AfterDark
Contributor
I just got a 19cuft pony that will be mounted on my tank. I paid for a tank and another regulator, I'll be using both when I dive if for no other reason than I spent the money on the rig.
redundant air at less than 30'?
- Thread starter davidbaraff
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captain
Contributor
Been diving solo from my first dive to now with no redundancy. Most who fly single engine aircraft don't carry an extra engine in the back seat and can't fly to the ground without the help of the airplane. I can swim to the surface without the scuba gear.
I
idocsteve
Guest
I like analogies. They're a powerful tool but must be used carefully. I also enjoy analyzing the analogies of others.
Yours....it's just not working for me.
I'm a licensed single engine pilot. If you lose an engine, the odds are quite good that you can glide to a suitable area and land. Small single engine planes require a surprisingly short distance to make a safe landing, and this drill is practiced during pilot training.
If you run out of gas in your scuba tank, you can't just "glide" to the surface. Furthermore your analogy suggests abandoning your gear and dropping it to the bottom of the ocean.
Not sure why.
Personally I always solo with redundant air even when I'm in 25 feet of water.
Remember you can drown in 6 inches of water.
A CESA requires that you are not so overweighted that you can swim to the surface, and once on the surface, stay there.
CESA is definitely a life-saving procedure, but why resort to a last-ditch life-saving maneuver when you can more easily change over to a stage bottle that you hanging at your side? And then ascend leisurely?
Call me chicken, but I'm for doing it the easy way.
Remember you can drown in 6 inches of water.
A CESA requires that you are not so overweighted that you can swim to the surface, and once on the surface, stay there.
CESA is definitely a life-saving procedure, but why resort to a last-ditch life-saving maneuver when you can more easily change over to a stage bottle that you hanging at your side? And then ascend leisurely?
Call me chicken, but I'm for doing it the easy way.
captain
Contributor
Personally I always solo with redundant air even when I'm in 25 feet of water.
Remember you can drown in 6 inches of water.
A CESA requires that you are not so overweighted that you can swim to the surface, and once on the surface, stay there.
CESA is definitely a life-saving procedure, but why resort to a last-ditch life-saving maneuver when you can more easily change over to a stage bottle that you hanging at your side? And then ascend leisurely?
Call me chicken, but I'm for doing it the easy way.
I guess you do it your way because you haven't been diving for 50+ years without redundancy and in that time never having had an out of gas or equipment malfunction situation, I have.
derwoodwithasherwood
Contributor
One thought is that one will be more comfortable in an emergency with equipment that one is used to. So if you intend to carry one when below 30', then maybe it's a good idea to carry one above 30' too. Maybe even practice using it once in a while so it's a routine procedure in the unlikely event that it is ever required.
In the fire service, we call this "train as you intend to work".
In the fire service, we call this "train as you intend to work".
I think my first equipment malfunction happened some thing after 2,000 dives...until then I thought I would never have one. Am now looking forward to number 4.
If I were diving in kelp, would have a pony with me. As I don't like swimming thru the stuff on the surface.
If it was open water, like a shark tooth dive, then no... but to each their own.
If I were diving in kelp, would have a pony with me. As I don't like swimming thru the stuff on the surface.
If it was open water, like a shark tooth dive, then no... but to each their own.
vablackwater
Contributor
Call me chicken, but I'm for doing it the easy way.
Chicken here too. I dive solo with a pony.
DaleC
Contributor
For me in 30' max OW I generally lose the pony. Then again, there are 30' dives and there are 30' dives: 30' in a lake? in a cove? next to a wall in ripping current? It's all about context I suppose. Some people dive the same rig, the same way every dive as a method of safety (good) but I dive a variety of rigs so I have to depend on being somewhat adaptive instead.
To me the pony should only really account for a catastrophic mechanical failure. Me going OOA is a failure of my dive plan, entanglement issues should be accounted for in my back gas reserve. The only mechanical failure I can think of that would account for an immediate lack of air is a plugged valve. Rare with a dip tube and properly inspected tank but I suppose it could still happen... Dr Bill?
The one shallow situation I would currently carry a pony is when soloing my vintage rig with a J valve... and that is just till I feel confident enough to really depend on the "feel" of it. Plus I need the extra LP ports
I won't speak to the kelp issue and just say what I do; I don't give advice to others on this subject.
To me the pony should only really account for a catastrophic mechanical failure. Me going OOA is a failure of my dive plan, entanglement issues should be accounted for in my back gas reserve. The only mechanical failure I can think of that would account for an immediate lack of air is a plugged valve. Rare with a dip tube and properly inspected tank but I suppose it could still happen... Dr Bill?
The one shallow situation I would currently carry a pony is when soloing my vintage rig with a J valve... and that is just till I feel confident enough to really depend on the "feel" of it. Plus I need the extra LP ports
I won't speak to the kelp issue and just say what I do; I don't give advice to others on this subject.
I had a second-stage hose crack, causing the reg to free-flow out of control at 70 feet. I ran out of air before reaching the surface and did the 20-foot safety stop on my buddy's octo.
I've also had an OMS wing fail near the beginning of a dive. Despite being weighted properly it was a bit of work getting to the surface and then staying afloat on the surface without additional buoyancy (an SMB). I can't imagine having to do a CESA even from 30 feet with an empty wing bladder and no breath.
While soloing I've had compasses fail, depth gauges fail, dive computes fail... all with only 300 dives.
These experiences were enough for me to always use redundancy when soloing, no matter the depth.
Edit: I'm a doctor, I can afford quality gear and I kep it well-maintained. It's not like I'm using second-hand gear that's in poor condition.
I've also had an OMS wing fail near the beginning of a dive. Despite being weighted properly it was a bit of work getting to the surface and then staying afloat on the surface without additional buoyancy (an SMB). I can't imagine having to do a CESA even from 30 feet with an empty wing bladder and no breath.
While soloing I've had compasses fail, depth gauges fail, dive computes fail... all with only 300 dives.
These experiences were enough for me to always use redundancy when soloing, no matter the depth.
Edit: I'm a doctor, I can afford quality gear and I kep it well-maintained. It's not like I'm using second-hand gear that's in poor condition.
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