Equipment for Solo Diving

[CWSWine]

Just got my SDI Solo card and ready to start Solo diving. I know what the book says you should bring but what do you bring with you when you solo?
Of coarse I two independent tanks (sidemount), fins, mask and etc.

I have a surface maker with flag that can be towed.

Since I'm doing a lake with max depth of less than 25 feet I'm going to skip the extra mask since my mast are prescription mask and expensive and I have no problem swimming without mask on. I'm carrying three cutting devices - knife on the waist, scissors in the pocket and line cutter on the shoulder. I have two reels - one 50 foot in my pocket and 100 foot on my d-ring and lot times carry a 200 foot to practice laying cave line. I'm carrying a large DAN SMB in the pocket. Two lights but my dives are during the daylight hours, if doing night I would carry 3 lights. A set of dive tables, not really needed since this area of the lake is max depth of 30 feet. Compass on my wrist and small slate with compass in my pocket.

Is there anything else you would recommend for shallow day time lake dives?

 

[gmanstan]

Two tanks seems like a lot for a depth that if emergency ascent was necessary could easily reach the surface(unless your just prepping for cave dives and use of equipment) But all in all it seems like a very safe and well thought out venture into "Solo diving".

 

[Bigd2722]

I take exception to the requirement to have a spare mask, also. If I lose my mask, the dive is over and I go up. My instructor explained that you have to plan as though you need to get back to where you started.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I would rethink some of the extra gear you are hauling. The more gear you have, the more likely something will break and the more likely you will get distracted by some extra gadget rather than concentrating on the basics.

Example: a single set of shears may be just fine IF you have them tethered with some cave line. Same for dive lights, one for day is fine.

Solo diving requires more of a mind set than additional gear. Learning to spend time checking you existing gear and dive plan is much more likely to save your butt than adding a 2nd or 3rd backup.

 

[Crush]

I take exception to the requirement to have a spare mask, also. If I lose my mask, the dive is over and I go up. My instructor explained that you have to plan as though you need to get back to where you started.

While I don't disagree with you in all cases, I'd like to point out that in some cases a spare mask is an excellent idea. For me, sometimes the (fresh) water is at or about freezing - you simply CAN'T keep your eyes open at that temperature. If are below, say, 60 ft and want to do a controlled ascent to the surface, you (I?) need to see your gauges. That being said, I have yet to hear of a diver who carries a spare mask who actually had to use it.

 

[rx7diver]

Is there anything else you would recommend for shallow day time lake dives?

CWSWine,

Are you asking what scuba equipment each of us uses when doing a solo, daytime dive in a freshwater lake which has a max depth of 30 ffw? Or are you asking what scuba equipment each of us uses when practicing for a more advanced solo dive?

rx7diver

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Solo I'm carrying a the same gear I would use diving with a buddy. Usually in doubles or carrying a stage, spare mask as I may not be able to ascend directly to the surface (might be deco involved) or not want to if I'm on a specific task, two lights, shears, broken off steak knife, and a trilobite on my computer strap. Also have a small reel and finger spool with SMB and/or liftbag. I also have a signal mirror that comes in real handy for doing a bubble check and gear check under water. My solo instructor recommended it and it struck how simple and common sense it was to have one. I also have enough spares and tools in the car to rebuild or replace my regs, spare set of fins, extra BC of some kind, and in addition to my computer I have a bottom timer and will cut or plan tables and contingency tables for the dive. If the computer dies the dive is not necessarily over. The plan is what I dive by, not the computer.

 

[Tropicalwolf]

All the extra gear is going to cause more problems than it prevents. As a long time solo diver (non-cert, dont see the need, I was doing it years before the alphabet soup agencies caught on) I dive bear minimum. Sure a couple things are redundant, wgere space allows. Where are you carrying all tgat stuff, especially a spare mask?

 

[Aqua-Andy]

Solo I'm carrying a the same gear I would use diving with a buddy. Usually in doubles or carrying a stage, spare mask as I may not be able to ascend directly to the surface (might be deco involved) or not want to if I'm on a specific task, two lights, shears, broken off steak knife, and a trilobite on my computer strap. Also have a small reel and finger spool with SMB and/or liftbag. I also have a signal mirror that comes in real handy for doing a bubble check and gear check under water. My solo instructor recommended it and it struck how simple and common sense it was to have one. I also have enough spares and tools in the car to rebuild or replace my regs, spare set of fins, extra BC of some kind, and in addition to my computer I have a bottom timer and will cut or plan tables and contingency tables for the dive. If the computer dies the dive is not necessarily over. The plan is what I dive by, not the computer.

Wow, thanks for the signal mirror idea. I don't think that's something I would have ever thought of.

 

[vapourinthesea]

Take my thoughts with a grain of sand, but it kinda sounds like your trusting in your gear more than your skills to solo dive....that's a lot of gear.