation, but a lot of this is stuff EVERY diver, solo/SRD diver or not, should do. Planning. Knowing the weather. Having a whistle, Having two cutting tools, knowing how to use a compass, anticipating problems, knowing your SAC rate -- that's for everyone. Sure, solo/SRD requires it even more. But to be a safe diver, even with a buddy, you should be doing all this already. ---- Anyone NOT doing those things is one of those buddies I pointed out in point #5 -- a buddy that may well be more of a liability than a help. (THIS IS NOT THE STANDARD THAT MOST RECREATIONAL DIVING INSTITUTIONS USE TO CERTIFY NEW DIVERS. PERHAPS WITH EXPERIENCE YOU MAY FIND "NON-SELF RELIANT" CERTIFIED DIVERS USING ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT OR REDUNDANCIES, BUT WE CERTAINLY WOULDN'T JUDGE MY BUDDY AS BEING POOR BECAUSE HE DID NOT HAVE TWO COMPASSES, TWO MASKS, CUTTING TOOLS ETC. IS OT A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE THESE ITEMS, YES, BUT NOT EVERY DIVER WILL AGREE WITH THIS AND MAKING IT A REQUIREMENT WOULD SEEM ONEROUS TO SOME.) NOW SOME QUESTIONS: Of course we can double up on everything and it's "safer". We could also have two snorkels, a spare set of fins, two DSMBs, etc. But at some point, every piece of gear you add actually becomes a liability. It's just more to carry, more to think about. Also, as (correctly) stated, if any primary gear breaks, we call off the dive and return ASAP. So, with that in mind: ** Are two compasses really a net-positive? If my compass breaks, call the dive. Surface. SO IN MANY CASES IF YOU ARE CARRYING AN ANOLOG COMPASS, AND ALSO HAVE A DIVE COMPUTER....MANY DIVE COMPUTERS ALSO HAVE DIGITAL COMPASS, YOU NOW HAVE A BACKUP WITHOUT HAVE TO CARRY "EXTRA" EQUIPMENT....AND AT ALL TIMES AS A SELF RELIANT DIVER, YOU ALWSY HAVE THE ABILITY TO CALL THE DIVE AT ANY POINT IN TIME FOR ANY REASON.) ** Are two masks really a net-positive? If my mask breaks, surface. We're recreational divers. So we shouldn't be in a position to need to do a deco or even safety stop. WE HAVE WATCHED MANY DIVERS (SOME EXPERIENCED) HAVE GREAT DIFFICULTY IN MANAGING WITHOUT A MASK FOR LONG LENGTHS OF TIME. EVEN THE SIMPLE READING OF GUAGES IS VERY DIFFICULT, WITH OR WITHOUT THE NEED FOR CORRECTIVE LENSES. LYELL DIVES SOLO WITH HIS CAMERA OFTEN AND AS SUCH WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO ABANDON $10K PLUS OF YOUR EQUIPMENT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SEE TO MANAGE THAT RIG AND GET BACK TO THE SURFACE? IS IT POSSIBLE TO DO YES, BUT WITH THE ADVENT OF FRAMELESS MASKS, THE ABILITY TO STORE AND CARRY AND EXTRA MASK IS VERY EASY.) ** Is a spare SPG (air pressure gauge) a net-positive? If my primary PSI gauge or computer stops functioning, I'm calling the dive right there. AGAIN TO CALL A DIVE IS ALWAYS THE MOST CONSERVATIVE THING TO DO, WE HAVE ALWAYS STRESSED SAFETY FIRST ON OUR CHANNEL. BUT IN THE SAME VEIN AS OUR PREVIOUS DISCSSIONS, MANY DIVERS HAVE AIR INTEGRATED DIVE COMPUTERS, AND ALSO AN ANALOG. THIS WAY YOU HAVE TWO METHODS TO CHECK YOUR PRESSURES WITHOUT THE NEED FOR "EXTRA" EQUIPMENT. Again, I get people will say, "Well, two is better than one". But, again, then why not two whistles, two pair of fins, two snorkels, two DSMBs, two flashlights?? THE REDUNDANCIES FOR SOLO (SELF RELIANT DIVERS) MAKE SENSE: AS WE'VE ALLUDED TO ABOVE REGARDING MASK, AND SPG'S. AND AS YOU STATED YOU'D FEEL LIKE A BAD BUDDY IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE TWO CUTTING TOOLS ETC. TWO FLASHLIGHTS?....IF YOU ARE NIGHT DIVING, ABSOLUTELY, IN FACT TAKE THREE.....TWO FINS? WE'VE SEEN MANY DIVERS SWIM WITH ONLY ONE FIN.....NOT A LIABILITY TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE SURFACE WITH ONLY ONE FIN.... THE POINT IS THE REDUNDANCIES THAT ARE BUILT INTO THIS COURSE ARE AT LEAST A STARTING PT. FOR DIVERS. HOW YOU ORGANIZE YOUR GEAR AND HOW MANY ADDITIONAL REDUNCIES YOU ADD IS TOTALLY UP TO YOU GOING FORWARD BASED ON YOUR COMFORT LEVEL. OUR GOAL WITH THIS SERIES OF VIDEOS WAS NOT TO GO INTO EVERY DETAIL OF THE SELF RELAINT DIVER CURS....AND NOR SHOULD WE....THIS SHOULD BE DONE ONE ON ONE WITH YOUR INSTRUCTOR, WHERE AS A GOOD DOVER, YOU SHOULD QUESTION WHAT AND WHY YOU ARE BEING TAUGHT AND SEEK OUT MUCH OF THE INFORMATION YOU COMMENTED UPON AND ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT. NOTHING THAT YOU SAID IS NOT LEGITIMATE. We hope this answers some of your questions. Thanks for watching!
I dive solo all the time! The only thing I am afraid be a medical emergency under water (heart attack) or so. Even a heart attack has a 90% survival rate its pretty much game over while diving! Well at least I died loving what I do!
This is a nice video but I have to touch on something from a novice diver to a completely inexperienced diver point of view, I hope you are not offended ?? You mentioned that to get solo diver course you have 3 rules 1 , 18yrs old 2 , 100 dives and 3 AOW ticket I have padi open water , not padi scuba diver , I don't know what advanced open water is ?? Does that mean 30 m and night dives ?? I did 18 m and was told that having padi open water meant i could dive alone ?? But this is not my real point 😕 My point is you say you can not give a solo ticket to anybody that doesn't meet these 3 criteria!! Now my point is this , as far as I'm aware scuba diving is not illegal and doesn't require a licence of any description?? So by this , if a raw novice diver who has dived on his own without any certificates comes to you and asks to do the solo diver course , would it not be considered good practice to let him sit in on the course and pay for it , as you could one way or the other be saving his life and he has shown intelligence enough to seek knowledge !! It will either put him off diving alone or at least he will have a greater chance of survival with any knowledge he can gain ?? Now I'm talking about a diver that is going to dive anyway , I have met these types before, for whatever reason they do not have the time or money to do all those tickets ??
I want to be self reliant but I can’t put my family through the trauma of a dive accident by not having a dive buddy I have had a couple of times that I was glad someone was in arms reach
Thank you for the tutorial. Question on the 19cu ft yellow pony bottle being strapped to the main al80 tank. The 19cf tank has almost a neutral buoyancy and weighs about 7lbs. How would handle weight offset for this? Do we even need to weight offset since its neutral buoyancy? Thank you in advance
Minh, thank you for your question. Here is a link to one of videos where we addressed the topic of weighting for this size tank. th-cam.com/video/URhURnmIExY/w-d-xo.html (The portion about weighting starts at 5:02). Thanks!
Not dangerous at all … just make sure you have all your gear on. just relax, inflate BC and casually swim parallel to the coast. Eventually you will clear the rip.
Euroopana7 this is the correct description of the technique if caught in a rip current. Although the way the original question was phrased seemed like the diver was “intentionally” entering a rip to be carried out. That is dangerous in our opinion. And Ben though your description is correct. It is something that is not as easily carried out.
Beginning 52:00 the "back mounted" pony is shown. if any diver is capable to open its valve when needed? Diving with the open valve is not a good idea (especially when the redundant second stage is out of the visual control). The pressure gauge looks nice but useless during the dive.
Very interesting point. How about if the redundant second stage is positioned closer to the face with something like a silicon safety necklace? If it leaked there is a bigger possibility that it would be noticed. Or how about a second SPG on a hose with the best length to accommodate it just within visual range to monitor air pressure. But if all that are not the best alternatives, then the last alternative is to mount the pony upside down for manual valve control. Yes?
@@Alfa011 I believe that the pony bottle should be closed until the diver actually needs it, does not matter where it is attached . In contrast with the main air source the diver does not monitor its pressure during the dive, so the closed valve is the only "warranty". Yes, the upside down mounted pony is what I personally used when attaching pony to the main cylinder. Valve is also closed when the pony is attached to D-rings as shown beginning 50:00. Pony bottle can be smaller than 30 cu. feet if no penetration/overhead is planned (this makes it more comfortable/streamlined).
+Old D even during technical and rebreather diving (bailout) the valves are typically left open for immediate use. You can set up an “alternate switch valve”…..see our upcoming episode on bailout setup on our rebreather system. If you have a correctly functioning valve that has been bubble tested prior to each dive, there is no need to dive with a closed valve. That’s how mistakes can happen. Also in this episode we show an alternate setup for you spg on longer hose for bailout. th-cam.com/video/URhURnmIExY/w-d-xo.html
@@everythingscuba I have nothing else to add - this is just my opinion/feeling, which is based on ca. fifty years of diving and years of teaching (although I am sure that you have much more dives than I do) and about the same long experience of working with high pressure gases and equipment beyond diving. There is no problem when everything is "correctly functioning". Why do we need a pony-bottle if everything is tested and correctly functioning??? Unfortunately, misfortune never comes alone... Regarding "sources of mistakes". I would say, that quick emergency un-click of a snap bolt from the D-ring can be more unpredictable than the pony bottle valve opening (when it is easy reachable). A snap-bolt itself can fail opening, gloves add problems and you simply cannot use your redundant (emergency!) regulator when it remains attached even to the "shoulder" D-ring (to not mention a regulator stuck at diver's hip/waist). Yes, I do remember that you recommends a breakaway attachment. I have no idea on how "mistake can happen" with opening the valve when you need your "redundant" gas source. (If I suddenly have a very irresistible desire for beer, I will first of all open a bottle, regardless of whether I have a glass and where it is.) Well... yes, a Solo Diver is supposed to be an experienced diver, not just a lousy diver with a "Solo Diver" certificate. So... do you keep all stage cylinders opened during your "technical" diving? Although I am not a "technical" diver, I know that the opposite opinion/approach exists among technical divers.
We were also enthralled by your 23 second video of birds chirping on your channel Joe. Look liked you put a lot of work into that video unlike the weak effort we put forth. Thanks for your comment and watching.
Is like saying, there is no benefit driving on the left side, common Uk catch up. Your comment makes no sense. There are 2 different standards live with it!
Solo diving? Controversy? Yes, you can call it “controversial”, or whatever you want. I call it willful stupidity. You go ahead and do whatever you want to do, be as for ME?? I’m going to follow the FIRST thing, the FIRST rule I was taught. Never dive alone.
Brett, that is the great thing about scuba. YOU DO YOU! Stick with works best and is most comfortable for you. Not everyone should or wants to Solo dive. Thanks for watching and thanks for your comments.
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I became a certified diver in 1984. I have always been a solo diver. I am not interested in depending on anyone but myself when I am in the water. If you depend on a buddy to save you, you may drown. I am a commercial diver now. I dive using a surface air supply. It has its own risks, but running out of air is usually not one of them. I have been in some scary situations, but I always got through them. The best thing I can do is make sure I am well rested, well hydrated, have more strength than I should need, and try to expect the unexpected.
Ive been certified since 1978 and dive solo 90% of the time, I dont prefer it but its hard to find non cattle-boat buddies. Im not a comm diver but as a solo diver im usually in less than 30 fsw, and still pack a pony bottle. it does require one to think which is probably not encouraged these days. I have a computer but I know the 9-7 air ndc tables as well as the revised ( latest revision inc) as a general guide for shallow water. this is a good course with the right instructor, granted im not a fan of PADI's " a course for everything" approach, but it is a business and has to have money to function. Its always good to take refresher courses, as the sport does change.
@@sparkyobrian6417 Which diving organizations prefer divers not to think ?
Awesome Vince. Me too 👍🏻
Hell yeah. I did hull cleaning and zinc replacement for years. I maintained a mooring field using lift bags. Hooked up shackles with seizing wire by braille in zero viz.
Also once used a hydraulic chainsaw to remove a piling from a pier.
I’m Open Water Certified. Nothing wrong with certifications. I do want to take more classes but they don’t have classes in maverick freelancing 💪🏼
Stay safe, buddy!
Did you take solo diving courses or did you just get a basic cert and start solo diving? I got my cert but I have a really hard time finding other divers in my area. There is a diving club but they seem to want to along at all. I have thought about just going out with a friend who I can be tethered to on the surface and keep me close, but I know it can be dangerous
Excellent video, I still have lots of dives and AOW to do but I can't wait to get there. Solo had always been my style in almost every aspect of life, nobody else to blame but yourself, and nobody else to bring you down
Just completed my PADI Self Reliant training. This video was invaluable to me
Congratulations! That huge achievement!
Thanks for your kind words about our video!
Been doing it off and on since 1957... When the gear got modern, I had two tanks and a reserve tank and three regulators. Shallow water close to shore, familiar areas... You can only take so many precautions. 'Nuff said!!!... Good stuff, thanks for posting...
Most buddy pairs are already solo diving, they just don’t realize that their buddies don’t have any idea where they are at any given moment or if they did know , are even capable of doing anything beneficial
That is a very, incredibly true statement. Even more so in my area (Northwest NM) where we dive exclusively in fresh water, high altitude lakes where visibility on a GOOD day is 4 feet. I think that the PADI Self Reliant Diver course sort of discredits the Open Water Course. As a PADI MSDT, I feel it is important that all of my students are aware and capable of handling an emergency on their own in the event they are separated from their buddy or cannot get their attention. Not placing emphasis on that, to me, is negligent.
Really good point.
I'm a non current PADI, DSat, IANTD, TDI and EU instructor with more than 10,000 dives. With a student(s) with me I consider myself to be solo. Navigation in extremis is always "ascend". A pony cylinder ideally at 300Bar (rare) should be air for flexability. Nitrox should be in the primary normally at 230Bar. The dive computer should be set to air. I've used these for more than 30yrs. With this redundant set up, I'm much safer than I would be with a buddy. If I'm decompression diving then I use a 7-10ltr pony cyl side mounted with air. I was one of the first to develop this system which is now generic. Finally, if I'm boat diving, I always have two large cylinders with double 2nd stages staged below the boat at 9 and 6M pumped with Nitrox.
This is the second time I have viewed the complete set of videos, and I like it even more the second time. Thanks.
This video is just incredible. I can't imagine something better explained.
Now I'm super excited and I definitely will take this course in the future.
Thanks for showing us this!
44:59 Technically that's not your SAC (Surface Air Consumption), but your RMV, (Respiratory Minute Volume) and that's not specific to your cylinder since you're taking cylinder volume into consideration. RMV allows you to compare your actual gas usage between different sizes and types of cylinders.
Thank you for saying it. If you are measuring how much air you are consuming in litres or cubic feet, you tank size plays no role in it. Whether you are using a 3 litre tank or a 15 litre tank the volume of your breathing stays the same.
You can dive solo all the time as long as you have a personal minimums set. dont exceed X depth. X amount of time. if any of the equipment fails go to surface. Its alot like flying single engine aircraft. not a big deal.
I tend to always check out the gear people use, and the most common setups tend to be Apeks XTX-50 regs, an Apeks BCD or BP&W, and a Shearwater Perdix AI, despite whatever manufacturer they may sponsored by.
I'm very much a beginner diver, but have just purchased my own dive gear. I've looked at what experienced divers like to use (not what they advertise), and copied that :), except I went with the MTX regs on a long hose instead of the XTX.
Thanks for all the great videos. Even on land I learn more about SCUBA every day.
This is what I want to do after 30 years of buddy diving (PADI Deep certified). Thank you
I've read both the PADI and SDI manuals for their Self-Reliant/Solo courses, I would say the SDI version is a bit better to some degree.
But if one wants to really prepare themselves for solo diving, the knowledge gained in certain "tech" courses are very beneficial. In some instances, truly better than either PADI or SDI courses. Courses like GUE Fundies, or TDI Intro to Tech, Advanced Nitrox and Deco Procedures with the right instructor.
Especially in the areas of dive planning, gas management, and certain underwater skills.
Great set of videos, Lyell!! I find it interesting that some in the dive community get quite wound up about diving solo (which I have been for about 6 years - SDI solo certification). Take the amount of training, evaluation and mental preparedness that are recommended for solo diving and compare that to what the FAA requires to fly a plane solo. Solo flight is instructor discretion, but you can solo with surprisingly little time in the aircraft. When I did my flight training (longer ago than I care to admit) I did my first solo flight with about 9 hours total time and about 4 minutes notification. The way I look at diving in general, whenever you leave the surface, whether by yourself or with others in close proximity, you are a solo diver. You are the first line of responsibility of your own safety.
Mitch, thank you for your comments and I've never really thought about comparing this to solo flying but you are so right! And I love the last line of your comment: "You are the first line of responsibility of your own safety." We stress this endlessly to our students all the time! Thank you sir!
Comparing SCUBA to flying isn’t really a good comparison. The end goal of getting a pilot’s license is that the pilot can fly independently. That’s why Student Pilot’s are closely supervised by their instructor. Flight planning needs to be checked. Students need endorsement for each non-local flight.
That’s not to say solo diving cannot be conducted relatively safely. But there are some situations you can’t self-rescue from. Maybe contaminated gas (unlikely). That said, as an instructor, I am essentially diving by myself.
My point is you really can’t compare diving to flying. You probably wouldn’t compare solo diving to driving a car either.
I’ve solo dived for decades. I started before the internet and mobile phones. Usually at the same site which I have an emergency exit strategy. It started when I didn’t have anyone to dive with and I just went from there. I’m now highly regarded for my experience even though I thought solo diving was highly frowned upon. I started from when I was only a 20 year old open water certified diver. That’s what I’ve done. I don’t encourage others to do it. It’s just what I do.
Hi! I noticed one thing rewatching this video and I hope you will answer: when you talk about redundant air sources you correctly talk about the possibile failure of ‘octopus’ regulators and the need to have a second tank. Right but… I am Italian and in Italy is very common to have tanks with double valves, even if usually people use just one with an octopus. When I dive as Solo (even if with buddies) I ALWAYS have two first stages on my back tank and a second pony tank with me, so I have three levels of redundancy. I am able to close a valve if I’d have a leaking regulator and end the dive in complete safety. In many countries most of tanks have just one valve, which makes impossible to dive with two separate first stages. What do you think about? Thanks for your work 🙏🏽
One gear observation . Jeff/Geoff didn’t wear a snorkel as part of his redundancy breathing apparatus and Lyell did…why? Isn’t a snorkel a primary piece of equipment to aid (say) a missing diver to breathe in unsettled surface water until rescued? I agree totally with “Plan your dive & die your plan.” I draw my dive coordinates in distance, degrees and direction of my dive vis-a-vis start to finish. I leave a copy at home with my family, explaining the intended dive and I leave a copy of the dive coordinates and emergency contacts with my local dive shop and an A4 sized copy inside a clear plastic sleeve on the passenger side floor or seat of my car. My car is insured if stolen. My life is insured if I die. But at least I am comfortable knowing my family and rescuers know where to look for me should a mishap occur. That comfort level adds to my ZEN whilst enjoying the many wonderful things we see whilst diving solo or with buddies coz the same coordinates apply to two or more divers the same they do when diving solo. Happy and safe diving to all of my global dive buddies. Start safe, finish safe and come home safely to your loved ones 🤿👌
Got some questions:
1. How do you check the finimeter of your redundant air source? For what I’ve seen, I would have not been able to check it during dive.
2. Why not using double cylinders with bridge valve and two first stages and two equivalent second stages? (a V-Valve Drill then should be a mandatory routine for each solo diver)
3. Why not using a stage as standard? Would be also better to check?
4. Why is it not mandatory to use at least a second device for depth and time or even a back up dive computer?
5. What about having an own emergency oxygen set in your car, boat or wherever you store it? DCS incidents need immediately actions until a doctor will arrive, such as oxygen, water to drink and something to keep you warm.
6. Due to the fact that you are not able to see your first stages, how do you ensure that there is no leakage? (I for example use a dive mirror).
7. Why not having a lift bag with you? If your BCD fails, you may not be able to surface. Even if you have a balanced rig, you may will not be able to hold yourself on the surface.
8. If you want to use a single tank configuration, why not using a Y or T valve at the cylinders? If one stage fails, you can switch off the one side that failed.
Just asking, because I got trained like that even as a non solo diver.
Very good questions! I had nearly the same thoughts. There is so much wrong with his setup....
Being a former Navy diver I feel comfortable on my own and tend to be alone even in groups... I think not cutting corners and having specific equipment can mitigate some risk...some
Does the Navy encourage divers to work on their own I instead of being part of a team ?
@@sarahann530 no, but they do teach us how to recover from almost any problem and how to operate independently as needed. What we are taught almost no civilian diver can accomplish within many many years of diving... I personally see how many divers dive and honestly I recognize how easy people panic... I tend to stay away from that drama.
@@keithtravelrn There are thousands of civilian divers around the World that are better trained than Navy divers . Like all military you follow orders and do as you are told by the Rank above .
@@sarahann530 lol.... yes but on submarines not ao much...yes dive officer assigns or captain assigns the job... but I picked the way it was done...and ive seen plenty of civilian divers panic and seen plenty of shit techniques.... navy divers are the ones that set and test the stuff you use....that we stopped using decades ago... lol
@@divemaster5 Rec divers encompass every one from kids to highly trained Tec Divers . Navy Divers have to be retrained as Commercial Divers if they want to dive in the civilain world because their training is not up to par with commercial standards . Mini Subs and ROVs recover Space Shuttles not divers the same way as Cameron recovered stuff off the Titanic . As for PT standards the US military has a huge problem with obesity in the ranks . Blubber is quite common
I am all for safety. But the whole buddy aspect for me usually means, trusting some random guy I don’t even know in a diving group on a holiday. Is it really that much safer? I don’t know man. My last experience of the one time buddy wasn’t a success for me. He was just doing his own thing and ignoring everything. Making me not enjoying my dive and experiencing more stress then necessary.
A bad buddy is worse than no buddy. If they can't help you, aren't paying attention, or are a huge risk in almost every aspect, you are better off alone/solo.
SAC rate in CFM is not tank dependent. Unless you are accounting for variation in exertion or something like that.
Dive solo if the rest of the divers has much lover skills and dive in the group if the group has at least the same skills as you - thats how I am doing it.
NAUI trains all divers to be self-reliant and fully-capable of diving solo from even the most basic level. There is no such thing as a “solo diver” certification, or “self-reliant” certification with NAUI, because all NAUI divers are trained to be self-sufficient from day one. It is still “recommended” to dive with a buddy, but there is zero need for any type of certification or specialty for solo diving with NAUI. 👍🏻
Solo Diver certification is rather a test of how experienced is the diver with some additional comments and equipment suggestions. Experience, both in theory and practice, is the most important part and the course itself cannot provide it.
If you dive WITH a buddy, you also should go through this list of risks an be sure that you both can manage them. Which not always is the truth...
I mount 19cu.ft pony upside down strapped to my main tank so that I have easy access to the pony tank valve, SPG to a bottom right side D ring and the reg to a top right side D ring. No octo since I use an Air source BCD inflator. In-line shutoff for pony 2nd stage, so tank valve is always open,but no chance of free flow.
Seems a great idea the use of a inline shutoff for pony 2nd stage.
Hi Lyle just watched this video
You should have a little longer hose on the pressure gage of your pony bottle so you can see it
Have a great day!
The one attached to the main tank on the back
This is dumb and why no one replied.
Thanks to also include SAC rate calculation in metric!
Hopefully I will have that cert soon
One thing I ever dream of each day I see the sun bringing it's rays to the earth is The Master diver level. But i know will get there someday, nah am a rescue diver. But all in one of the darkest lakes, Victoria from East Africa.
Whenever i look at such things under water, it feels like diving in the ocean, but as I Know the will continue to wake up every morning, I'll see self of me in ocean.
Ask me about Zero visibility in 18m depth. I Know.
Finally liked the vedio, is good.
Excellent video, thank you!
I am early in my diving career -AOW with about 30 dives - but very interested in acquiring and learning to use redundant systems.
I understand the buddy system is meant to provide redundant safety, but I also see a buddy as a risk. If my buddy suffers a catastrophic equipment failure at depth just before ascent pressure, do I have enough air to get us both back to the surface in a controlled ascent? Especially when my buddy is panicked, and I am at least under elevated stress, so we are sucking air faster? Does the buddy system save my buddy, or result in 2 dead divers?
I like the idea of the additional stage bottle, as it offers redundancy to me, but I could also unclip it and give to an out of air buddy, allowing us to ascend more independently.
I guess my thought is that the skills and equipment for solo diving shouldn't be "gate-kept" behind 100 dives and a bunch of other certs, even if those are good requirements to actually dive solo.
Thanks for the video.
Thank you for this video, very informative and great to go over the theory and see it in practice. you both had different redundant air setups than I do and that was interesting as well. Glad I found your channel Dive safe and as often as you can. Cheers from Australia.
Thank you Damien! That’s the great part about diving. I’m constantly learning from other divers too. Thanks for watching!
Cool video, thanks a lot, I have one question about air redundancy, What do you think about Spare Air bottle?
Awesome video Lyell! Thank you for the compilation! It was great to be able to watch the whole series in one setting. Looking forward to doing everything necessary to getting this certification through my local dive shop. :-)
It really is the case that if you are not quite sure what might be required of you to solo dive - you’re not ready to solo dive. Kind of an annoying statement, I know, but I suppose it attempts to express that you need to not only know what you know and what you don’t know, you should be in a position to predict and understand all reasonably foreseeable contingencies and provide and be able to reliably execute a recognised procedure for meeting those contingencies. You should have a correct answer for most problems reducible to a predictable correct solution spontaneously at the ready without needing to think about. Everything about it should be second nature to where it also enables you to come up with quick and relevant solutions to unusual situations. You need the skills, knowledge, competencies and tools of complete self reliance within the framework of the particular dive. You should exactly what your personal and situational limits are and how to work on staying, comfortably within them. In my opinion if you are working as an instructor you need to fundamentally think of yourself as a solo diver because you can’t reliably expect all divers on a course to be able to rescue you if you get in trouble, and aside from being alternate air sources they should be conservatively estimated to potentially present more of a hazard to you than a resource. And if you’re in trouble, they’re in trouble and it’s your responsibility to make sure they’re not. Your safety will most likely be their safety. So the basis should be a solo diving level of self reliance, that factors everything else, including in the presence of others as it might be in a worst case scenario.
Why don't we use quick release connector to second stage? That could help much in case of free flow in sec.stage.
I would assume that if it were to come undone unexpectedly it could cause panic in new divers. Maybe let some water in depending on how the clip is designed.
The Navy made me a Diver in March 1970. Most of my diving HAS BEEN SOLO DIVING,with my own methods from tried and true experience . This is a product of training in doing such diving. You’re not trained? DONOT DO SOLO, ALWAYS HAVE A BUDDY!
Same, but 40 years later.
Minus the fact your under water. What is the difference between navigating in the drink and navigating through a dence forest?
I like to have a Buddy to share the experience, but I allways gear up as if I am going on a solo as I dont want to rely on anyone but me. I have been certified since 94 and im also a trained commercial diver and I do alot of solo dives as we as with a buddy at times and people please remember a Spare Air is NOT a pony Bottle lol if you are going to Solo Dive Invest in a proper pony bottle setup not with a Spare Air..
Best video yet
Would you share a link/links to the items you show in the "Must Have (additional) Gear for Solo Diving" section of this video? I am certain that I could find similarly functioning gear via amazon/my local dive shop, but I would like to have the actual items you spoke about as a frame of reference before purchasing other gear that may be inferior or just plain lacking in the wanted features.
Excellent video. Thank you. The dancing jaw fish at the end was amazing and touching. Great learning series and well done 👏
Thank you for your very kind comments. We are glad you found this lengthy video useful! Thanks for watching!
This was amazing! 👏 Thank you
Thank you for your compliment. We hope it was helpful to you! Thanks for watching!
Great video thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you for such an in-depth guide, this was a really great video! I can't wait to take the course
Arran, thanks for your comment. We are glad this video was of use to you! Good luck in your upcoming Self Reliant Diver class!
This is how I calculate mine
I've have been diving since 1989 when I first got my open water certification so I now have over 1000 log dives not included the ones i didn't log in, two years ago I decided to get into full-face and do my advance diving certification which I never needed but I said since I'm doing a full-face I might as well do them both at once. I'll tell you this I knew more than he did, which was embarrassing to him, he didn't even own his own full-face so I let him use one of mine with coms so we can talk on the dive, I learned with diving buddies and also educating myself with all the safety protocols on a full face mask. I just did it to get both my certification, which I needed to go on a liveabord trip with was awesome to I'm planning to do another one this time with some of my dive buddies. really, if you're a reasonable person and responsible who has a lot of common sense and like to study on your own and have friends who enjoy doing the same things you can learn without same of these dumb certification. You don't need to spend your hard earned money on same of these dumb certification unless you are diving off a dive boat that is required for their insurance. Padi is a business, and in a business, it's all about the money. but for many, they should, because many people now a days don't have common sense even with training. it's like some people can learn very fast how to use a tool and some can't get it. I thank my Dad for showing me so many skills as a kid growing up many Dads now a days don't take the time to show their kids, boy or girl how to be an Independent adult and teach them the skills so they can handle themselves in the future, its really sad to see this happen.This is why common sense it's not that common anymore. Well, this is what I'm seeing now a days. Safe Diving to all. 🇺🇲👌🏼🙏🏼
In my mind if ur a confident diver and have the skill there be no need to do the course
Use the money to get kit that will save your life
I don’t bother with paying for a full face course either teached my self the full face drills in shallow water
But have my mask and second stage at ready
Remember even “confident divers” don’t know what they don’t know. Hence, why using experienced instructors is a good idea.
Would it be possible to have « in writing » the name of your dive site at the end of your video?
PS Great content! AC (MSDT)
Frederiksted Pier, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
I have lots of comments on this video. I'm sure I'll be lambasted by some people because many people can't stand when someone questions authority -- but to me facts are facts and thinking for one's self it a crucial skill in diving. That doesn't mean ignoring wise people and well developed rules; it means pointing out or questioning even instructors and seasoned pros. Anyone ANYONE can be wrong and everyone EVERYONE can get better.
#1: Great video. It lays out the terrain for thinking about diving without a buddy. And clearly you have passion for safety and diving. So great. -- Also really great that you mention and bust the myth that solo diving is always bad. No, it's not. It can be safe -- or at least as safe as diving with a buddy. (See #5 below).
#2: Not very important but just on presentation you could do better. For example @14:41 you flash up that you are going to get into what the required gear for solo diving is...then you go into what the PADI requirements for the course are. Just as you should plan a dive, you should plan a video. If the next topic is course requirement, that's what you talk about. If the topic is required gear, that's what you talk about. --- Plan the Dive, Dive the Plan == Plan the Course, Course the Plan.
#3: Semantics: I'm not a fan of the "Solo vs Alone" nomenclature. Of course it is helpful to have a term the distinguishes a diver who happens to be "alone" (like if they happened to get separated from their buddy) vs a diver that is "solo" (who PLANNED to be alone and had redundant gear). The problem with using "Alone vs Solo" to make this distinction is that in standard everyday language that distinction is not clear. ---- You can see that @7:23 that even the guy in the video uses "Alone" when he is talking about a "Solo" diver. I would suggest something like "Alone" and "Solo" just mean you are in the water by yourself and use a term like "Self Reliant Diver" (SRD) to mean someone who is trained and prepaired to be self reliant. That is much more clear and easy to remember.
#4: You never mentioned being healthy. It's important for all humans to be healthy. It's especially important for divers that may face stress, heavy equipment (above water), and high physical exertion. But for Self Reliant Diving (SRD) being physically fit has to be one of the top things (after air supply) that will help someone ensure their primary objective (getting back alive). In SRD you don't have a buddy to help you, to call for help, to give you CPR. An SRD need to be physically fit to be safe --- Sorry to say it, but that other guy in the video is obese. Yes, obese. That size stomach indicates a Body Mass Index (BMI) of an obese person. That is not safe as a Self Reliant Diver. --- Sure, it's up to him if he want's to take that risk. But if you certify a person as an SRD while physically unfit you might as well certify them as SRD when they don't have a second dive knife or compass.
#5: Would like to see mention that a bad buddy can be worse than no buddy. Lots of people get buddied up with some person they just met while on a dive boat. That person might be panicky. They might be the type to not pay any attention to you. They might even swim off and leave you. They might not know what to do to help you in an emergency. They may well be a huge risk just waiting to happen. --- Yes, there are good buddies. But there are also buddies that are not good. -- Would be good to hear the "pro" say that.
#6: Minor Nit-Pick. In listing reasons to solo (SRD) dive you mention being an instructor is basically solo-diving and also being a safety diver. But you said at the beginning of the video you were talking about RECREATIONAL divers. People instructing or being a safety diver are not recreational divers, they are professionals. Again, no big deal -- but plan your video and material as carefully as you would plan your dive. Don't hang a bunch of unnecessary stuff on your video just as you wouldn't "Charismas tree" yourself with unneeded equipment on a dive.
#7: Just an observation, but a lot of this is stuff EVERY diver, solo/SRD diver or not, should do. Planning. Knowing the weather. Having a whistle, Having two cutting tools, knowing how to use a compass, anticipating problems, knowing your SAC rate -- that's for everyone. Sure, solo/SRD requires it even more. But to be a safe diver, even with a buddy, you should be doing all this already. ---- Anyone NOT doing those things is one of those buddies I pointed out in point #5 -- a buddy that may well be more of a liability than a help.
NOW SOME QUESTIONS:
Of course we can double up on everything and it's "safer". We could also have two snorkels, a spare set of fins, two DSMBs, etc. But at some point, every piece of gear you add actually becomes a liability. It's just more to carry, more to think about. Also, as (correctly) stated, if any primary gear breaks, we call off the dive and return ASAP. So, with that in mind:
** Are two compasses really a net-positive? If my compass breaks, call the dive. Surface.
** Are two masks really a net-positive? If my mask breaks, surface. We're recreational divers. So we shouldn't be in a position to need to do a deco or even safety stop.
** Is a spare SPG (air pressure gauge) a net-positive? If my primary PSI gauge or computer stops functioning, I'm calling the dive right there.
Again, I get people will say, "Well, two is better than one". But, again, then why not two whistles, two pair of fins, two snorkels, two DSMBs, two flashlights??
I'm NOT saying don't take these spares. But I'd love to hear REASONED (not just emotional) arguments for WHY these particular parts of gear are so important to have redundances.
Gary, thanks for your lengthy comments. We will do our best to add to your statements below and answer the questions you posed. (We have copied your entire comments and added our inputs at the appropriate points....in all caps....not because we are yelling at you but to just separate our responses from what you wrote....unfortunately TH-cam comments don't allow us to respond in different colors, which would be helpful here.....
"I have lots of comments on this video. I'm sure I'll be lambasted by some people because many people can't stand when someone questions authority -- but to me facts are facts and thinking for one's self it a crucial skill in diving. That doesn't mean ignoring wise people and well developed rules; it means pointing out or questioning even instructors and seasoned pros. Anyone ANYONE can be wrong and everyone EVERYONE can get better. (WE FULLY AGREE THAT ANYONE AND EVERYONE CAN LEARN MORE, INSTRUCTORS AND EXPERTS INCLUDED....JOSH AND LYELL HAVE ALWAYS BEEN OPEN TO INPUT FROM OUR VIEWRS AND HAVE LEARNED AGOOD THING OR TWO FROM THEM. WE AREN'T TOO PROUD TO CONTINUE TO LEARN, AND WE AGREE WITH YOUR POJT THAT YOU SHOULD QUESTION WHAT AND WHY YOU ARE BEING TAUGHT.)
#1: Great video. It lays out the terrain for thinking about diving without a buddy. And clearly you have passion for safety and diving. So great. -- Also really great that you mention and bust the myth that solo diving is always bad. No, it's not. It can be safe -- or at least as safe as diving with a buddy. (See #5 below).
#2: Not very important but just on presentation you could do better. For example @14:41 you flash up that you are going to get into what the required gear for solo diving is...then you go into what the PADI requirements for the course are. Just as you should plan a dive, you should plan a video. If the next topic is course requirement, that's what you talk about. If the topic is required gear, that's what you talk about. --- Plan the Dive, Dive the Plan == Plan the Course, Course the Plan. (WE AGREE WITH YOU COMMENTS HERE. WE HAVE LEARNED MORE AND MORE ABOUT MAKING VIDEOS AND PRESENTING THINGS BETTER FOR OUR VIEWERS SUCH THAT NOT ONLY IS THE CONTENT EDUCATIONAL BUT ENTERTAINING....IF YOU VIEW SOME OF OUR MORE RECENT VIDEOS HOPEFULLY WE HAVE MADE PROGRESS IN THIS AREA.)
#3: Semantics: I'm not a fan of the "Solo vs Alone" nomenclature. Of course it is helpful to have a term the distinguishes a diver who happens to be "alone" (like if they happened to get separated from their buddy) vs a diver that is "solo" (who PLANNED to be alone and had redundant gear). The problem with using "Alone vs Solo" to make this distinction is that in standard everyday language that distinction is not clear. ---- You can see that @7:23 that even the guy in the video uses "Alone" when he is talking about a "Solo" diver. I would suggest something like "Alone" and "Solo" just mean you are in the water by yourself and use a term like "Self Reliant Diver" (SRD) to mean someone who is trained and prepaired to be self reliant. That is much more clear and easy to remember. (AGAIN WE AGREE WITH YOU RATIONALE HERE.)
#4: You never mentioned being healthy. It's important for all humans to be healthy. It's especially important for divers that may face stress, heavy equipment (above water), and high physical exertion. But for Self Reliant Diving (SRD) being physically fit has to be one of the top things (after air supply) that will help someone ensure their primary objective (getting back alive). In SRD you don't have a buddy to help you, to call for help, to give you CPR. An SRD need to be physically fit to be safe --- Sorry to say it, but that other guy in the video is obese. Yes, obese. That size stomach indicates a Body Mass Index (BMI) of an obese person. That is not safe as a Self Reliant Diver. --- Sure, it's up to him if he want's to take that risk. But if you certify a person as an SRD while physically unfit you might as well certify them as SRD when they don't have a second dive knife or compass. ( WE HAVE PRODUCED SEVERAL VIDEO TALKING DIRECTLY TO THIS TOPIC. AFTER LYELL EXPERIENCED A (TAKOTSUBO TYPE) HEART ATTACK DURING A LIVEABOARD TRIP....AGAIN YOU WILL GET NO ARGUMENTS FROM US THAT DIVERS SHOULD WORK TO BE FIT, AND ESPECIALLY SO IF PLANNING TO DIVE SOLO.)
#5: Would like to see mention that a bad buddy can be worse than no buddy. Lots of people get buddied up with some person they just met while on a dive boat. That person might be panicky. They might be the type to not pay any attention to you. They might even swim off and leave you. They might not know what to do to help you in an emergency. They may well be a huge risk just waiting to happen. --- Yes, there are good buddies. But there are also buddies that are not good. -- Would be good to hear the "pro" say that. (YES, THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED.)
#6: Minor Nit-Pick. In listing reasons to solo (SRD) dive you mention being an instructor is basically solo-diving and also being a safety diver. But you said at the beginning of the video you were talking about RECREATIONAL divers. People instructing or being a safety diver are not recreational divers, they are professionals. Again, no big deal -- but plan your video and material as carefully as you would plan your dive. Don't hang a bunch of unnecessary stuff on your video just as you wouldn't "Charismas tree" yourself with unneeded equipment on a dive. (IF WE HAD THE CHANCE TO REDO THIS VIDEO SERIES, THERE IS NO DOUBT WE WOULD ADDRESS THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND PERHAPS USE DIFFERENT LANGUAGE.)
#7: Just an observation, but a lot of this is stuff EVERY diver, solo/SRD diver or not, should do. Planning. Knowing the weather. Having a whistle, Having two cutting tools, knowing how to use a compass, anticipating problems, knowing your SAC rate -- that's for everyone. Sure, solo/SRD requires it even more. But to be a safe diver, even with a buddy, you should be doing all this already. ---- Anyone NOT doing those things is one of those buddies I pointed out in point #5 -- a buddy that may well be more of a liability than a help. (THIS IS NOT THE STANDARD THAT MOST RECREATIONAL DIVING INSTITUTIONS USE TO CERTIFY NEW DIVERS. PERHAPS WITH EXPERIENCE YOU MAY FIND "NON-SELF RELIANT" CERTIFIED DIVERS USING ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT OR REDUNDANCIES, BUT WE CERTAINLY WOULDN'T JUDGE MY BUDDY AS BEING POOR BECAUSE HE DID NOT HAVE TWO COMPASSES, TWO MASKS, CUTTING TOOLS ETC. IS OT A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE THESE ITEMS, YES, BUT NOT EVERY DIVER WILL AGREE WITH THIS AND MAKING IT A REQUIREMENT WOULD SEEM ONEROUS TO SOME.)
NOW SOME QUESTIONS:
Of course we can double up on everything and it's "safer". We could also have two snorkels, a spare set of fins, two DSMBs, etc. But at some point, every piece of gear you add actually becomes a liability. It's just more to carry, more to think about. Also, as (correctly) stated, if any primary gear breaks, we call off the dive and return ASAP. So, with that in mind:
** Are two compasses really a net-positive? If my compass breaks, call the dive. Surface. SO IN MANY CASES IF YOU ARE CARRYING AN ANOLOG COMPASS, AND ALSO HAVE A DIVE COMPUTER....MANY DIVE COMPUTERS ALSO HAVE DIGITAL COMPASS, YOU NOW HAVE A BACKUP WITHOUT HAVE TO CARRY "EXTRA" EQUIPMENT....AND AT ALL TIMES AS A SELF RELIANT DIVER, YOU ALWSY HAVE THE ABILITY TO CALL THE DIVE AT ANY POINT IN TIME FOR ANY REASON.)
** Are two masks really a net-positive? If my mask breaks, surface. We're recreational divers. So we shouldn't be in a position to need to do a deco or even safety stop. WE HAVE WATCHED MANY DIVERS (SOME EXPERIENCED) HAVE GREAT DIFFICULTY IN MANAGING WITHOUT A MASK FOR LONG LENGTHS OF TIME. EVEN THE SIMPLE READING OF GUAGES IS VERY DIFFICULT, WITH OR WITHOUT THE NEED FOR CORRECTIVE LENSES. LYELL DIVES SOLO WITH HIS CAMERA OFTEN AND AS SUCH WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO ABANDON $10K PLUS OF YOUR EQUIPMENT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SEE TO MANAGE THAT RIG AND GET BACK TO THE SURFACE? IS IT POSSIBLE TO DO YES, BUT WITH THE ADVENT OF FRAMELESS MASKS, THE ABILITY TO STORE AND CARRY AND EXTRA MASK IS VERY EASY.)
** Is a spare SPG (air pressure gauge) a net-positive? If my primary PSI gauge or computer stops functioning, I'm calling the dive right there. AGAIN TO CALL A DIVE IS ALWAYS THE MOST CONSERVATIVE THING TO DO, WE HAVE ALWAYS STRESSED SAFETY FIRST ON OUR CHANNEL. BUT IN THE SAME VEIN AS OUR PREVIOUS DISCSSIONS, MANY DIVERS HAVE AIR INTEGRATED DIVE COMPUTERS, AND ALSO AN ANALOG. THIS WAY YOU HAVE TWO METHODS TO CHECK YOUR PRESSURES WITHOUT THE NEED FOR "EXTRA" EQUIPMENT.
Again, I get people will say, "Well, two is better than one". But, again, then why not two whistles, two pair of fins, two snorkels, two DSMBs, two flashlights??
THE REDUNDANCIES FOR SOLO (SELF RELIANT DIVERS) MAKE SENSE: AS WE'VE ALLUDED TO ABOVE REGARDING MASK, AND SPG'S. AND AS YOU STATED YOU'D FEEL LIKE A BAD BUDDY IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE TWO CUTTING TOOLS ETC. TWO FLASHLIGHTS?....IF YOU ARE NIGHT DIVING, ABSOLUTELY, IN FACT TAKE THREE.....TWO FINS? WE'VE SEEN MANY DIVERS SWIM WITH ONLY ONE FIN.....NOT A LIABILITY TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE SURFACE WITH ONLY ONE FIN....
THE POINT IS THE REDUNDANCIES THAT ARE BUILT INTO THIS COURSE ARE AT LEAST A STARTING PT. FOR DIVERS. HOW YOU ORGANIZE YOUR GEAR AND HOW MANY ADDITIONAL REDUNCIES YOU ADD IS TOTALLY UP TO YOU GOING FORWARD BASED ON YOUR COMFORT LEVEL.
OUR GOAL WITH THIS SERIES OF VIDEOS WAS NOT TO GO INTO EVERY DETAIL OF THE SELF RELAINT DIVER CURS....AND NOR SHOULD WE....THIS SHOULD BE DONE ONE ON ONE WITH YOUR INSTRUCTOR, WHERE AS A GOOD DOVER, YOU SHOULD QUESTION WHAT AND WHY YOU ARE BEING TAUGHT AND SEEK OUT MUCH OF THE INFORMATION YOU COMMENTED UPON AND ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT. NOTHING THAT YOU SAID IS NOT LEGITIMATE.
We hope this answers some of your questions. Thanks for watching!
I dive solo all the time! The only thing I am afraid be a medical emergency under water (heart attack) or so. Even a heart attack has a 90% survival rate its pretty much game over while diving! Well at least I died loving what I do!
How about when driving down the highway? Going to keep a buddy for that?
Another awesome video with great info
Appreciate it guys!👍
So, I guess trim is just completely out the window, huh?
Safety is key brotha awesome video 🙌
This is a nice video but I have to touch on something from a novice diver to a completely inexperienced diver point of view, I hope you are not offended ??
You mentioned that to get solo diver course you have 3 rules 1 , 18yrs old 2 , 100 dives and 3 AOW ticket
I have padi open water , not padi scuba diver , I don't know what advanced open water is ??
Does that mean 30 m and night dives ??
I did 18 m and was told that having padi open water meant i could dive alone ??
But this is not my real point 😕
My point is you say you can not give a solo ticket to anybody that doesn't meet these 3 criteria!!
Now my point is this , as far as I'm aware scuba diving is not illegal and doesn't require a licence of any description??
So by this , if a raw novice diver who has dived on his own without any certificates comes to you and asks to do the solo diver course , would it not be considered good practice to let him sit in on the course and pay for it , as you could one way or the other be saving his life and he has shown intelligence enough to seek knowledge !!
It will either put him off diving alone or at least he will have a greater chance of survival with any knowledge he can gain ??
Now I'm talking about a diver that is going to dive anyway , I have met these types before, for whatever reason they do not have the time or money to do all those tickets ??
I want to be self reliant but I can’t put my family through the trauma of a dive accident by not having a dive buddy I have had a couple of times that I was glad someone was in arms reach
No harm in that. Solo diving isn’t for everyone and I have lots of admiration for those who know their limits and dive within them.
Thank you for the tutorial.
Question on the 19cu ft yellow pony bottle being strapped to the main al80 tank. The 19cf tank has almost a neutral buoyancy and weighs about 7lbs. How would handle weight offset for this? Do we even need to weight offset since its neutral buoyancy? Thank you in advance
Minh, thank you for your question. Here is a link to one of videos where we addressed the topic of weighting for this size tank. th-cam.com/video/URhURnmIExY/w-d-xo.html (The portion about weighting starts at 5:02). Thanks!
How dangerous would it be to do a shore dive and allow a RIP current take you out?
Um. Pretty dangerous.
Not dangerous at all … just make sure you have all your gear on. just relax, inflate BC and casually swim parallel to the coast. Eventually you will clear the rip.
Euroopana7 this is the correct description of the technique if caught in a rip current. Although the way the original question was phrased seemed like the diver was “intentionally” entering a rip to be carried out. That is dangerous in our opinion. And Ben though your description is correct. It is something that is not as easily carried out.
Great video!
Thank you Ginger!
Beginning 52:00 the "back mounted" pony is shown. if any diver is capable to open its valve when needed? Diving with the open valve is not a good idea (especially when the redundant second stage is out of the visual control). The pressure gauge looks nice but useless during the dive.
Very interesting point. How about if the redundant second stage is positioned closer to the face with something like a silicon safety necklace? If it leaked there is a bigger possibility that it would be noticed. Or how about a second SPG on a hose with the best length to accommodate it just within visual range to monitor air pressure. But if all that are not the best alternatives, then the last alternative is to mount the pony upside down for manual valve control. Yes?
@@Alfa011 I believe that the pony bottle should be closed until the diver actually needs it, does not matter where it is attached . In contrast with the main air source the diver does not monitor its pressure during the dive, so the closed valve is the only "warranty".
Yes, the upside down mounted pony is what I personally used when attaching pony to the main cylinder. Valve is also closed when the pony is attached to D-rings as shown beginning 50:00. Pony bottle can be smaller than 30 cu. feet if no penetration/overhead is planned (this makes it more comfortable/streamlined).
+Old D even during technical and rebreather diving (bailout) the valves are typically left open for immediate use. You can set up an “alternate switch valve”…..see our upcoming episode on bailout setup on our rebreather system.
If you have a correctly functioning valve that has been bubble tested prior to each dive, there is no need to dive with a closed valve. That’s how mistakes can happen.
Also in this episode we show an alternate setup for you spg on longer hose for bailout.
th-cam.com/video/URhURnmIExY/w-d-xo.html
@@everythingscuba I have nothing else to add - this is just my opinion/feeling, which is based on ca. fifty years of diving and years of teaching (although I am sure that you have much more dives than I do) and about the same long experience of working with high pressure gases and equipment beyond diving. There is no problem when everything is "correctly functioning". Why do we need a pony-bottle if everything is tested and correctly functioning??? Unfortunately, misfortune never comes alone...
Regarding "sources of mistakes". I would say, that quick emergency un-click of a snap bolt from the D-ring can be more unpredictable than the pony bottle valve opening (when it is easy reachable). A snap-bolt itself can fail opening, gloves add problems and you simply cannot use your redundant (emergency!) regulator when it remains attached even to the "shoulder" D-ring (to not mention a regulator stuck at diver's hip/waist). Yes, I do remember that you recommends a breakaway attachment.
I have no idea on how "mistake can happen" with opening the valve when you need your "redundant" gas source. (If I suddenly have a very irresistible desire for beer, I will first of all open a bottle, regardless of whether I have a glass and where it is.)
Well... yes, a Solo Diver is supposed to be an experienced diver, not just a lousy diver with a "Solo Diver" certificate.
So... do you keep all stage cylinders opened during your "technical" diving? Although I am not a "technical" diver, I know that the opposite opinion/approach exists among technical divers.
2022 America still using Imperial system , why ?
Bored already just needed a quicker explanation
You are right Kirk we should’ve put all of this information in a 5 minute video. Thanks for your comment.
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1. take some really exciting knowledge, then 2. make a boring video about it
We were also enthralled by your 23 second video of birds chirping on your channel Joe. Look liked you put a lot of work into that video unlike the weak effort we put forth. Thanks for your comment and watching.
every reg/cylinder should be DIN there is no benefit to yoke! Come on USA catch up with the rest of the world :)
+Lee Houston Beware of those who speak in absolutes.
Is like saying, there is no benefit driving on the left side, common Uk catch up. Your comment makes no sense. There are 2 different standards live with it!
Solo diving? Controversy? Yes, you can call it “controversial”, or whatever you want. I call it willful stupidity. You go ahead and do whatever you want to do, be as for ME?? I’m going to follow the FIRST thing, the FIRST rule I was taught. Never dive alone.
Brett, that is the great thing about scuba. YOU DO YOU! Stick with works best and is most comfortable for you. Not everyone should or wants to Solo dive. Thanks for watching and thanks for your comments.
@@everythingscuba Okay. Thanks. Good luck.
Bottom line - dive your training and comfort level. Where the willful stupidity comes in is solo diving without proper training and equipment.
@@mitchhushak4264 Well said.
Great content!