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I have three configurations that I use for solo diving (which is most of my diving). If I'm on a boat, I'll dive double 100s with an isolation manifold, with a slung 40 containing 50%. My 100s are pretty heavy for shore dives. If I'm shore diving, I'll usually use either a set of independent...

This is one of the very rare times when I disagree with Bob. I would argue that the only way to really, really find out how well you can respond to an emergency is to test your skills in real emergency situations. You don't really know how self-reliant you are until you've solved genuine...

It's very common to see advice to use a larger single tank in "should I dive doubles" threads. That's something I've never understood. I dive double Faber 100's (very heavy tanks) routinely regardless of whether I need the advantages of doubles on the particular dive, because I find my ability...

What I'm curious about is how many of us prefer solo diving, as opposed to being willing to dive solo on occasion. Most of my diving is solo now, simply because I enjoy the solitude and can participate fully in my dives in a way that I can't when the bulk of my attention is on the welfare of my...

Reminds me of a New Yorker cartoon from decades ago. A man and a boy are standing on the sidewalk outside store on which the windows are plastered with signs reading "Final Days! Everything must go! Business closing!" The caption reads "Son, someday all this will be yours."

Just to clarify... I intended to have my irony hat on when I posted that.

I usually dive manifolded double HP 100's, but I have an old Benjamin rigged (non-isolator manifold) set of double 60's and a pair of ID steel 72's that I find useful for shore dives. I've never understood discussion of additional task loading for diving independent doubles (which is more or...

I would argue that there are many perfectly competent solo divers who feel no need for a cert. It really doesn't require special training for an intelligent, experienced diver to figure out what's necessary to be (relatively) safe diving solo.

There is a very important additional role for the PADI divemaster, one which is stressed in the DM training: Sell the next class.

For my standard rig, you'd have to add "...and sudden inexplicable holes in your smb and lift bag." I agree, pretty remote.

It's a couple of years old now, but you would probably find the following thread informative: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/solo-divers/126887-how-many-dives-did-you-have.html . It contains a variety of very intelligent discussion of the fact that you are probably asking the wrong question...

The term "SafeAir" is American Nitrox Divers International's (ANDI) registered trademark for nitrox blends (including 21%) mixed with oxygen compatible air. ANDI asserts that their standards for air purity are higher than those of other agencies. My guess is that the shop was an ANDI shop and...

My solution: one on each wrist. Redundancy is always a good thing.

Hear, hear! On those occasions when I do dive with a buddy, I will deliberately seek out a photographer. I find I'm actually able to SEE things at that pace, which is, after all, the point. Good for my SAC rate, too.

Preferably in my glass and not on my monitor. (But on a more serious note, straight up, about nine parts gin to one part Noilly-Pratt Original French Dry, gently shaken, with a Mezzetta martini olive.)

Dang! You just made me spit my martini all over my monitor.

I agree with Merxlin, but sometimes scrutinizing the experience of others can help too. So I'll tell you about my experience. My first fins were Oceanic split fins. I loved them. I'm an older diver, in generally OK physical shape, but overweight. I am emphatically not a strong swimmer. When I...

The correlation between number of firefighting units responding to a fire and $ value of damage caused by the fire is also close to 1.0. That correlation is roughly as relevant to how one ought to approach firefighting as yours is to the discussion about the safety of deep air.

I've dived my BP/W in tropical waters quite comfortably with no special considerations (and with bare skin). This, however, was with a single tank and conventional 2" webbing and cam strap to hold the tank. If I were diving doubles or a single-tank adapter, I imagine that those wing nuts over...

Actually, we kind of used to. I remember very clearly (well, that is to say, as clearly as I remember anything from 1972), my high school driver training instructor tutoring us on how to drive home from a party without getting into trouble when we'd had a couple too many. What we've seen since...