Any reason not to get a AL30, compared with a AL19?

[gamon]

If you're using the pony bottle to bail out from an emergency at depth your SAC rate will not be the same as during a typical dive.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Except color of course. Color is the most important.

Absolutely. Brushed no coat all the way. If you are using a yellow or white bottle you're doing it wrong. Certainly we can all agree on THAT?!

 

[-JD-]

Absolutely. Brushed no coat all the way. If you are using a yellow or white bottle you're doing it wrong. Certainly we can all agree on THAT?!

Personally, I'd prefer the shot-blast look.

But since I've been picking stuff up used, a yellow 19 and a brushed 40 are what I rock. I guess that makes me only half wrong.

ETA: The yellow probably looks less blowy-uppy than brushed silver, so I guess that's why I have it for travel. Yea, that's the ticket!

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Personally, I'd prefer the shot-blast look.

But since I've been picking stuff up used, a yellow 19 and a brushed 40 are what I rock. I guess that makes me only half wrong.

I guess that's better than being completely wrong.

 

[Wookie]

If you're using the pony bottle to bail out from an emergency at depth your SAC rate will not be the same as during a typical dive.

I've never understood this. It's kinda like saying technical diving is harder than sport diving.

It's just diving.

Do people really not plan for gas failure, get entangled, see a shark, get chased by a turtle, have their BC bladder fail, lose a fin, lose their weights, lose their buddy, or lose their boat/upline without losing their minds?

This is the solo diver forum. If someone is out there certifying solo divers without giving divers the expectation that bad things can happen on a dive and preparation is the key to survival, and panic/increased SAC rate is what kills divers, they are doing a terrible disservice to their students. This is not OW class, where we take newbs and introduce them to the wonders of underwater, this is solo divers forum, where we expect some level of experience to come along with admittance to the class. By the time you are ready to become a solo diver, you should have a good idea about what equipment failure feels like, what losing track of your gas supply is, and what equipment you need to overcome those misfortunes.

In my mind, and the way I teach (taught) the class, is that the only thing that will kill a properly equipped solo diver is losing their minds, ie. panicking. Which leads to an increased breathing (SAC) rate, and wasting/not using the resources available to save your life.

And I have been stalked by a shark, chomped by a turtle, wrapped up so tight in net I could hardly move, completely dead empty of air, requiring a blow and go, and I hardly ever know where my buddy is. Had my SAC rate gone up, I doubt I'd be here.

 

[Wookie]

Absolutely. Brushed no coat all the way. If you are using a yellow or white bottle you're doing it wrong. Certainly we can all agree on THAT?!

Black is OK in a pinch. I only wear black until they make something darker.

 

[runsongas]

al19 can double duty as an inflation bottle, can be converted to use for ccr dil/o2, and small enough to travel with. al30 is large enough you might as well get an al40 instead.

 

[gamon]

[QUOTE="Wookie, post: 9351454, member: 9047" By the time you are ready to become a solo diver, you should have a good idea about what equipment failure feels like, what losing track of your gas supply is, and what equipment you need to overcome those misfortunes.

In my mind, and the way I teach (taught) the class, is that the only thing that will kill a properly equipped solo diver is losing their minds, ie. panicking.[/QUOTE]

We're only human, it's natural to have a fear response to a sudden scary situation such as running out of gas at 100'.

We're not robots despite our training. Sure, some with a ton of experience and having lots of emergencies might over time learn to be less reactive but for most of us that's just not reality.

Also there's a big difference between a fear response and full blown panic, there's a large amount of grey in between that you have simply skipped right over to try to make your point.

 

[johndiver999]

I think his point is that if you are a solo Diver your air consumption should not go through the roof if you have to use your planned redundance system. There are far worse things than having to switch second stages

 

[hedonist222]

I have a cf 13 and with my SAC/NDL dives its enough

I migrated to a cf 30 only because it made no difference weight-wise.

Better to safe than sorry and its filled with EAN 40.