Solo diving and back up gear.

[captain]

Depending on the depth of the dive I may or may not carry an SPG only a J valve and I did not say I don't use doubles. If it's a 100 foot dive with doubles I will reach the NDL long before the duration of my air supply. Self contained diving is all about gas management and I agree that an SPG is a back up for gas managenent skills. I
was diving for many years before SPG's came into common usage and that gave me a lot of experience and insight in gas management.

Captain

 

[Timeliner]

First of all thanks for the forum here. I did my first solo dive today at Lake Murray, Oklahoma and it was wonderful. It was not an ego trip but just a extention of my life.
We had planned a group thing but one by one everybody got sick and had to drop out. So I went by myself. There was nobody at the shore... Just a big white Goose and he wasn't happy I was there. The dive was 24 minutes. 30 ft. max depth. It was sorta cold outside. The air was 42 F and the water was 45 F. The Vis. was ok at 10 feet and I enjoyed myself. Geting out was far worse then geting in to be sure !! I really don't plan to go solo all the time but I would rate it as one of the coolest thing I've ever done. Words just can't tell the tale but I guess you folks understand that.

 

[moneysavr]

First of all thanks for the forum here. I did my first solo dive today at Lake Murray, Oklahoma and it was wonderful. It was not an ego trip but just a extention of my life.
We had planned a group thing but one by one everybody got sick and had to drop out. So I went by myself. There was nobody at the shore... Just a big white Goose and he wasn't happy I was there. The dive was 24 minutes. 30 ft. max depth. It was sorta cold outside. The air was 42 F and the water was 45 F. The Vis. was ok at 10 feet and I enjoyed myself. Geting out was far worst then geting in to be sure !! I really don't plan to go solo all the time but I would rate it as one of the coolest thing I've ever done. Words just can't tell the tale but I guess you folks understand that.

Wow sounds like you had a great dive! It is a cool feeling,you got only yourself to get out of a jam! dive safe dive often!
Brad

 

[novadiver]

First of all thanks for the forum here. I did my first solo dive today at Lake Murray, Oklahoma and it was wonderful. It was not an ego trip but just a extention of my life.
We had planned a group thing but one by one everybody got sick and had to drop out. So I went by myself. There was nobody at the shore... Just a big white Goose and he wasn't happy I was there. The dive was 24 minutes. 30 ft. max depth. It was sorta cold outside. The air was 42 F and the water was 45 F. The Vis. was ok at 10 feet and I enjoyed myself. Geting out was far worst then geting in to be sure !! I really don't plan to go solo all the time but I would rate it as one of the coolest thing I've ever done. Words just can't tell the tale but I guess you folks understand that.

 

[SDAnderson]

First of all thanks for the forum here. I did my first solo dive today at Lake Murray, Oklahoma and it was wonderful. It was not an ego trip but just a extention of my life.
We had planned a group thing but one by one everybody got sick and had to drop out. So I went by myself. There was nobody at the shore... Just a big white Goose and he wasn't happy I was there. The dive was 24 minutes. 30 ft. max depth. It was sorta cold outside. The air was 42 F and the water was 45 F. The Vis. was ok at 10 feet and I enjoyed myself. Geting out was far worst then geting in to be sure !! I really don't plan to go solo all the time but I would rate it as one of the coolest thing I've ever done. Words just can't tell the tale but I guess you folks understand that.

Let's see, where's that checklist...oh, yeah:

• Got wet.
• Had fun.
• Didn't get hurt.

:35:

 

[Stoo]

Most of my diving is in the 100 - 180 foot range, so I wear twin 95s, iso manifold which is only slightly open (I am in cold water and reg freeze-up is always possibly), twin regs (duh!) and gauges. I wear two Aladdin Pro Nitrox computers. Basically, I have a buddy with me, except I don't need to share the beer after.

I wear this stuff even the odd time I dive with someone, because the people I dive with are all 'solo'... we consider a tight buddy team to be 'same lake, same day'.

 

[Shiprekd]

My solo rig is based on the dive I'm making. 99% of the time though, when I solo, I usually don't go much lower than 70ft (cold - low vis water) so I'm pretty basic. Single 80 w/19 Pony. Main reg set is a MK25/S600/R390 4 gauge set w/wrist mount comp and spare watch. The pony is simply a mk10/D400 and a hosed psi gauge.

I do it to get away from it all. No "babysitting" or worrying about where the other is or what they're up to. The most memorable dive I've ever had, was my first solo. I rolled off the back of a little rental boat in the Fl Keys. Cruised around for about an hour in 45ft water. I even grabbed my buddy's fishing line a few times just to keep him awake topside.. The scariest was my first time solo off of our boat 9 miles offshore of Cape May New Jersey in 65ft of water. The descent was dark and gloomy on the way to that wreck - once there, had a blast grabbing bug after bug... :O]

 

[aquakiwi]

Thats pretty much my gear configuration, just use Aqualung regs, its great without the baysitting as you say.

 

[saildiver]

I know how to use back up equiptment, fact is I tried it when octos and poneys first came into use but I did not like the extra clutter dangling all over me. It is the way I chose to dive and I accept the risk because I feel the chance of equiptment failure is minimal. I have been repairing and servicing my own equiptment for 30 years and I am yet to have any kind of failure that I would consider life threating.

Captain

Captain-I'm sure that you are a fine diver and you obviously have lots of experience-but you don't have all experiences.I used to feel much like you do,and nothing had happened to me in over 4000 dives,many of which were quite difficult.But then a couple years ago my well serviced scubapro regulator 1st stage blew on a deep dive in a strong current-I suddenly took my last breath (only 1-2 minutes earlier noting I had 1/2 a tank of air left)-If my wife hadn't been with me to buddy breathe,I'd have surely gotten the bends,and ever since we dive with pony bottles with separate regulators clipped to our BC's so they don't get in our way...hope you can learn from our experience. By the way-my wife got bent on that dive,and had to spend 5 days in the chamber....Peace...Saildiver

 

[Nemrod]

Having dived with Captain I can vouch for both his skill and knowledge. I was honored to dive with him and several other old time divers. These guys are not just at home in the water--they are FROGMEN!!!!!!!!

Within the limits Captain mentioned for himself I am sure he is within his limits. I do use--as I said---redundancy when I get below my EASY (2X) freedive limit which for me is around 60 feet. There was a time when I was running marathons and 10Ks and triatheleting etc that I could reach 100 feet or darn close. That time is gone, 30 feet is my comfortable limit freediving so I peg my no redundancy depth at 60 feet.

LOL, Captain and I are double hose guys by the way and he has a beautiful set of vintage steel double 72s! N