Self Reliant Diving Required?

[Colliam7]

I would be willing to bet scubadude223's dive shop owner is going someplace nice for vacation this year.

Well, in fairness to the shop and poster, etc. let's assume scubadude223 got a good Solo Diver course. What it also sounds like, at least to me based on the zealotry of the comments, is that the instructor thoroughly indoctrinated scubadude223 in a very specific point of view, and left quite a strong impression, reflecting what the instructor would have students believe rather than what might be actual fact. Hopefully, the half-life of that indoctrination is rather short. I wonder - if instructors were equally focused on indoctrinating OW students in the PROPER implementation of, and responsibilities associated with, the buddy system - would we have quite as many 'either - or' / 'all or nothing' discussions about solo diving vs buddy diving?

 

[Kharon]

Well, in fairness ... let's assume scubadude223 got a good Solo Diver course. What it also sounds like, at least to me based on the zealotry of the comments, is that the instructor thoroughly indoctrinated scubadude223 in a very specific point of view, and left quite a strong impression, reflecting what the instructor would have students believe rather than what might be actual fact.

You can believe that if you want. Personally I believe he's a pompous a$$ blowing smok out his butt.

 

[Colliam7]

You can believe that if you want. Personally I believe he's a pompous a$$ blowing smok out his butt.

LOL.

Is that a technical description.

 

[scubadude223]

I do believe that when you are diving alone there is no room or place for failure.

The point that I had been trying to make is simple and it is based solely on my opinion.

When you are diving with a buddy, you can afford to have less than the best equipment. If you have a failure with on of your products you can simply turn to your buddy, breath off is Octopus and all is dandy. Where one runs into issues is when they are alone with no buddy, the question that comes into play is, is your equipment up to par to save you if you have a failure.

This is the equipment that I bring on a Solo Dive

Two Stage bottle setups. one AL 40 and another AL 80 Both rigged on a Halcyon Stage bottle Setup
Two Twist Style Backup Lights
One Canister Halcyon LED Light with a Goodman Handle
Emergency Transmitter
Drysuit with an Argon Bottle Setup
Three Knifes
BackPlate and Wing setup with a Twinset and a High Lift
Two Masks
High End Regulator both first and Second Stage


I don't take any chances diving alone.

I do realise that there are some people who don't take these steps to protect themselves on a Solo Dive. I am ok with that.

This is just the way that I Protect Myself on a dive.

 

[doctormike]

I do believe that when you are diving alone there is no room or place for failure.

The point that I had been trying to make is simple and it is based solely on my opinion.

When you are diving with a buddy, you can afford to have less than the best equipment. If you have a failure with on of your products you can simply turn to your buddy, breath off is Octopus and all is dandy. Where one runs into issues is when they are alone with no buddy, the question that comes into play is, is your equipment up to par to save you if you have a failure.

This is the equipment that I bring on a Solo Dive

Two Stage bottle setups. one AL 40 and another AL 80 Both rigged on a Halcyon Stage bottle Setup
Two Twist Style Backup Lights
One Canister Halcyon LED Light with a Goodman Handle
Emergency Transmitter
Drysuit with an Argon Bottle Setup
Three Knifes
BackPlate and Wing setup with a Twinset and a High Lift
Two Masks
High End Regulator both first and Second Stage


I don't take any chances diving alone.

I do realise that there are some people who don't take these steps to protect themselves on a Solo Dive. I am ok with that.

This is just the way that I Protect Myself on a dive.

Just one backplate? What if it fails at depth?

 

[cbm32]

"I do believe that when you are diving alone there is no room or place for failure."

I understand what you are trying to say here, but when diving with a buddy any failure could put not only you but your buddy in danger. So, for me at least, there is even less room for failure when MY failing would put put someone else at risk.

 

[scubadude223]

Good Question Regarding the Backplate Dr. Mike

I will assume the risk

Now I totally don't expect others to carry the same equipment on a Solo Dive. I just do

 

[Kevrumbo]

I do believe that when you are diving alone there is no room or place for failure.

The point that I had been trying to make is simple and it is based solely on my opinion.

When you are diving with a buddy, you can afford to have less than the best equipment. If you have a failure with on of your products you can simply turn to your buddy, breath off is Octopus and all is dandy. Where one runs into issues is when they are alone with no buddy, the question that comes into play is, is your equipment up to par to save you if you have a failure.

This is the equipment that I bring on a Solo Dive

Two Stage bottle setups. one AL 40 and another AL 80 Both rigged on a Halcyon Stage bottle Setup
Two Twist Style Backup Lights
One Canister Halcyon LED Light with a Goodman Handle
Emergency Transmitter
Drysuit with an Argon Bottle Setup
Three Knifes
BackPlate and Wing setup with a Twinset and a High Lift
Two Masks
High End Regulator both first and Second Stage


I don't take any chances diving alone.

I do realise that there are some people who don't take these steps to protect themselves on a Solo Dive. I am ok with that.

This is just the way that I Protect Myself on a dive.

Yep . . . That's essentially my gear set-up, common to both solo & team diving. Especially for overseas technical dive trips and distant offshore SoCal homewater liveaboard dives, I will bring a VHS Marine Radio along with my Satellite PLB and a rolled-up Life Raft attached to my Backplate:

Dive Equipment: Halcyon SS Cinch Backplate & AL BP; Explorer Wing 55 & 40 for Twin PST LP104's & Catalina AL80's; UTD Z-Sidemount System; UTD MX KISS RB (in training); Apeks TX100's & TX50's, SP Mk25 G250HP's; DUI TLS350, DC Ultraflex & Bare HD Trilam Drysuits; 4.5Ah Halcyon Eos LED; Jetfins, Jetsport & UTD fins; X-Scooter Sierra; SW Petrel2, LV Zeo & UW 330m; McMurdo Fastfind Plus PLB in Dive Canister; Uniden Mystic VHF/GPS Marine Radio stowed in X-Scooter; Halcyon Diver's Life Raft; UTD Solar Wetsuit Heating Unit w/ 110W Battery Canister.

 

[doctormike]

Good Question Regarding the Backplate Dr. Mike

I will assume the risk

Now I totally don't expect others to carry the same equipment on a Solo Dive. I just do

I will take you at your word that you are not just trolling here. If you are serious, then you may be missing the point of the responses that you have received.

Your definition of "the best equipment" seems to be a large amount of task specific equipment which would be appropriate for some dives and not for others. You seem to feel that these items are so important to a solo diver that you are implying that they are necessary. You are also implying that cost is an indicator of regulator reliability, which is simply not true for most modern equipment.

Of course, it's just your opinion. But if I express the opinion that it is not safe to dive in Bonaire without heated undergarments and a scooter, I would expect people to take issue with that. That is the point of the forum.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

So then is it fair to say there are no requirements for Solo or Self-Reliant diving but there are recommendations that everyone should take into account when diving on their own based on skill set and depth?
Kev I dive a back inflate - I am not sure I can fit all of your extra gear... LOL