Solo Diving Checklist? Musts?

[copter53]

Back to the OP for a second - in terms of equipment considerations, it really depends upon your environment. But the only equipment I double up on is:
- gas supply (pony or doubles)
- two computers
YMMV, but that works for me in the warm clear waters of the Caribbean.

In terms of skills and mental aptitude, it goes without saying you have to be a competent and (one would hope) reasonably experienced diver. The other two things you need to be aware of are (a) gas planning, and (b) a very cautious approach to risk. When I am in a team I will do a lot of stuff that, ahem, is not strictly approved of by my peers as safe diving practice. If I am alone, there is no one to bail me out so I take a much more conservative approach. The best dive of your life 'aint worth dying for. This applies to sites and conditions too.

Last thing: do not assume that things which might go wrong will be within your control. My biggest worries about solo diving is that I may suddenly have a non-diving related health issue at depth, or that some bastard will steal my boat. Both situations become considerably more critical when you are alone.

Do people steal dive boats that often. I mean someone has to know where you are going follow you and then steal it once you go under. If you're in america atleast

 

[VooDooGasMan]

sometimes they just make them artificial reefs.

Happy Diving

 

[Slamfire]

Do people steal dive boats that often. I mean someone has to know where you are going follow you and then steal it once you go under. If you're in america atleast

A couple of punks navigating leisurely

- "Hey look over there. It's a boat with nobody in it.
- Let's go check it out.
- Looks pretty good, at least better than our boat
- I wonder which country this red and white flag is from.
- Who cares, you know what they say, 'finder's keepers'..."

Following is not necessary. It just takes dumb luck to coincidentally stumble across an empty dive boat.

 

[copter53]

Yeah, but you would take the keys down with you in a dry box of sorts. There has to be a way to secure the boat somehow. You might have to put mannequins on board.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Yeah, but you would take the keys down with you in a dry box of sorts. There has to be a way to secure the boat somehow. You might have to put mannequins on board.

... or just take your pet rotweiller along for the ride ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Akimbo]

Well now you have to tell me how to sharpen my knife and what tools to get?

My first how-to sharpening lesson was from a soon-to-retire Navy Boatswain. He taught me a procedure that got an edge sharp enough to shave with, but was pretty vague on the whys. Over the years I picked up different techniques based on what was to be cut and the blade material. I didn’t really understand cutting edges until reading Leonard Lee’s The Complete Guide to Sharpening

The book is primarily directed at woodworkers, but the advice for kitchen knives works well for 400 series stainless steel diving knives — unless you are cutting a lot of Polypropylene under tension. Clearing fouled propeller shafts is a common task offshore and Polypro is the main culprit because it floats and is relatively cheap. I haven’t found anything better than fine-tooth hack saw blades for that.

You don’t really want a diving knife to be “shaving sharp” — the edge rolls over too fast. You have to strike a balance between keenness and longevity for the kinds of materials you want to cut.

Word of Caution: Guard how many people known about your sharpening skills. It can make you far too popular in the neighborhood. On the plus side, a friend invited me to the dinner party where I met my bride. I was sharpening their knives when she walked in in the door. In hindsight, I probably would have been home that night eating a TV dinner had it not been for sharpening skills!

 

[Tardigrade]

Well now you have to tell me how to sharpen my knife and what tools to get?

You need a sharpening stone (block, not a rod)
Water or oil as required by the block
Google -images or video- "knife sharpening techniques", and follow directions OR get a friendly neighborhood Boy Scout.

 

[sylpha]

... or just take your pet rotweiller along for the ride ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

the rotweillers i know would probably lick them to death!

 

[sylpha]

You need a sharpening stone (block, not a rod)
Water or oil as required by the block
Google -images or video- "knife sharpening techniques", and follow directions OR get a friendly neighborhood Boy Scout.

every year or so i get t'uther'arf to run my knives along the grindstone before i work them with the oilstone i should do it myself, but he's better then me - gets more practise

i used to keep a steel for keeping the edge between monthly oilstone treatments, but that was lost in a move & i keep forgetting to replace it.

 

[copter53]

My first how-to sharpening lesson was from a soon-to-retire Navy Boatswain. He taught me a procedure that got an edge sharp enough to shave with, but was pretty vague on the whys. Over the years I picked up different techniques based on what was to be cut and the blade material. I didn’t really understand cutting edges until reading Leonard Lee’s The Complete Guide to Sharpening

The book is primarily directed at woodworkers, but the advice for kitchen knives works well for 400 series stainless steel diving knives — unless you are cutting a lot of Polypropylene under tension. Clearing fouled propeller shafts is a common task offshore and Polypro is the main culprit because it floats and is relatively cheap. I haven’t found anything better than fine-tooth hack saw blades for that.

You don’t really want a diving knife to be “shaving sharp” — the edge rolls over too fast. You have to strike a balance between keenness and longevity for the kinds of materials you want to cut.

Word of Caution: Guard how many people known about your sharpening skills. It can make you far too popular in the neighborhood. On the plus side, a friend invited me to the dinner party where I met my bride. I was sharpening their knives when she walked in in the door. In hindsight, I probably would have been home that night eating a TV dinner had it not been for sharpening skills!

My knife is titanium. does that need to be sharpened often? Would I use the same method as with a stainless steel blade?