Solo gear configuration

[East West]

I would like to hear what your gear set up is for the particular dive . I have been a single reg no octo or pony guy but may change my habits . I yanked my mask and reg off at night while chasing a bug on a wreck. The scubapro air source that I own but never use would of helped in that situation . regards Charles

 

[waterpirate]

Redundant gas. did you hear me? Redundant gas. There are a zillion ways to achieve redundant gas, but you really need to have it.
Eric

 

[porgyhunter]

I know why you don't want the bulk of a pony, if you're after bugs. but a little spare air cylinder tucked up tight would work. Of course many cutting tools. Good luck

 

[captain]

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/solo-divers/73374-solo-diving-back-up-gear-6.html

 

[Codiak]

It's been said redundant air source.... go one better and double nearly everything else:

Air, Lights, Knives/Sissors/Wire-Cutters, Masks, Liftbag/SMB, Compass, signalling device

If you don't want to sling a pony mount it on you primary tank.

Just make sure you start with that redundant air

 

[Akimbo]

I would like to hear what your gear set up is for the particular dive . I have been a single reg no octo or pony guy but may change my habits . I yanked my mask and reg off at night while chasing a bug on a wreck…

No different than a buddy dive. Configurations change with dive profile (depth, sea state, etc), but I always assume that all dives will become solo even when that was not the intent. In the case described, you likely would have been effectively diving solo because your buddy would also have his/her head in a hole looking for bugs and not looking at you.

 

[Charlie99]

My solo gear configuration is identical to my buddy dive configuration.

My redundant air source is the atmosphere, approximately 40' above me.

In other words, I restrict my solo dives to conditions where I am comfortable having neither a buddy nor a redundant source of air. I do have redundant cutting devices, but that is my standard gear for buddy dives also.

My diving is split almost 50/50 between solo dives and buddy dives, although many of my "buddy" dives are really "loose group" dives off of local boats with no specific buddy.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

My solo gear setup depends on the dive profile.

One of my favorite solo dives is in the eelgrass beds at my local mudhole. These are usually night dives, so I do take redundant lights. But since they rarely exceed 20 feet, it's the ONLY time I solo without a redundant air source.

For all other recreational-level dives, I typically will either dive a single tank and sling my little buddy AL, or I'll dive doubles.

For solo tech dives, I'll take doubles, deco bottle and adequate backup gas (AL40 or 80) to get me to a point where I can switch to my deco bottle. So far I've only done solo tech dives that would require a single deco gas (EAN50) ... and I take enough in my bailout to cover deco if for any reason my deco gas became unavailable (as a precaution I also retain adequate reserves in my back gas for the same purpose).

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Peter_C]

My solo gear configuration is identical to my buddy dive configuration.

Same here, except I will go slightly deeper and use H valves on HP130's. Long hose, bungee backup, can light, etc. do not change no matter who I am diving with or without. Consistency is comfortable to me. I also always dive singles when going solo.

 

[tstormdiver]

My solo configuration is basically the same as my cave diving & technical configuration, double 108's with an isolator manifold, 2 separate regulators (1 on each post), 3 cutting tools, a primary & 2 back- up lights,a back- up mask, 2 computers, a couple safety reels & a decompression bottle, if I am preforming that kind of dive. I may also take an AL80 stage bottle as a bailout, if I want additional gas redundancy.