Hog Solo?

[lowviz]

Fellow SOLO divers:

I hesitate to post this (as the Solo Forum is now public) but "Oh well, let's see what happens". I'm converting my configuration from a pretty typical doubles rig to a single tank. Age has a lot to do with this decision.

OK, so if William Hogarth Main were a true cold water SOLO diver what would be the gear 'standard'?

First, lose the long hose. Dunsel. And, I'm not looking to build a true minimalist system. That is something else, entirely. However, I now hold very strong minimalist tendencies, hard-won from my beginnings as a Christmas tree. As a start, sealed primary reg(s) are a given. Other than that, anything is fair game. I see one's choice of drysuit, undies, and fins as personal preference and thus, they do not figure into this discussion.

I'm struggling with all the usual solo issues:

H valves vs. single
Sealed primary regs with fixed HP/LP ports that are particularly well suited to a single tank. Suggestions?
Rotating LP connections on the primary reg. Suggestions?
Freedom Plate as a given.
Hard to talk me out of my tight, streamlined, and slung pony.
Lose the second secondary reg around my neck and substitute the pony's?
Ditchable weight, exactly how much?
Air share, donate, and all the other core safety buddy stuff in the hopper.
Shallow diving: 60ft/20m max, but much shallower than that is the norm.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

What's wrong with sidemount? It answers:
- H valves vs. single
- no need for slung pony. Sure you have it nicely streamlined (btw, I'm looking at how to better streamline deco bottles, so I'd like to learn what you do), but it is tough to beat the streamlining sidemount

I don't understand the ditchable weight. Why would this be any different when diving with a buddy? You want to be properly weighted always.

I wouldn't restrict myself to such shallow depths. For me personally, I would limit myself to avoiding deco.

 

[lowviz]

I have an overhead sidemount cert so I can answer that.

More and more of my diving is "local" destination diving, meaning that I have to haul it for a fair distance to a remote creek, river, or lake. I'm looking for a tight, tidy kit. Gas isn't the issue, I don't need a lot.

I wasn't clear enough on ditchable weight. I'll often stow the ditchable weight near the dive site so that I don't have to carry it in on dive day.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Most of my diving is solo or very close to it. I keep the long hose for two reasons. I never know when a buddy or another diver may show up and need air. It's only happened once, but that was enough for me. Also, it is way more streamlined than a standard length hose sticking out, catching kelp or parts of wrecks.

 

[lowviz]

...//... it is way more streamlined than a standard length hose sticking out, catching kelp or parts of wrecks.

Mostly submerged trees or tree roots for me.

That is really something to think about...

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Why change anything apart from a buddy bottle? The long hose allows you to seamlessly move between team and solo diving. It has less hose profile than a standard hose. Plus, it allows you to adjust the slack. Bill traditionally did not employ an isolation manifold. I don't know if he's changed that. Either way on the off chance that you would experience any sort of manifold failure a separate bailout is sufficient. Bill also ran his BC hose from the left post so that the auto-inflator could clue him in to left post roll-off. I still keep a DIR configuration even when solo diving with the BC hose coming from the right with the advantage of being able to dump from the rear dump with the left hand while shutting off the right post with the right hand in the event of a runaway.

I was surprised when Rich Dreher pointed out an advantage for backmount doubles vs. sidemount when solo diving. Doubles are less likely to A frame if you are trying to back out of a sticky situation. I don't need any weight with wetsuits or drysuits with twin AL80's. I prefer 80's for solo diving and I adjust thermal protection for temperature, current, swim speed, drag, and risk.

Pockets on suits increase drag, but for a solo diver it's where you'd want to put your back-up mask and anything else that might help you. Bill liked the mesh pockets in my old drysuit because they allowed water to flow through reducing drag, but of course the drysuit has drag. We often don't need as much as we think. In the Hogarthian philosophy, "Take only what you need," is the governing principle. Depending upon the dive, I might remove one back-up light, leave wetnotes behind, etc., to reduce cross clipping and equipment stress. Struggling to pull something out of a pocket or pouch can cause frustration and stress adding a link in the accident chain. I want to just be able to access what I need in my pockets easily.

When team diving, I tend to only use 1 timer/gauge. When solo diving I wear a second timer/gauge. I wear one cutting tool (EZ cutter/Z-knife) on my belt and a knife on my Goodman handle. I do lots of solo technical and cave dives as well as team dives. When solo, my bottle is my buddy. I check it just the same as if team diving. I don't change my mentality either. I don't assume any false sense of security because I have buddies. If I wouldn't do something alone, I won't do it in a team either.

 

[lowviz]

Hey, Man!!! I'm honored.

How about we meet at the Delaware Water Gap someday soon and discuss this all the way up to Sunfish Pond and back?

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

" Bill also ran his BC hose from the left post so that the auto-inflator could clue him in to left post roll-off. "

That's a brilliant trick! I can't even remember which side my inflator hose is on without looking.

 

[chrisch]

Why change anything apart from a buddy bottle? The long hose allows you to seamlessly move between team and solo diving....

This is my view also. Nearly all of my diving is with a buddy, but sometimes I need to crop in on my own for some reason or another. Clip a deco tank on and you have full redundant gas (depth and O2tox provisions allowing of course). I might well add a decent cutting tool or two and a spare mask but these are hardly difficult - they will fit in a pocket or similar and are in my kit bag at all times anyway.

I notice the OP mentions going from doubles to single tank, but if weight is the issue have a look at a small set of doubles. As well as retaining the isolator option the weight distribution is (IMHO) superior.

The Hogarthian setup is to my mind the current optimum and the long hose for donate really is an item of last resort, but with such a small level of inconvenience that it is a no-brainer. The developments in so-called "technical" diving in the last 20 years have put us in a good place with equipment and answered pretty much everything I can think of.

 

[rhwestfall]

Make the trip [way] up north, and you and Steve can work it out. It is worth it (though Trace is one equalizer).