What is your gear configuration for solo dives less that 50’

[Eric Sedletzky]

My whole safety factor or whatever you want to call it is based on agility which for me translates to minimalism.
There’s a stark contrast between a fully geared up or over geared up scuba diver bogged down with all the bells and whistles to a freediver. When scuba started is was basically a freediver with just the addition of a tank and an Aqualung. That was the only addition. Now scuba is an entirely different animal.
Where I dive, not only is there be the usual “what if’s” underwater, but there can be a big ordeal getting in and out of the water. Being bogged down with all sorts of unneeded crap only makes the ordeal worse. I’m talking about rocks, swells, and surf. Minimizing gear and only taking what is needed seems to work the best for me. Even a bare minimal bc sometimes seems like it can be too constricting. That’s why back packing has so much appeal, it’s just so simple you can get out of anything, any problem. Just swim for it. The more crap you have on, the more you’re married to it.
The more you depend on it the more you think it’s going to bail your ass out of some situation. If it’s not there then your survival plan changes, it must change. So that’s why on a dive less than 50’ I would rather have almost no gear and if anything goes wrong I bail and get up to my secondary air source the surface.
But what do people really think will go wrong gear wise on a 50’ or less dive? Are they that brainwashed?? I don’t care how much gear you have on, how is that going to help you when your state of mind is in full panic mode? How is all the redundancy in the world going to help you when you’re so bogged down with doubles and pony bottles etc. that you’re getting bashed against the rocks or rolled in the surf trying to get out? How is that safe?
You may have survived the deep but now you’re getting your butt kicked by the surface and shore conditions, which can actually be worse.
BTW, laugh all you want and joke about it, but snorkels and weightbelts can be a big part of safety gear. Just ask any North Coast diver what the old adage was when you got in trouble. @Bob DBF would know.
And then there’s one guy who’s losing his sh!t over one second stage ha ha ha ha ha.

 

[Robert H. Diver]

My whole safety factor or whatever you want to call it is based on agilility which for me translates to minimalism.
There’s a stark contrast between a fully geared up or over geared up scuba diver bogged down with all the bells and whistles to a freediver. When scuba started is was basically a freediver with just the addition of a tank and an Aqualung. That was the only addition. Now scuba is an entirely different animal.
Where I dive, not only is there be the usual “what if’s” underwater, but there can be a big ordeal getting in and out of the water. Being bogged down with all sorts of unneeded crap only makes the ordeal worse. I’m talking about rocks, swells, and surf. Minimizing gear and only taking what is needed seems to work the best for me. Even a bare minimal bc sometimes seems like it can be too constricting. That’s why back packing has so much appeal, it’s just so simple you can get out of anything, any problem. Just swim for it. The more crap you have on, the more you’re married to it.
The more you depend on it the more you think it’s going to bail your ass out of some situation. If it’s not there then your survival plan changes, it must change. So that’s why on a dive less than 50’ I would rather have almost no gear and if anything goes wrong I bail and get up to my secondary air source the surface.
But what do people really think will go wrong gear wise on a 50’ or less dive? Are they that brainwashed?? I don’t care how much gear you have on, how is that going to help you when your state of mind is in full panic mode? How is all the redundancy in the world going to help you when you’re so bogged down with doubles and pony bottles etc. that you’re getting bashed against the rocks or rolled in the surf trying to get out? How is that safe?
You may have survived the deep but now you’re getting your butt kicked by the surface and shore conditions, which can actually be worse.
BTW, laugh all you want and joke about it, but snorkels and weightbelts can be a big part of safety gear. Just ask any North Coast diver what the old adage was when you got in trouble. @Bob DBF would know.
And then there’s one guy who’s losing his sh!t over one second stage ha ha ha ha ha.

Bogged down over doubles or a pony?? You’d rather make an emergency ascent to the surface than taking 2 seconds to switch regulators?? Am I hearing that right?

 

[johndiver999]

Not carrying an alternate air source like a pony, and yes not carrying another second stage. Wouldn’t care about the second stage if he had a pony though.

Thanks for the answer. Have you ever tried breathing off the power inflator of a BC? If you got the hang of it, diving without an octopus would probably seem less daunting.

As the OP mentioned, a 7 mm wetsuit (and a weightbelt) is a pretty reliable emergency floatation system.

I'm sometimes surprised that there is so much support (on this forum) for diving outside of the standard, recommended (minimum) scuba gear configuration. I'm not criticizing that fact, I'm actually glad people are not hindered from talking about how they really dive.

I rarely dive less than 60 feet, so I normally take a pony bottle. It is safer and makes me much less nervous and enhances my comfort. However, if I had to carry it long distances to the dive site, I wouldn't take it for a 50 ft dive.

I dive with a guy almost every week that goes solo with no snorkel, no pony, no safe second, no air 2, no knife, no computer, no watch, way more lead on his belt than most people would say he "needs" and dives to 130 ft - sometimes a little deeper, all on 34%. Little or no "safety stop" and when he gets to the top he always reminds me of goldfish in a shallow pond; you know (no regulator in mouth) and gulping air at the surface, so I know he is on E.

Often 3 dives a day like that. It makes me a little nervous and I think it is silly not to take some more gear (and dive like that), but he always shows up on the surface after 18 - 22 minutes. Some people dive differently than others.

 

[johndiver999]

Bogged down over doubles or a pony?? You’d rather make an emergency ascent to the surface than taking 2 seconds to switch regulators?? Am I hearing that right?

Have you ever used scuba gear off a rocky shoreline with non-trivial surf? If not, you may not fully grasp the array of dangers that the activity involves.

Falling and breaking an ankle (because your foot is wedged between some rocks) and getting battered by surf, is far more serious than a regulator exploding, and even if it does, just swim up and if it takes too long, drop the belt.

Avoiding extra weight and gear in that type of situation, can be beneficial, although carrying an octopus is unlikely to drown a diver - assuming it is secured very well in the surf zone..

 

[Rob9876]

I'm not telling anyone here what to do, but I will say that the more I use my pony set-up the less it seems like a big deal to use it. Takes almost no time to set it up with my other kit. And I use 3 lbs. less lead, so I don't really feel any more bogged down. Only time the pony is really a hassle is with airline baggage limits.

 

[Robert H. Diver]

I'm not telling anyone here what to do, but I will say that the more I use my pony set-up the less it seems like a big deal to use it. Takes almost no time to set it up with my other kit. And I use 3 lbs. less lead, so I don't really feel any more bogged down. Only time the pony is really a hassle is with airline baggage limits.

Right? I can’t even tell my AL40 is clipped off to me once I’m in the water.

 

[JohnN]

For me, for tomorrows dive it will be a MK2/108 on a 22” hose and necklaced, no octo (for who?), SPG.
My plate with a wing.
Compass and my el cheapo mares computer.
Two cutting devices on my waist band and a Seahawk on my lower leg (in case I find rock scallops).
I’m weighting myself fairly light with only an 18 lb weightbelt (7mm wetsuit with hooded vest). I will end up light with an empty tank at 15’.
Steel 72’s because I’ll be goat trail hiking down to a new beach I want to try.
Jet fins because I can climb over rocks and not ruin them.
So not too much gear.
What is your personal gear:comfort level ratio?
And at what depths do these change?

Same as for all of my dives, drysuit or board shorts and a rash guard, 30’ or 120’

19 cuft pony, dsmb+spool in right pocket, sheers + backup computer in left, two trilobite on BPW straps, bungeed second, primary on 40” hose

Old geezers hate change.

 

[Bob DBF]

Bogged down over doubles or a pony?? You’d rather make an emergency ascent to the surface than taking 2 seconds to switch regulators?? Am I hearing that right?

This is where @Eric Sedletzky and I dive, the roads aren't necessarily close to the water, horizontally or vertically.

Top pic is a good day, the lower more usual.

 

[Boarderguy]

Topic is a good day, the lower more usual.

That looks more like scooter territory. Get chest deep and pull the trigger. I don't like getting battered regardless of ocean activity.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Bogged down over doubles or a pony?? You’d rather make an emergency ascent to the surface than taking 2 seconds to switch regulators?? Am I hearing that right?

It goes way beyond that.
I got wrapped up in feather boa kelp once in the surf zone and the weeds had there way with a long hose I was using. There was a lot more gear going on than that at the time which changed later, but more hoses means more that can be grabbed and more to keep track of, more that can freeflow, one more hose that can rupture, a few more O-rings that could potentially fail, etc. I use a secondary when buddy diving (mostly to make them happy) but solo beach dives no. No point, who am I going to give it to?
I have no problem using only one 2nd stage, doesn’t bother me one bit.