From Airworks: The number of "official" dives is really irrelevant. I’ve met many divers who shouldn’t dive solo even though they have surpassed that number. I’ve also met fairly new divers who aren’t even close to that contrived number yet possess all the necessary skills, abilities, composure and self-reliance to become excellent solo divers. Dive Masters and instructors who are flexible and not tied to numbers are often very willing to allow even a newbie to take the solo test (both book knowledge and skill...