How much redundancy is too much?

[NorthWoodsDiver]

This is very much dependant on the situation.

For my solo cold water dives (which is primarily what I do) I just started carrying a pony which includes a 1st and 2nd stage. The pony has my primary knife attached to it. I dont use an octo or at least a true octo, I have an air 2. No second mask, reels, or anything of that nature unless the specific dive calls for it.

That being said I do carry a variety of backup items to the dive with me including various tools, o-rings, mask, straps, car key, and other essential items. I wouldn't carry near as much but there are those murphy's laws.

 

[Darnold9999]

Interesting thread - I find my thoughts on this have changed and are likely to change in the future. I have carried a spare mask, have dived with a buddy, and have used a pony. I have given up the buddy and the spare mask, but I now dive solo once in a while and insta buddy regularly so I dive with a pony all the time just so I am comfortable with it. However IMHO in the diving I am doing I can make it to the surface quite comfortably if any piece of equipment fails - so I don't really believe that I need any redundant gear. Don't do overhead, don't do deco.

The exception is diving at night. I do carry a spare light (actually two spares the camera focus light is more than enough to get to the surface) - there is no way I could safely make it to the surface at night with no light - tried it once as an experiment and was completely lost in very short order.

 

[RJP]

For example, I am more prudent when I don't have "back-up plans".

Isn't that the very definition of IMPRUDENT?

 

[Mark_J]

I guess if we wanted to be 100% safe, wouldn't we carry it all along underwater as well? And why we are at it, wouldn't it also be wise to tow a spare boat behind the one we ride on?

I'm pretty sure that boats are required to carry life preservers and when applicable they can be required to have life boats. They usually don't tow them though.

I have a good friend that is a compulsive technical diver and has been diving for many years. After listening to some of his horror stories that he lived through it was made very clear to me that his attention to redundancy is why I still have a good friend.


I'm with RJP on this topic, if I could die because a piece of equipment fails I carry two.

 

[String]

Im in the group that think self sufficiency is everything. You should equip yourself with what is needed to get you out of a situation without any outside help. Yes you've got a buddy but they're human. They can react unpredictable in stressful situations no matter how well trained - they arent perfect robots.
So by carrying redundancy to get yourself out of problems you increase your safety and the safety of who you're with.
So redundant gas sources, spare mask, 2 methods of calculating decompression (2 computers or 2 bottom times etc) and so on.

 

[muddiver]

Most times my basic warm water shallow rig is one of each tank, regulator, mask, depth gauge, watch and knife. Depending on the depth and exposure protection required I may add a BC, SPG and computer. Those are the basics,one of each. Never have carried an octo or pony or spare air.

I agree. I can remember when a single hose off of a first stage to a second stage on a cylinder strapped on with one piece of webbing was the norm. One mask, one set of fins and if you really wanted to look cool you had a rambo knife strapped to your leg.

All the other stuff like an SPG, octo, BC, SpareAir, auto inflator, split fins, purge valves, dry suit, computer, buddy, etc. are all just extra stuff that has been added over the years to make SCUBA diving more comfortable and acceptable to the masses.

 

[DeepBound]

Unfortunately you have to take into account how difficult it is to carry a backup, and balance that with how badly you might need it.

One backup I wish I could carry is a backup fin, but it just isn't practical. I'd rather have my only computer fail than to lose a fin and have to make my way any long distance back to the boat or the shore. But I carry two computers (sometimes) but never a spare fin.

 

[String]

Fin is no issue here. Send marker buoy up and by the time you surface the boat is waiting.

Unless the boat has broken in which case you call in your redundancy known as "the coastguard"

 

[Temple of Doom]

I agree with most, but I add a second 'rule of thumb':

1. If I'm likely to die without it, I want two.
2. If the cost of the redundancy is less than the (cost * likelihood) of not having the redundancy, I want two.

To explain my second 'rule': If aborting the dive (and the next ones) until I can get an item replaced has such a negative value, then I'm going to want to carry the redudancy with me.

Example: I'm on a 2 week liveaboard charter. My computer conks out on the first day. My options without a computer are very limited. I can dive tables (safe, but often much less bottom time). Or I can dive slightly more conservative than my buddy who's shared the same profile as me so far (riskier, but about the same bottom time). For me, if I just spent several thousands of dollars on that charter, I'm going to splurge for a couple hundred dollar computer (and of course keep it in a bc pocket on every dive).

Craig

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I carry a primary and a little back up knife. I carry 2 smb's. I have one light in the day and two at night. I have a pony bottle if it's over 60 feet or so. I have no redundancy in my guages.

If it is a multi-day trip I bring on the boat:
a complete spare regulator with all guages etc,
a spare mask and
a few other misc items.