Solo Kit setup: the required, redundant, optional, and hell-no items

[34109411]

Always two masks, solo or not, makes no difference.

The mask could start leaking; change it.
Strap could part; change it.
Maybe it could fog really badly (have had this in the past); try taking it off, cleaning with fingers, put it back on. If that’s not fixed it; change the mask.
Could hit something, nets, wreck sticky-out-things and break the mask; change it.

Basically the two masks travel in my fin pockets — there’s two fins — so always have my spare mask, so may as well put it in my pocket; better to have a spare and not use it rather than need it and not have it.

i use not carry an extra one but did change my mind lately.

The question that i am still asking is if i should remove that octo from my primary...yes i do carry a pony bottle (not to call a stoney bottle from another tread...)

 

[Bigbella]

Carrying an extra mask was and is commonplace among those who have used full face masks, just in case the FFM crapped out, for whatever reason -- and an octopus and common "split" mask was always in a pocket or clipped to a BC . . .

 

[MB NZ]

It's interesting that many of those who do solo recreational diving have done some technical diving (myself included). It's a fine line between the self-sufficient diver and the solo diver and only natural that gear selection is based on previous experience. In the past, I carried two of everything that really mattered. Gas source, cutting devices, computers, masks, but I've mellowed a bit on this now, especially for shallow dives. A general point, additional, some might say excessive gear can become a liability rather than an additional safety factor.

 

[34109411]

It's interesting that many of those who do solo recreational diving have done some technical diving (myself included). It's a fine line between the self-sufficient diver and the solo diver and only natural that gear selection is based on previous experience. In the past, I carried two of everything that really mattered. Gas source, cutting devices, computers, masks, but I've mellowed a bit on this now, especially for shallow dives. A general point, additional, some might say excessive gear can become a liability rather than an additional safety factor.

i agree more failure points

 

[Cthippo]

It's interesting how different people perceived the risks involved and which ones need to be mitigated.

For me, the risk of mask (or computer) failure is remote enough and the consequences are small enough that it is not a hazard I need to do anything about. That would probably change if I were doing deeper or tech dives, but until I am a slow blind ascent is an acceptable mitigation.

 

[Nemrod]

i use not carry an extra one but did change my mind lately.

The question that i am still asking is if i should remove that octo from my primary...yes i do carry a pony bottle (not to call a stoney bottle from another tread...)

Per the SDI manual, The Solo Diver, used for the Solo Diver course, see paragraph 3 below:



I am not going to carry a spare mask and a spare kitchen sink for a simple solo dive. If I have a mask problem and it somehow is teleported into an alternate universe I will just execute a simple return to surface. I have completed entire dive sans mask and that was part of my course, swimming without a mask so those who are solo certified, at least through SDI, should have completed a no mask exercise. It was also a part of my YMCA and NAUI scuba diver and advanced courses in 1966 and 1976.

 

[JohnN]

It's interesting how different people perceived the risks involved and which ones need to be mitigated.

For me, the risk of mask (or computer) failure is remote enough and the consequences are small enough that it is not a hazard I need to do anything about. That would probably change if I were doing deeper or tech dives, but until I am a slow blind ascent is an acceptable mitigation.

No argument about the second mask. I don’t get to dive as much as I would like (only 80-100 dives/year), so the redundant computer is just insurance (like replaceable wrist/neck seals) to make a single point of failure doesn’t ruin the trip

 

[Wibble]

The question that i am still asking is if i should remove that octo from my primary...yes i do carry a pony bottle (not to call a stoney bottle from another tread...)

There's two different use cases for a backup second stage on your primary:

• You need to donate to an OOG diver (v.rare, but v.important)
• You've broken your primary reg, e.g. mouthpiece fallen off/whatever (less rare, less important)

When diving sidemount or with bailout/decompression cylinders, you only have one second stage regulator per cylinder as the others are your backup.

When diving with a single tank and small pony backup/bailout you will only use that for yourself as there's little gas in it; need to get the heck out of Dodge and head for the surface post haste.

The normal, sort of technical, configuration is to have a longhose which you breathing from and which you would use to donate to an OOG diver, plus a short hosed necklaced backup regulator which is for you only. If you're diving with an additional pony stage, this will have a single regulator and be tucked away; it's easily accessible should your primary go bang or splutter, is easy to read the pressure gauge and is easily re-stowed after testing underwater.

Bottom line for me is that I always dive with a spare mask: it's no problem to do the normal thing and stuff it into my pocket. Similarly I have a longhose and shorthose on my primary breathing cylinder. I wouldn't have separate single-regulator kit just for diving solo. Also, there's my backup torch on my harness, my backup knives and cutters, the redundant buoyancy AKA drysuit, redundant gas supply...

 

[johndiver999]

There's two different use cases for a backup second stage on your primary:

• You need to donate to an OOG diver (v.rare, but v.important)
• You've broken your primary reg, e.g. mouthpiece fallen off/whatever (less rare, less important)

When diving sidemount or with bailout/decompression cylinders, you only have one second stage regulator per cylinder as the others are your backup.

When diving with a single tank and small pony backup/bailout you will only use that for yourself as there's little gas in it; need to get the heck out of Dodge and head for the surface post haste.

The normal, sort of technical, configuration is to have a longhose which you breathing from and which you would use to donate to an OOG diver, plus a short hosed necklaced backup regulator which is for you only. If you're diving with an additional pony stage, this will have a single regulator and be tucked away; it's easily accessible should your primary go bang or splutter, is easy to read the pressure gauge and is easily re-stowed after testing underwater.

And you have to balance those capabilities versus the added complexity (and concomitant drawbacks) of carrying 3 second stages. If you back mount the pony bottle, the potential for confusion of 3 second stages is especially relevant.

Another option is to use the dreaded air 2 and eliminate the 3rd (standard) second stage.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

I've pulled more than a few turtled solo divers out of the water off Carmel, who looked like they had been preparing for an amphibious assault of Pebble Beach . . .

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Maybe they was from Grun.