Advanced Specialty
SSI Independent Diving
The buddy system is the foundation of recreational diving safety. Independent Diving is not about abandoning that — it is about understanding what it actually takes to dive safely without one, and making a deliberately informed decision. The course covers the planning, equipment and mindset that makes solo diving a calculated choice, not an accident.
The Essentials
Independent Diving — Key Facts
1 to 2 days
Duration and Structure
- Digital learning : Solo diving philosophy, risk assessment and equipment
- Training dives : Three supervised solo dives with instructor oversight
- Equipment checks : Redundant gas source, SMB and safety equipment review
- Planning : Conservative dive planning methodology for solo profiles
Experienced divers
Prerequisites
- Certification : Advanced Open Water Diver or equivalent
- Log dives : Minimum 100 logged dives
- Age : Minimum 18 years
- Note : Not for new or infrequent divers
Informed decisions
Who This Is For
- Experienced divers whose travel patterns mean solo diving happens anyway
- Dive professionals who need formal solo diving training
- Underwater photographers who regularly separate from buddies for shots
- Technical diving candidates building foundational solo skills
Skills and Knowledge
The Discipline of Diving Alone
Independent diving requires a different relationship with risk than buddy diving. Without someone to share gas in an emergency, the redundant air source becomes critical. Without a buddy to spot your SMB, your surface signalling technique must be reliable. Without another diver to notice if you are in trouble, your self-awareness must be higher. The course addresses each of these requirements.
- Risk assessment — conditions, site familiarity and health status decision-making
- Redundant gas source — pony bottle or stage cylinder use and emergency procedures
- Conservative planning — reduced NDL fractions, shallower turn pressures and abort criteria
- SMB deployment — reliable surface signalling when no buddy is present
- Self-rescue — managing equipment problems, cramp and vertigo without assistance