24 Solo Diver

SDI Standards and Procedures
Part 3: Specialty Standards
24. Solo Diver
24.1 Introduction
The objective of this course is to train divers in the benefits, hazards, and proper
procedures for diving solo. Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may
engage in solo diving activities.
24.2 Who May Teach

An active SDI Solo Diver Instructor that has been certified to teach this specialty.
To qualify to teach the Solo Diver Program the instructor must:
1. Be minimum age 21.
2. Have a minimum of 1 year of teaching experience.
3. Have certified 50 or more students at diver-level.
4. Show verification of completing the SDI Solo Diver program within the past 24 months
either by completing the eLearning course (if available in their language/region) or the
diver course with a qualified instructor using printed materials.
5. This rating may be obtained by administrative upgrade, or by completing a course with

an SDI Solo Diver Instructor Trainer but the prerequisites remain the same either way.
24.3 Student to Instructor Ratio

Academic:
1. Unlimited, so long as adequate facilities, supplies and time are provided to ensure
comprehensive and complete training of subject matter.
Confined Water (swimming pool-like conditions):
1. N/A.
Open Water (ocean, lake, quarry, spring, river, or estuary):
1. A maximum of 8 students per instructor; it is the instructor’s discretion to reduce this

number as conditions dictate.
24.4 Student Prerequisites

1. SDI Advanced Diver or equivalent.
2. Minimum age 21.
Version: 0124 Page 101 of 133

3. Provide proof of 100 logged dives.
24.5 Course Structure and Duration

Open Water Execution:
1. Two dives are required with complete briefs and debriefs by the instructor.
2. The Dive plan must include surface interval, maximum no decompression time, etc. to
be figured out and logged.
Course Structure:
1. SDI allows instructors to structure courses according to the number of students

participating and their skill level.
24.6 Administrative Requirements

Administrative Tasks:
1. Collect the course fees from all the students.
2. Ensure that the students have the required equipment.
3. Communicate the schedule to the students.
4. Have the students complete the:
a. SDI Liability Release and Express Assumption of Risk Form
b. SDI Medical Statement Form.

Upon successful completion of the course the instructor must:
1. Issue the appropriate SDI certification by submitting the SDI Diver Registration Form to
SDI Headquarters or registering the students online through member’s area of the SDI
website.
24.7 Training Material

Required Material:
1. SDI Solo Diver Student Manual and I.Q. Review or eLearning.
2. SDI Solo Diver Instructor Guide.
Optional Materials:
1. SDI Solo Diver planning slate.

24.8 Required Equipment

1. Basic open water scuba equipment as described in section three of this manual with
exception of a safe second, or octopus, is not allowed as a redundant air source.
2. One of the following must be used to provide an additional independent regulator

attached to an air source: pony cylinder, twin cylinders with isolation, H-valve,
independent doubles, or SpareAir™.
24.9 Approved Outline

Instructors may use any additional text or materials that they feel help present these topics.
The following topics must be covered.
1. Why We Must Solo Dive:
a. History of buddy diving.
b. Pros and cons of buddy diving.
c. Pros and cons of solo diving.
d. Legal liability assumed by buddy diving.
e. How to use the solo diving waiver.
2. Who Must Solo Dive:
a. Prerequisites and practicalities.
3. Solo Diving Mentality:
a. Self-reliance.
b. Self-rescue.
4. When Not to Solo Dive:

a. Overhead environments.
b. Decompression and deep diving.
5. Equipment for Solo Diving:
a. Redundant air sources: pony cylinder, twin cylinders with isolation, independent
doubles, SpareAir™.
b. Regulators.
c. Buoyancy compensator devices (BCD).

d. Exposure suits.
e. Dive knives and other cutting tools

f. Surface marker buoys and floatation devices

g. Safety reels.
h. Underwater navigational tools.

i. Current and ascent lines.
j. Surface audible signaling devices.

k. Dye markers, signal mirrors or flares.
l. Emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs).

m. Equipment configuration appropriate for solo diving; streamlining equipment.
6. Planning and Conducting a Solo Dive:
a. Dive site selection and pre-dive considerations.
b. Filing notification of planned dive activities.
c. Contingency planning.
d. Equipment configuration appropriate for solo diving.
e. Gas management.
f. Avoiding entanglements.
7. Navigation:
a. Why navigation skills are important to the solo diver.
b. Use of a mechanical compass.
c. Electronic compass.
d. Underwater diver tracking systems.
8. Management of Solo Diving Emergencies:
a. Free-flowing regulators.
b. BCD inflator malfunctions.
c. Mask problems.
d. Managing currents.
e. Entanglements.
f. Unintended decompression obligations.

g. Panic and stress management techniques.
h. Use of surface marker buoys and location devices.

9. Review the SDI Solo Diver Liability Release and Express Assumption of Risk Agreement
Form:

a. How students use the SDI Solo Diver Liability Release and Express Assumption of
Risk Agreement Form:
10. During training.

11. Post training at dive locations.
24.10 Required Skill Performance and Graduation Requirements

Students are required to successfully complete the following:
Swimming skills:
1. 200 Metres/600 Feet surface swim in full scuba equipment, configured for local diving
conditions; must be non-stop and performed in an open water environment.
Scuba skills:
1. Demonstrate adequate pre-dive planning.
2. Limits based on personal gas consumption.

3. Exact dive and/or no-decompression profile.
4. Properly execute the planned dive within all predetermined limits.
5. Equipment configuration appropriate for solo diving:
a. Streamlining equipment.
b. How to use and carry a redundant air supply.
6. Proper descent/ascent rates.
7. Proper safety stop procedures.

8. Monitoring of decompression status equipment; tables, computers, equipment.
9. Navigation skills.
10. Demonstrate proficiency of navigation with compass.
11. Demonstrate emergency change over to a backup regulator or bailout scuba at a depth
not exceeding 30 Metres/100 Feet.
12. Deploy surface marker and use of surface audible signaling device.

24 Solo Diver

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

24 Solo Diver

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

24 Solo Diver

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

SDI Standards and Procedures

Part 3: Specialty Standards

24. Solo Diver

24.2 Who May Teach

To qualify to teach the Solo Diver Program the instructor must:

1. Be minimum age 21.

2. Have a minimum of 1 year of teaching experience.

3. Have certified 50 or more students at diver-level.

5. This rating may be obtained by administrative upgrade, or by completing a course with

24.3 Student to Instructor Ratio

Confined Water (swimming pool-like conditions):

1. A maximum of 8 students per instructor; it is the instructor’s discretion to reduce this

24.4 Student Prerequisites

2. Minimum age 21.

Version: 0124 Page 101 of 133

3. Provide proof of 100 logged dives.

24.5 Course Structure and Duration

1. SDI allows instructors to structure courses according to the number of students

24.6 Administrative Requirements

1. Collect the course fees from all the students.

2. Ensure that the students have the required equipment.

3. Communicate the schedule to the students.

4. Have the students complete the:

a. SDI Liability Release and Express Assumption of Risk Form

b. SDI Medical Statement Form.

24.7 Training Material

1. SDI Solo Diver Student Manual and I.Q. Review or eLearning.

2. SDI Solo Diver Instructor Guide.

Version: 0124 Page 102 of 133

24.8 Required Equipment

2. One of the following must be used to provide an additional independent regulator

24.9 Approved Outline

The following topics must be covered.

1. Why We Must Solo Dive:

a. History of buddy diving.

b. Pros and cons of buddy diving.

c. Pros and cons of solo diving.

d. Legal liability assumed by buddy diving.

e. How to use the solo diving waiver.

2. Who Must Solo Dive:

a. Prerequisites and practicalities.

3. Solo Diving Mentality:

4. When Not to Solo Dive:

b. Decompression and deep diving.

5. Equipment for Solo Diving:

c. Buoyancy compensator devices (BCD).

e. Dive knives and other cutting tools

Version: 0124 Page 103 of 133

f. Surface marker buoys and floatation devices

h. Underwater navigational tools.

j. Surface audible signaling devices.

l. Emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs).

6. Planning and Conducting a Solo Dive:

a. Dive site selection and pre-dive considerations.

b. Filing notification of planned dive activities.

d. Equipment configuration appropriate for solo diving.

a. Why navigation skills are important to the solo diver.

b. Use of a mechanical compass.

d. Underwater diver tracking systems.