Emergency Air Source

[Jim Lapenta]

I use a backup gas supply on every solo dive. Usually a 19cuft pony, but I just got a 40 also. Those who said they do not solo below a certain depth without a buddy are no longer soloing. I've made a few solo's in excess of 100ft(deepest to 116). But all of these were planned for a specific purpose(mapping, navigation exercise, or placing a line). I do not do bounce dives.

 

[Ragnar]

People fly single engine aircraft, some crash from engine failure and the pilot is killed. Some make emergency landings and live. There is no shortage of single engine aircraft or pilots willing to fly them. I view my choosing to solo with no back up the same..

I see the relationship you are making, but consider this flaw. A pilot is safer in a single engine airplane only if his multi-training is lacking or he is not proficient. If on top of your flying game a multi is almost always safer.

So why do people fly so many singles around? $$$. This just isn't the case with back-up gas. For a relatively small investment you can have a safe way to the surface that requires virtually no additional training.

 

[down4fun]

I always carry a 19cf pony when solo whether it is 30' or 128' FSW. Of course there is a lot more to going solo than buying a pony bottle. These are all dive sites I know, in good condition, and I am confident in my skills to solve whatever problem I may encounter at depth and (hopefully) humble enough to know when I need to call a dive for whatever reason.

 

[Charlie99]

Would you be comfortable with having your buddy turn your tank valve off at 90feet by surprise, and do a CESA to practice for this? I hope you wouldn't be, .....

Why not? I HAVE done a practice CESA from 90'. If you do it right, it is surprisingly easy.

 

[christianweber]

i love my 104lp doubles and stages ,the more tanks the better it is , keeping my backup gas on land , in the worth case just jump out and get the gas jump back in and recompress if nessesary .

 

[Doc Intrepid]

I hope reading this doesn't encourage anyone else to try diving solo 90ft deep without redundant gas. I wonder what your chance of survival is if something happens to your gas supply? Would you be comfortable with having your buddy turn your tank valve off at 90feet by surprise, and do a CESA to practice for this? I hope you wouldn't be, and I hope no one else reads this and think its a safe thing to do.

Actually, I would hope that no one else reads this and thinks that solo diving in any format is a safe thing to do.

I wouldn't encourage anyone to solo dive period. Certainly not deep without some form of planned redundancy. That said, diver's limits vary - and diver's need to know their own limits. If you don't practice things, then you never know.

I have done a couple CESAs from deeper than 100'. As Charlie said, it isn't that terribly difficult if you've taken the time to contemplate what you need to do and practice beforehand (under relatively safe conditions). On the other hand, I don't encourage anyone else to try that either. But I would hope that if divers are going to prattle on about CESAs they would at least practice doing them to a point where they feel comfortable executing CESAs. How else would you ever find out if you are capable of doing them from any specific depth otherwise?

FWIW. YMMV.

 

[captain]

I see the relationship you are making, but consider this flaw. A pilot is safer in a single engine airplane only if his multi-training is lacking or he is not proficient. If on top of your flying game a multi is almost always safer.

So why do people fly so many singles around? $$$. This just isn't the case with back-up gas. For a relatively small investment you can have a safe way to the surface that requires virtually no additional training.

I am not saying a single engine plane is as safe as a multi, what I am saying is what is considered "safe" to one person is "crazy" to another. I dought every multi engine pilot is running around telling single engine pilots they should not fly with one engine, why are divers so critical of other divers who chose different options. I once parachuted just to see what it was like. Someone asked me why I did not continue it but was still diving. My answer was I can swim a lot better than I can fly and I even had a back up chute. Problem is if the backup chute failed I was out of options, a risk I chose not to take. I have never had an equiptment failure so I don't feel more equiptment is necessarly more reliablity. I have never had an OOA situation because I plan my dive and dive my plan. Could I get into a situation where I need more air than I am carrying, yes, but anything less than an unlimited supply may not be enough anyway, sort of like a primary and reserve chute failure at 100 feet, can't fly your way out of that. I pick and and choose the degree of risk I am willing to assume in a particular situation.

 

[Ragnar]

Well said, I mostly agree with you. But then things happen, hell, there was a guy on my boat last month who had a tank valve failure at 90'.....that is extremely rare. I just think that there are way too many positives to not have a back-up diving solo. But then I won't fly a piston single at night over rough terrain anymore either

 

[Lone Frogman]

I dive solo with a 130/H valve and a pony. I have a backup for my back up. You know the saying **it happens and I have to be ready. Nobody is going to be there to save me but me.

 

[divemaster_jim]

I always dive doubles,