redundancy equipment

[Jim Lapenta]

Back up gas. Not an octo or air source type thing buta completely redundant gas source, pony bottle or independant doubles. Leave the spare air in the store. Back up depth and timing devices. Back up computer(your brain with tables or wheel). Spare lift bag or smb deployable from depth, spare reel or finger spool. Spare mask. Detailed dive plan left with someone on shore. Complete confidence in your gear (read regularly serviced), confidence in your skills. Including self rescue skills. Way above average buoyancy skills and control. Knowing when to call a dive. Experience and more experience. Training above and beyond BOW whether formal or with very experienced buddies. Think rescue diver or higher. Experience in low vis, currents, cold water, etc. If you have all of this and a specific reason for doing it such as one of those "two may be one but one of the two is a trainwreck buddy"go for it. This is the place to come for opinions on diving solo and what you may need to do so. IT IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS AND TRAINING! We are not here to instruct you just to offer tips and techniques and while this is not a condemnation of the practice and not to scare you away from it you need to understand the risks involved. At the same time there are those who are absolutely against it and they have a right to those thoughts. But this is a forum for solo divers and those interested in the activity. If you are so against it I respectfully ask that you realize that this forum is for those who are not and find it a safe, fun, and rewarding activity.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Did not realize this was in general tech forum. Sorry.Request mod move this to solo forum please to avoid potential fires.

 

[snow drift]

I agree with all that was said in the above I use doubbles with isolation manifold + 80 stage bottle and turn back @ 2/3 of back gas supply. may be a little over kill but In the area I live in if %&it goes south its the end. no pst divers within 2 hours:14:

 

[waterpirate]

I agree with all the input on this thread, but would add this. Solo diving is not for everyone, just as tech is not for everyone. Unfortunately the dive mags and people in general tend to add a mystic to things that draw people to do things that they are not prepared for. If the question is equiptment redundancy, what do I need. These are things you need to work out for yourself through experience under the recreational police's guidelines and buy observation and learning. I urge you to wade into any pool before you leap. For me solo diving is a zen like experience and the hunter killer in me demands it. when and if you are ever ready to solo, only you will know. Several years ago I read a book that stated that the best piece of equiptment in your kit should be a mirror. Just prior to every dive you should look into the mirror and be true to yourself, can I make this dive? am I diving whithin my experience level? will I be a liability to my buddy if you are diving with one? what is the reason for me making this dive? Being true to oneself is a hard thing to do, yet you know the mantra, "you can be a old diver or a bold diver but not both"
Eric

 

[snow drift]

Nicely put. You have to ALWAYS listen to your self and be willing to abort the dive no matter the monatery value involved. I hand to opt not to make a dive after driving 2.5 hrs just becuse I forgot my knife!!! But with no buddy any simple proble can be the last one you will ever have.

Heed the words that you have been given to you on this thread before you leap

Just a ? why are you asking ? How old are you ?

 

[stacey_n_jamie]

i thought i was diving solo withou the training but i see now that alot of ythe ideals you people hold were driven into me through my work. ive been certified for 14 years now and have well over 3000 dives. the last 9 years i have been working commercial fishing/diving as a sea urchin diver. it is routinely done alone ( that being said with a tender on the surface in a boat) . only once did i ever run into a situation where i had an incident and because of my resuce diver training it had a proper outcome. EVERYONE IMO should be at least rescue trained before taling this course as it teaches self rescue or at least in the solo course this portion of rescue should be taught. most of my diving is done solo even if we have a group out i never take a buddy . the group however is always buddied. i try to run into each and every diver while i am conducting my dive. when i dive with my tender i do so alone i have no one to assist me underwater. i dive in cold , limited vis , current and tide conditions on a regular basis. i am extemely comfortable with this type of environment and prefer to do most of the dives i do alone. when im at work i have the opportunity to find several scallop beds while urchin fishing but as everyone knows when these "secret" areas are given away they tend to be depleted rapidly. that was the beginning of my solo divng to preserve my scallop beds or at least the knowledge of them ( they arent mine really are they). if i do decide to dive with a buddy in these areas they must be as self relient as i am . ami doing the right kind of solo diving or is this something else?

 

[Miami_Diver]

I dive solo all the time. basically carry a backup cutting tool , completely independant air source, reel, and EXPERIENCE. no one knows your limitations the way you do. therefore, before being paired up with a reckless stranger on a dive boat I feel alot safer solo.having said that, if you have a friend that you know and has the same diving skills and dive plan that you do, by all means dive with him.

 

[deepwaterferret]

For me: a decent size pony bottle; a main and back up light, a back up depth gauge in addition to my computer, two knives. I suppose a back up compass would be good, too, but I really try to avoid solo dives for situations where navigation is critical.

Incidentally, this is pretty much my gear set up regardless of whether I have a buddy.

Final piece of extra gear - an added sense of caution when I am solo.

 

[deepwaterferret]

Oh, and a trusty dive watch.

 

[Stoo]

Just add all of your "imaginary" buddy's dive gear to yourself and you're all set... Extra (separate) gas with reg, extra light, extra reel, liftbag, cutting thingy, 'pooter etc...

You should skip his weight belt, and his dry suit and fins also aren't necessary, but otherwise, you can pretty much take it all...

Most importantly though, as others have mentioned, experience and confidence are at least as important...