Emergency Air Source

[Nemrod]

Doc Intrepid:

"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."


The above anti-solo post does not belong in the solo forum and is against the forum rules. There is absolutely no proof of this statment and should be removed from the thread. The disscussion is Emergency Air Source, not the safety of solo.

Divemaste Jim:

"I always dive doubles,"

Always, wow, I almost always don't. To much weight and drag and complication, not needed for most dives.

If you guys are having this much reliability problems with your equipment then perhaps it is time for a change--I just don't have this problem with my gear.

This "safety" thing gets very tiring, life is not safe, it is dirty, messy and in the end no matter what, you check out. I don't rate safety as priority number one when it gets in the way of living. Nattering ninnies.

This is all you really need:

N

 

[captain]

Nemrod, it's mind set of the later generations that grew up with mandatory seat belt, helmet use, smoking, foods, drugs political correctness and all the other ways government has tried to protect people from themselves. Risk is to be avoided at all cost no matter how small or how much it costs to medigate it. Schools ban playing tag because some kid may skin a knee.
I would go off alone with my 22 rifle in the woods at age nine, now just the thought of a gun in a house with kids is considered child endangerment. I think I have lived through the best time this country ever had or ever will have. I am expecting a grand daughter in March and it bother me to think what kind future might be awaiting her.

 

[FishDiver]

Nemrod,

I have seen your gear photo recently in another thread. Who sells that "bite valve" or whatever its called?

Do you attach it to a standard LP hose or QR BC-type hose?

Does any agency accept it as an alternate air source or is it a retro thing?

 

[Nemrod]

Captain, your right, I guess my parents were not good parents because we got skinned up knees, banged heads and the works! This country has gone insane. The Pilgrims should have stayed in Europe, the Indians would have been happier and the Pilgrims safer! To hades with safety.

All this safety stuff drives me crazy, it's life suppport, duhhhhh, ok, so what?

Fishdiver, the Air Buddy can be found on Leisure Pro but I do not think it is their latest version. Go to www.airbuddy.com or http://divesales.com/ab911/ab911.html Look for the Air Buddy. It comes in several models including the high performance octapus version I have (also suitable for nitrox---lol). The octapus version comes with it's own hose (yellow or black) and there is a BC model and a first stage direct model, I think you should be able to convert to several configurations with a little thinking.

It does take a minor amount of practice to use. The first time I used it I felt like shooting to the surface and gagging---lol-and putting my mask on my forehead so I could be in distress. No, actually it is very simple, just a touch of practice makes perfect. I have used it for an entire dive, like I said, the first time I used it I simulated worse case, no mask, no regulator, just me and the Air Buddy. You bite gently down and is squirts air into your mouth, you can exhale from your mouth or nose (even with the mask on). I think it is a wonderfull and simple and reliable device, not expensive either and the gentleman that own the company was very friendly and helpful. You can use it for lift bags, SMBs, whisltes and of course, an octapus. Is it DIR?, frankly Scarlet, I don't give a d--n.

N, safety is way over rated, live dangerous and die free.

 

[aquanuts...]

Interesting perspective, but I would like for more that one problem to kill me. For example, if your first stage failed and you were in a position that didn’t allow you to make a CESA, your dead.

I prefer to go when three or more failures line up against me. I dive doubles and when going solo, carry one more just in case. That way all three regs would have to fail in order to kill me. Until you can breathe water and live, it is wise to plan accordingly.

It’s the Titanic scenario: the ship was going to fast for conditions, the bulk heads were not tall enough, and there were not enough life boats. Correct any one of those and disaster would have been avoided.

 

[chasanova]

Interesting perspective, but I would like for more that one problem to kill me. For example, if your first stage failed and you were in a position that didn’t allow you to make a CESA, your dead.

The point is don't put yourself in that position in the first place.

If you are willing to accept actvities that may lead to your death, (driving, taking a shower standing up {without a buddy}, or breathing), than you must think about taking actions to manage the situation and consequences, e.g. vigilant observation of drivers and road consitions. In the solo diving without redundancy case, knowing from what depth you can perform a CESA, how long you can survive on your last breath- just exhaled, staying out of overheads, entanglement dangers, clear line of sight to boat, etc.
So a 90' depth, in a warm water environment with 150- vis. probably accectable risk level. If you are diving smartly and with a heads up attitude. I'm hard pressed to think of a situation you should allow yourself to get into that would keep you from executing a CESA that would not also kill you just because you are soloing.
Life is for the living, dying is for the safteycrats.

 

[captain]

The point is don't put yourself in that position in the first place.

If you are willing to accept actvities that may lead to your death, (driving, taking a shower standing up {without a buddy}, or breathing), than you must think about taking actions to manage the situation and consequences, e.g. vigilant observation of drivers and road consitions. In the solo diving without redundancy case, knowing from what depth you can perform a CESA, how long you can survive on your last breath- just exhaled, staying out of overheads, entanglement dangers, clear line of sight to boat, etc.
So a 90' depth, in a warm water environment with 150- vis. probably accectable risk level. If you are diving smartly and with a heads up attitude. I'm hard pressed to think of a situation you should allow yourself to get into that would keep you from executing a CESA that would not also kill you just because you are soloing.
Life is for the living, dying is for the safteycrats.

Exactly right!

 

[Nemrod]

Thank you Chasanova, I am happy to se that there are still people who understand a balance.

For me around 60 feet is my no redundancy limit depending somewhat on conditions. I feel that within that limit the surface represents my redundancy. The deeper I go and again depending upon many factors the greater my level of required redundancy. I don't need twin tanks and four regulators in 60 feet of clear and open water. Like one of more recent dives when I was solo, 130 feet, knew I would be into deco, marginal viz and cold, you bet I had equipment redundancy.

Risk management, unlike some who may think so, is not the same as risk elimination. It seems the nattering nannies of the scuba world are attempting risk elimination, I am not of that mindset.

N
NAVED Master Diver 111

 

[Johnny Richards]

For cave diving- the only diving I do- doubles and a stage AL80 with no solo for deep dives (dives deeper than 180').

Johnny

 

[lineus]

Always have my independent doubles as sidemount and recently got another AL80 as decobottle. Prefer to have all valves and regs in front of me