If I were a solo diver...

[Divesherpa]

It's a UP thread...they're generally still tasty the second time around...

Funny, if I posted this thread 2 years ago, I would have been banned for trolling.

 

[Packhorse]

SILLY no real valid excuse to solo

There are a lot of things in life that there is no valid excuse for. This includes base jumping,eating meat, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and scuba diving even with a buddy. So I don`t really see your point. As long as you recognise the risks and minimalise them I see no problem with solo. There are a lot more dangerous things one can do that are widely accepted as being safe.

 

[TSandM]

I was thinking about this thread on my way to work tonight. Whether or not you approve of solo diving, there is a fault in the original premise.

If you assume, for example, that the first stage o-ring fails one time in a thousand (I'm quite sure it's rarer than that, but let's use the number for simplicity). If you have two first stages with o-rings, you have not quite twice the chance of an o-ring failure. But the chance of BOTH o-rings failing is one in a million.

Using double tanks with a manifold may give you a lot more failure points, but makes the chances of a failure that leaves you with no gas far more unlikely. The same occurs with an independent air source (eg. pony bottle).

 

[Snowbear]

*whispering* Anyone else notice that this thread is two and a half years old?

Yep. And just as worth reading now as it was back then.... especially the first post!
Thanks to the shark who resurrected it

 

[drbill]

I did that once, Uncle Pug. Debris tube in my only tank clogged. No air to first stage... period, nada. Pony bottle left on shore ("I only expected to go to 40 ft"). Depth... 70 feet.

Fortunately I'm still here to respond to your troll thanks to outstanding training and decades of experience!

 

[Hank49]

I would eliminate as many failure points as practical in my breathing gas supply:

All of my breathing gas would be in a single tank with one first stage, one second stage, one SPG, one lp wing inflation hose and one suit inflation hose (if diving dry.)

I wouldn't split the gas I was carrying up into multiple bottles with mutliple 0-rings, second stages, hoses and spgs to fail. In other words... no ponys, doubles, spare airs.

I would split the gas up through planning and set aside enough gas to make a controlled ascent from what ever depth/time I was at in the event of a failure in any component. This amount of set-aside gas would change during the dive as the depth/time evolved.

I dive solo more times than not. (maybe 180 solo now) This is pretty much how I do it. Not deeper than 60 feet. I feel comfortable with that because I free dive to 70 pretty regularly. If an o ring blows I can take off the bp wing and breath from the escaping gas like a free flow reg while ascending. I replace all hoses on the reg every year. If you're joking UP, call me stupid. Hank

 

[Uncle Pug]

Hank, I wasn't joking two and half years ago when I started this thread... and I'm not joking now.

Bill, tough luck about the debris build up in your tank between visual inspections.

Lynn, there are worse things for a solo diver than a blown o-ring.

 

[Cacia]

UP, maybe you could list the most probable three? (worst things)
When I hear things like heart attack, etc, well, that could happen in my pool while swimming alone. So, I am curious what everyone thinks the real risks are. Catastrophic failure of my reg for example above 80 ft does not scare me too much...... I am interested in the the things that a buddy is going to mitigate. I have an open mind, and am listening to what everyone says.
I agree with Hank, and I freedive enough that using a tank within those parameters seems reasonable.

 

[RockPile]

Entanglement is the big risk for a solo diver that is properly equipped and experienced.

JB

 

[Cacia]

monofilament usually?