They usually dive from their own boats or shore dive/charter boat. After the issues we had with our friend who abuses his pony bottle we rarely have anyone on our boat for the time being. Worrying about liability takes all the fun out of diving.
Why extra air when solo?
- Thread starter pauldw
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If I ever had a free flow or blown hose I would have enough air to surface on my remaining gas. I wouldn't be at 110 feet near the end of the dive, I would be shallow by the time my gas was low.
I've never had a loss of gas in over 2,000 dives, but if I did I would still have enough gas to make an emergency ascent with some gas left.
“but if I did I would still have enough gas to make an emergency ascent with some gas left.”
Not preaching, you are obviously a very confident and experienced diver.
The difference for me in your emergency example is there is no emergency for me. I don’t do an emergency ascent, rather I do a normal ascent and maybe even a safety stop. I get back on boat, set up my second tank and do another dive. Seems like a simple inexpensive insurance policy to me. I find I enjoy my dives so much more knowing I have that regulator right under my chin. G-d willing, maybe after my 2000th dive I will realize it is overkill
Not preaching, you are obviously a very confident and experienced diver.
The difference for me in your emergency example is there is no emergency for me. I don’t do an emergency ascent, rather I do a normal ascent and maybe even a safety stop. I get back on boat, set up my second tank and do another dive. Seems like a simple inexpensive insurance policy to me. I find I enjoy my dives so much more knowing I have that regulator right under my chin. G-d willing, maybe after my 2000th dive I will realize it is overkill
When I had a significant gas loss (it happened to me at least three times), I did simply close the valve of that regulator, and performed a well controlled and safe ascent using the other one. Having a pony and a third regulator could have been more safe, but in the end the result had been the same: when one of the two main regulators fail, you still have to surface...
markmud
Self Reliant Diver--On All Dives.
“but if I did I would still have enough gas to make an emergency ascent with some gas left.”
Not preaching, you are obviously a very confident and experienced diver.
The difference for me in your emergency example is there is no emergency for me. I don’t do an emergency ascent, rather I do a normal ascent and maybe even a safety stop. I get back on boat, set up my second tank and do another dive. Seems like a simple inexpensive insurance policy to me. I find I enjoy my dives so much more knowing I have that regulator right under my chin. G-d willing, maybe after my 2000th dive I will realize it is overkill
Hi Jeff,
I agree with your point. I would like to add that Max does have a gas reserve in case something failed while u/w. He does have contingency plans in place. His contingency plan does not include true redundancy, but a contingent amount of gas just for an emergency.
We have a dichotomy of experiences between Max and myself. I had a regulator that was malfunctioning. I took the regulator back to the service shop at the LDS that I bought it from twice--between each dive. On the third dive it started to erupt--my insta-buddy split on me while we were at 85 fsw.
A few years later I had an HP hose fail. The person who was on the dive vessel with me was the guy who serviced my gear on a regular basis. The HP hose worked fine for several dives after its most recent service. It wasn't the service techs fault. My gear is regularly serviced and I inspect the equipment for leaks and IP between adventures.
I have not gone 2000 dives without a primary system failure like Max has. Maybe those incidents have affected my thinking and the comfort I get, like you:
Maybe it is a placebo affect.
Mares sent me a new first stage as the almost-new first stage was literally cracking apart. If that first stage had completely cracked apart would it have delivered any gas to me while my instabuddy was swimming away?
I don't know.
The LDS owner, where I bought the Mares regulator said that I had cracked the first stage by opening the tank valve to quickly. I formed a long-term relationship with a different LDS. They are still my go-to LDS. The new LDS got me the replacement regulator from Mares.
cheers,
markm
Thanks Mark.
I hope I did not come off as second guessing Max. That was not my intent. He has over 2,000 dives and I am working my way to 200. No comparison in experience and confidence. And, Max is a Divemaster. I am only the Master of my domain.
I hope I did not come off as second guessing Max. That was not my intent. He has over 2,000 dives and I am working my way to 200. No comparison in experience and confidence. And, Max is a Divemaster. I am only the Master of my domain
.
I was hoping to make it to 2500 dives this year to change my profile. Conditions have kept me at 2444 so far.
It's not that I don't believe bad things happen. It's that scuba gear, when maintained is close enough to be fool-proof that I prefer not to carry anything on a dive I don't need to complete the dive. For the same reason, I don't carry a spare gas can in my car. I watch the fuel gauge and fill up as needed. I've never run out of gas in a vehicle either.
I'm not dissing anyone who prefers redundancy, I just prefer minimalism.
Conditions have kept me at 2444 so far.It's not that I don't believe bad things happen. It's that scuba gear, when maintained is close enough to be fool-proof that I prefer not to carry anything on a dive I don't need to complete the dive. For the same reason, I don't carry a spare gas can in my car. I watch the fuel gauge and fill up as needed. I've never run out of gas in a vehicle either.
I'm not dissing anyone who prefers redundancy, I just prefer minimalism.
johndiver999
Contributor
I was hoping to make it to 2500 dives this year to change my profile.
It's not that I don't believe bad things happen. It's that scuba gear, when maintained is close enough to be fool-proof that I prefer not to carry anything on a dive I don't need to complete the dive. For the same reason, I don't carry a spare gas can in my car. I watch the fuel gauge and fill up as needed. I've never run out of gas in a vehicle either.
I'm not dissing anyone who prefers redundancy, I just prefer minimalism.
You got a spare tire in that vehicle?
Actually, no. It didn't come with one. I have a repair kit but no compressure. I do have AAA though.
MichaelMc
Working toward Cenotes
Miss-quoting some poetry:
When the mounting CO2 of your last breath stakes you out burning,
caught on the awesome reef's plains,
and the scavengers wait to consume your remains,
will AAA deliver a refrain?
They've no service there,
nor would the wait be as fair.
Ok, it might not happen that way....
But a great chance to miss-quote Kipling.
And AAA has little to do with solo OOA.
Know the risks, preferably mitigate them, make sure others understand them.
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