OP
aquacat8
Contributor
Wow thanks for all the interesting replies, it is really fun to think about all this stuff!
Ideas for ultralight solo rig for petite diver gal?
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OP
aquacat8
Contributor
I have to admit all this is making Freediving more and more appealing... but wait OH yeah, Freediving alone is even MORE dangerous than scuba diving alone, and there's that buddy problem again!
There is no evidence nor statistics that show solo scuba diving more dangerous than buddy diving and in fact may show the opposite, or neither. However, due to the possibility of shallow water blackout by breath hold divers (and my lack of knowledge on the subject) I will not say one way or the other on that subject. And I do breath hold dive.
This thread began as I recall with the proposition of shore diving possibly solo in the shallow and benign waters of south Florida where one has to work hard or swim a great distance to find water deeper than 15 feet even several hundred yards from shoreline. The other aspect of the original post that caught my attention was the desire to eliminate complexity ("PTA to rig" and "solo shore diving" and "too heavy").
I never recommended that anybody jump in the ocean without the experience, familiarity and training (formal or hard knocks) to dive solo. I figure a woman can be just as good of a solo diver as a man so I took the post at face value and I stand by my recommendations.
Diving without a BC, obviously the diver needs to be a good swimmer and in decent shape. I am a swimmer, a very good one, I have over the years met women who were much better swimmers than I. There is no reason a woman cannot solo shore dive or dive without a BC as they did in the times before there was such. We did at that time use surface floats or as I suggested something similar to a lightweight snorkel vest.
Since the water down there (Gold Coast/Treasure Coast) is usually like bathwater, even people like me who are sensitive to cold, can do nicely with minimal protection. I was thinking a rash guard (long sleeve) and board shorts and at most a 1.5mm surf type shirt or hooded 1.5mm vest. Such attire is comfortable in the sweltering heat because it will be needed to walk a hundred yards or more to the water. Which brings up my tank of choice, the aluminum 63 and for a small woman I would even say an aluminum 50. The aluminum 63 has nearly the same practical capacity as the long gone standard of shore divers, the LP steel 72, and has excellent buoyancy characteristics for the no BC, minimal exposure suit diving in that it has an approximate 2 pound swing from negative to positive--PERFECT---for no BC divers. And, even with a BC, it is still the perfect shore diver tank IMO.
I also suggested a VDH Universal Plate or the Oxy fabric Travel Plate. These can be used alone or with a single tank (with or without a wing). For single tank diving the VDH plate is excellent and because it is designed to cross the shoulder straps and can work very well for women, in that the straps tend to stay on the shoulders. And both are small, light and packable. There is the Freedom Plate but it is custom and not currently available and a little heavier. For a integrated BC, if desired instead of a BP/wing rig, I would recommend a simple no frills BC like the AL Zuma or SP Equator or for a wing to use with the aforementioned plates, an Oxy 18 or similar.
Regulator, remove what is not needed. No BC means no inflator, and no buddy means no octopus and I questioned the need for a spg in 15 feet of water. Which brings me to my last point (I think), yes, we solo divers are supposed to have redundancy and for many of us we consider the surface our redundancy and in 15 feet of shallow, clear water, I do not think a pony is justified so I suggested doing without one.
Such equipment as described above can be utilized for other than solo shore diving by adding the additional equipment as needed. So then, drift diving with a charter operation on the deeper reefs, yes, of course you probably need solo redundancy (and the solo certification card). Which is why I suggested a 19cf pony slung as it does not interfere with racking the tanks and can be stowed easily below the benches.
And, while no longer available new (debatable as there are military sales) a horsecollar BC is the best simple BC rig and the Conshelf XIV is the regulator of choice. The XIV can be drug through the sand and could care less. But there are other simple regs available (but they are plastic). And J valves have yet to be surpassed for simplicity and are perfect adequate for diving in 15 feet of clear water. And a horsecollar BC with CO2 inflation backup will float a diver on the surface face up, handy if a solo diver were to become injured (like, uh, if a shark bit his leg off, yes, I am being ridiculous on purpose).
The biggest hazard along the Treasure Coast is boaters, not entanglements or sharks. There are three (as I count them) reef lines. The first two are easily reached by shore divers and the best access is the Datura Portal and the cross streets just north and south of the fishing pier at Commercial Blvd. The diver will not find water deeper than at most 20 feet. The third line is much further and I do not recommend shore diving the third reef by a shore diver, alone, unless they are stout swimmers and very experienced. Again, boats are the biggest risk. And it is a long, long swim out and back to the third reef line and the water can be 60 or more feet. It is more appropriate to use kayak from several possibly entry points.
Well, I said the biggest danger was boats, well that is in the water, there is the wildlife on shore like the butt naked man I encountered at the north end of Ft Lauderdale back in the bushes near the shower head panhandling for money. But he seemed harmless enough though my eyes hurt still. Oh, well, I was ghosted once by a shark and the swim back through the suddenly turbid water for the last few hundred yards getting thumped by schooling small tarpon was awfully fun.
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2airishuman
Contributor
I have a fleet of 72s. Here is the deal, you cannot purchase new ones, many shops and especially in Florida will not fill them because they are antiques and as a result toting them around is a PITA when I can by an aluminum 63 for a song and get it filled anywhere. And as I said, in practical terms it dives the same and has virtually the same capacity without overfill and the weight is similar as are the buoyancy characteristics. Plus, it is shorter which is beneficial for women.
I am serious about the challenge with getting the old LP steels filled in south Florida, my experience has been poor. In time one gets tired of arguing, it is a loosing battle. That is when an aluminum 63 looks really nice in it's brushed aluminum finish with a fresh VIP.
But, if one rents a tank in SoFla, it will likely be a yoke valve aluminum 80. With some exceptions.
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Michael Guerrero
Contributor
I was going to post this option too. You can overfill LP50s to 3600 psi (just make sure you plug them or get HP burst discs) and you'll get approx 132 cu ft in them. AL80s are only really 77 cu ft each, so you're pretty close to having two 80s worth of backgas and it's all integrated into one rig so there's no trying to clip stage bottles on in a pitching boat. The other nice thing is it's balanced as far as weight goes, and gets more weight on your back directly above your lungs/wing.
Best of luck.
I found a great set of older tanks steel 67's 1800psi, they were doubled up with bands and manifold and in hydro and viz for 175 bucks. I used them originally for shore diving if I get an over fill just to 2000 psi or so its almost the same volume as Al80s and much lighter as doubles. Since then I have broken them down for my kids to use as they become certified a single tank is very light and easy for them to manage plus the length is slightly taller than the AL 63s. Anyhow keep looking around and you may find a deal on something like this but make sure it can be filled and is what they say it is.
bamafan
Contributor
This is a great example of sidemount being a good option. No matter where you are diving you can get 2 tanks and you are completely redundant. Also the Mexico / British style minimulist rigs suchas the Razor or Stealth are much lighter and easier to travel with than a standard ow bc.
Ghetto Diver
Contributor
bamafan
Contributor
This is one of the advantages of sidemount diving over bm doubles. You can get a Kubi bacpack and carry 2 tanks at a time or you can carry one at a time. In Mexico, Dominican Republic and even some places in Florida the distance from the vehicle to the dive site is definitely not measured in feet. I have personally humped al 80's a lot farther into the jungle than 250 yards. I think it is a valid option and offers a lot more flexibility than dragging around a small pony bottle. Traveling with a pony bottle can be a pain but getting 2 tanks is always an option. Now if almost 160 cuft of gas isn't needed dive 40's or even 30's. As mentioned the lp50's are a great option but rarely are available for rent but for personal tanks on small dives they rock.
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