At one point or another, many divers have found themselves alone during a dive, whether it was intentional or not. SDI’s Solo Diving is the practice of self-reliant scuba diving without a “dive buddy. "Solo diving, once considered technical diving and discouraged by most certification agencies, is now seen by many experienced divers and some certification agencies as an acceptable practice for those divers suitably trained and experienced. Rather than relying on the traditional buddy diving safety system, solo divers should be skilled in self-sufficiency and willing to take responsibility for their own safety while diving.

Being one of SDI’s most popular courses, the Solo Diver course stresses proper dive planning, personal limitations, and accident prevention, as well as the benefits, hazards, and proper procedures for diving solo. You will also learn the additional equipment that is required for solo diving including its proper usage and assembly. This is the perfect course for underwater photography and underwater video divers as well as those diving with their children or buddies that may not be very experienced in scuba diving.

Course prerequisites:
Minimum age 21
Certified SDI Advanced Diver or equivalent
Provide proof of 100 logged dives

What you can expect to learn:
The SDI Solo Diver course takes an in-depth look at all of the following and more:
Why solo dive?
History of buddy diving
Pros and cons of buddy diving and solo diving
Legal liability assumed by buddy diving
How to use the SDI Solo Diving waiver and release
Who must solo dive?
The solo diving mentality
When not to solo dive
Equipment for solo diving
Planning and conducting a solo dive
Navigation
Management of solo diving emergencies

Some of the required skills you will have to demonstrate include all of the following and more:

200 meters/600 feet surface swim in full scuba equipment, configured for local diving conditions; must be non-stop and performed in an open water environment
Demonstrate adequate pre-dive planning
Plan dive limits based on personal air consumption rate
Plan exact dive
Properly execute the planned dive within all predetermined limits
Equipment configuration appropriate for solo diving
Proper descent/ascent rates
Proper safety stop procedures
Monitoring of decompression status equipment; tables, computers, equipment, etc.
Navigation skills – demonstrate proficiency of navigation with compass
Demonstrate emergency change over to redundant air supply (not to exceed 30 metres/100 feet)
Deploy surface marker buoy (SMB)
Use of audible signaling device