Minimalist Solo Diving?

[mick allein III]

In another thread Nemrod brought up an interesting point- minimalist solo diving.

The more I solo dive the more gear I put on. My first solo dives were shallow 30 ft or less in a wetsuit with no pony. Now I dive a Drysuit, 40, reel and lift bag. 3 cutting devices. The more gear the more task loading. I'm wondering how others dive? What are the essentials. Is less equipment simpler and thus safer? Thoughts?


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---------- Post added January 24th, 2014 at 10:51 PM ----------

In another thread Nemrod brought up an interesting point- minimalist solo diving.

The more I solo dive the more gear I put on. My first solo dives were shallow 30 ft or less in a wetsuit with no pony. Now I dive a Drysuit, 40, reel and lift bag. 3 cutting devices. The more gear the more task loading. I'm wondering how others dive? What are the essentials. Is less equipment simpler and thus safer? Thoughts?


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[Steve_C]

I The more gear the more task loading.

Why? Cutting tools, spare mask, reel, smb, lights, on a normal dive are ZERO task loading. They have no effect on my effort. They sit in pockets out of the way. The pony adds a little drag but again is zero task loading.

They only become task loading if Murphy shows up but then I need them for the task I have just been loaded with.

 

[uncfnp]

Ironically my solo dives also tend to be my deepest dives, drift dives and I'm often hunting lobsters. So yes, I'm pretty well loaded down with gear.

But I wouldn't call it task loading because I am familiar with each and every piece of my gear and know how to use it before I dive solo with it.

 

[rx7diver]

mick allein,

Like some others here, I dive solo as minimalist as prudent: single back tank and no buddy bottle for moderate to shallow dives, buddy bottle for deeper dives, and the last time I did a deep dive solo I used independent back-mounted doubles.

Safe Diving,

rx7diver

P.S. Of course, I never took a solo diver certification course.

 

[Rich Keller]

I usually dive with the minimum amount of equipment needed on any dive. When I do this solo diving it is usually a shallow water shore dive in an area that I know well. I use a reg with only 1 second stage and a SPG. No pony bottle, no computer, no compass, no depth gauge, no BCD, no SMB or reel, no lift bag and only 1 cutting tool. A couple of these areas have a tidal window of only about a half hour so on those dives I am only diving a 30 cu/ft tank. When I kayak dive I do not even wear a tank, I leave it in the kayak and dive off a small umbilical I made for this purpose.

 

[drbill]

Sometimes the greatest task loading I experience is due to a pick-up buddy when I'm not diving solo. I've never found the gear I carry diving solo to be a problem (and I've been solo diving for 50+ years).

 

[Kharon]

I dive the exact same kit every dive in the exact same configuration - familiarity breeds reflex. The only thing that changes is the exposure protection and weights. That said I don't carry any extraneous crap - only what might be needed.

 

[Foxfish]

The ultimate:

Sea Bed Hunting On One Breath - Human Planet: Oceans, preview - BBC One - YouTube

 

[mick allein III]

Very cool. Thanks Foxfish


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[LeadTurn_SD]

In another thread Nemrod brought up an interesting point- minimalist solo diving.

The more I solo dive the more gear I put on. My first solo dives were shallow 30 ft or less in a wetsuit with no pony. Now I dive a Drysuit, 40, reel and lift bag. 3 cutting devices. The more gear the more task loading. I'm wondering how others dive? What are the essentials. Is less equipment simpler and thus safer? Thoughts?


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---------- Post added January 24th, 2014 at 10:51 PM ----------






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For the shore diving I do here in Hawaii, at depths I am comfortable performing a CESA from, the surface is my redundant air supply. At deeper depths I sling a AL30.

Since most of my diving is at depths < 60 feet, my AL30 gathers a lot of dust.

I do usually carry two knives. One big, one small. Old spearfishing habits die hard. Oh, and I wear a traditional old dive watch as a backup for my dive computer (which I use in gauge mode anyway).

Other than that, my "solo rig" is the exact same as my "buddy" rig: Single Al80, BP/W, Hogarthian regulator setup with 6 foot primary and bungied secondary.... if necessary I can dive without a BC entirely, since that it how I started diving, and I can easily swim up, down and around with an empty wing.... no spare mask.... no lift bag....

So, I'm solidly in the Nemrod camp.... I take only the junk I need for the dive I plan to do. No more. I have an aversion to jumping into the water weighted down with stuff I don't need. That does not mean that stuff is never needed.... just not for the dives I do.

I've been doing this since the 1970's, and it works fine for the environment I dive in. It may be insufficient for the environments lots of other solo divers dive in... again, take what you need for your dive. It could very well be that our needs are different, based on different dive histories (and there is nothing wrong with that).

Best wishes.