What is your OOA escape plan?

[HowardE]

My plan is not to run OOA. Being OOA (without a freeflow incident) shows you are a poor dive planner, or you don't know to look at your SPG.

 

[cummings66]

Thanks for the replies so far =)

The reason I asked, is I am piecing together a very minimalist system...
Mark Meadows Low Profile Backplate, DSS Hog Harness, Poseidon Xstream Reg.
No Buoyancy Compensator.
Oh.. and free diving fins

I can't answer the question easily because my plan has 2 elements, buddy and failing that a CESA. Both are important to me.

I'm wondering if by no BC you mean you're not going to have a wing and only a plate? So your setup is a BP instead of a BP/W?

Personally if you want no danglies then bungee your backup and plan on donating your primary. It's a proven config and is streamlined and you have the benefit of not having to rely on buddy breathing, not that it's not a good skill to have.

 

[bolantej]

I have a pony now, but have used a buddy for this in the past.

 

[JimC]

Independent doubles aren't on your list, but thats what I use.

 

[plot]

Octo or buddy... hopefully someone has air for me.

If not.. then I'd see if it was possible to get to the surface on the air in your BC via the oral inflate...

 

[ScottB]

I'm wondering if by no BC you mean you're not going to have a wing and only a plate? So your setup is a BP instead of a BP/W?

Personally if you want no danglies then bungee your backup and plan on donating your primary. It's a proven config and is streamlined and you have the benefit of not having to rely on buddy breathing, not that it's not a good skill to have.

My current system, which I use for cave diving.. has a bungied 2nd stage..

For me new recreational/ travel setup, I am intending on just having a Mark Meadows back plate and a DSS Hogarthian Harness =)

I carefully monitor my air.. and beyond that, I can set my bright shiney new AI computer to alarm at two selected gas pressures (turn, and "OH **** I'VE SPRUNG A LEAK")

I *know* computers can and do fail, and wireless AI can fail.. In the event either of those things happen, dive is thumbed
I *know* my approximate SAC rate (varies from .45 to .51), and *know* about how fast I should be draining my air.. If for some odd reason, my SPG or AI says that I've unwittingly invented an infinate supply tank, dive is thumbed.

I've just been trying to decide how likely it would be for my 2nd stage to fail closed.
If my tank pickup tube gets clogged, or my 1st stage kicks the bucket, an octo won't help me.. If my 2nd stage fails free flowing.. that provides me some air as I thumb the dive..

Let me say one thing.. this is NOT about being cheap... I am just trying to eliminate anything that I will not likely need from my recreational setup..

My technical set up is redundant everything..

 

[CBulla]

backup reg for myself and/or buddy (though if buddy needs gas, he'll take my primary)

isolator manifold to be able to contain gas loss

gas planning with ample gas reserves to get me and buddy to the surface in case either one of us has a total gas failure

All things equal, and gas planning and management by looking at my console, I echo this. Unless I'm solo diving, then its a 100% redundant rig. No pony, we're talking double tanks with isolator on the manifold in the event of some sort of failure creating a mass venting of gas.

 

[Meng_Tze]

All things equal, and gas planning and management by looking at my console, I echo this. Unless I'm solo diving, then its a 100% redundant rig. No pony, we're talking double tanks with isolator on the manifold in the event of some sort of failure creating a mass venting of gas.

Solo without a 'buddy bottle'?

 

[dmmike]

For me, it's my pony bottle.

I've dove with the same buddy for the past 15 years and we're both AI's, but as I see it, if something was to happen I simiply switch to the pony, no rush, no panic, no drama, swim over to her, and thumb the dive. No problem. Heart beat does not even change.

Oh ya, for it to happen like this you got to pratice it, over and over again.

 

[jeckyll]

Octo or buddy... hopefully someone has air for me.

If not.. then I'd see if it was possible to get to the surface on the air in your BC via the oral inflate...

Ok, think for a minute. You are out of air.

If you do NOT get to your buddy, how will you "oral inflate"? Really, at that point you need to be doing a CESA and the air will expand. You are not orally inflating, you are swimming up...