Solo Diving Checklist? Musts?

[sylpha]

[*]Sharpen the knife I do carry… it easily cuts paper, but that is more as a tool than a rescue device.
[/LIST]

i don't disagree with sharpening the knife, but i don't do it every time i dive because when i sharpen it i warm it up & coat it with beeswax. that keeps it sharp & protects it from the water

 

[Akimbo]

i don't disagree with sharpening the knife, but i don't do it every time i dive because when i sharpen it i warm it up & coat it with beeswax. that keeps it sharp & protects it from the water

This is more a habit from commercial diving than a recommendation. Check for sharpness would be a better phrase for a checklist. A dull knife is worse than no knife. Unfortunately, dive shops sell knives that are dull and most can’t hold an edge. Alas, very few people have the tools or skills to sharpen them anyway.

 

[captain]

The answer is highly individual and dive profile dependent. I don’t carry any of the items you listed on most solo dives.

• 2nd knife: sometimes, if I am taking scallops
• redundant air supply: It’s called a free ascent, which I practice at least once a year from at least 130'.
• main, 2ndary: and back-up light: Why? I don’t solo on night dives and rarely use a light unless I am looking in holes. I try to avoid solo wreck penetrations.
• extra mask: I have never lost a mask in almost 50 years. My plan is open eyes, which is not much worse than some people who have lost their contacts, and surface. If losing a mask is a concern, wear the strap under your hood.

The check list should be the same for any dive, since any dive can become solo by accident or in an emergency. I do inspect and pre-dive gear thoroughly before leaving home

• Test regulator IP, filter, hoses, breathing, and general visual
• Inflation test BC, check OPV, smooth button operation, lube as needed
• Sharpen the knife I do carry… it easily cuts paper, but that is more as a tool than a rescue device.
• Visual and pull test fin and mask straps.
• etc…

That is also pretty much my method of solo also. I am not into carrying two or three of everything.

 

[sylpha]

A dull knife is worse than no knife. Unfortunately, dive shops sell knives that are dull and most can’t hold an edge. Alas, very few people have the tools or skills to sharpen them anyway.

i totally agree. not only underwater, but in the kitchen - how many other women do you know who keep an oilstone in the kitchen? My uncle was a butcher & insisted we all had sharp knives because he believed that the pressure you need to apply to get a blunt knife to cut made the knife unstable & you are far more likely to do yourself a mischief.

stainless steel is pretty & shiny, but difficult to get to hold an edge.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Like some others have mentioned, a huge part of solo diving is not what gear you carry but the attitude and care in planning and prep. In OW we are taught that when something goes wrong, look to your buddy for help (not really viable, but that is what we are taught). New divers going solo tend to think that can use gear to replace the buddy and to some extent this is possible. However, the tall pole in the tent is to prevent getting yourself into trouble in the first place. Careful gear checks before each dive, gas planning and the willingness to call the dive for poor conditions go a long ways in making a safe solo dive. Redundant gear is a second line of defense and I use it sparingly depending on conditions. Over-reliance on redundancy tends to lead one to a false sense of security.

 

[Slamfire]

• redundant air supply: It’s called a free ascent, which I practice at least once a year from at least 130'.

Can you describe in more detail your free ascent practices. Do you just drop to 130' with a single Al80 and then immediately spit the reg out and start the ascent? How long does it take you to reach the surface from 130'? Do you hyperventilate yourself before spitting the reg out? Have you determined if there is a max ascent speed that you shouldn't go over?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Can you describe in more detail your free ascent practices. Do you just drop to 130' with a single Al80 and then immediately spit the reg out and start the ascent? How long does it take you to reach the surface from 130'? Do you hyperventilate yourself before spitting the reg out? Have you determined if there is a max ascent speed that you shouldn't go over?

... and I would think that in order to simulate a real OOA emergency you'd have to do this with empty lungs ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Akimbo]

Can you describe in more detail your free ascent practices. Do you just drop to 130' with a single Al80 and then immediately spit the reg out and start the ascent? How long does it take you to reach the surface from 130'? Do you hyperventilate yourself before spitting the reg out? Have you determined if there is a max ascent speed that you shouldn't go over?

There are two other threads on free ascents you might find useful: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/384619-cesa-40ft-2.html#post5921024

That thread spawned: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ad...ck-oxygen-during-free-ascent.html#post5921256

I progressively worked up to 130' and deeper years ago. I also do a lot of freediving now that I live on California’s north coast. As a result on most practice runs, I drop rapidly to 130' or more, usually on a single steel 72 or 80, rather than do a few workups from shallower. By rapidly, I mean maybe 100-120’/minute, which is not swimming hard but a moderate kick — it is the beginning of the dive so the tank is full and I am more negative. I take a short moment to orient, position myself upright and essentially simultaneously:

• inhale a moderate lung full of air, a little less than the top of a normal inhalation cycle.
• inflate BC to positive, but not nearly as much as if I dropped my 10KG/22 Lb. weight belt. Definitely a little more buoyant than when I normally start an ascend.
• pull the second stage out of my mouth and hold in my right hand poised to reinsert.
• thrust my lower jaw out, head up 45-60°, open airway, gently purse lips open.
• lift the BC hose overhead so I can vent on the way up with my left hand.

I usually don’t kick much more than needed to steer around kelp. My computer starts whining that I am exceeding 30’/minute. I probably exceed 60'/minute, but not by a lot. There were a few times I wasn’t comfortable and aborted/put my regulator back in before making it all the way to the surface. The discomfort wasn’t so bad I was concerned over blacking out, just listening to my gut. I do this for fun these days so why get stupid over it?

I usually get a chance and try again within a few days. Each time so far I comfortably made it to the surface on the second attempt. I suspect that the aborted practice run made me more confident. You can’t help but review it in your mind and conclude that I wasn’t actually in trouble. The value of practiced free ascents is more about state of mind than physical prowess.

I want to emphasize this:

There is no reason to hyperventilate because you already have far more air than your lungs can hold and your blood is hyper oxygenated. You will be exhaling all the way up so a lot of CO2 goes with it. The only thing hyperventilation does is reduce your confidence in doing a free ascent in an actual emergency.​

In response to this question on http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ad...ck-oxygen-during-free-ascent.html#post5921256:

What increments would you recommend I start with and build up to for practice?

I replied:

Start at 10' and add 10'. You will get to the point that where 10' increase seems like nothing. It is all builds skill and experience, which results in the self-reliant confidence you are ultimately seeking. Repetition at this point is as or more important than the depth. When you get to around 60', consider limiting them to two cycles at the beginning of a diving day. Maybe one cycle if/when you choose to try 100'+.

Keep your airway open and enjoy yourself.

See for yourself where your limits are. Like most things in life, practice will usually extend those limits. I like to think of free ascents for Scuba divers like parents that teach their infants to swim… often called infant drown proofing. Neither is truly drown proofing, but both stack the odds more in your favor.

 

[Akimbo]

... and I would think that in order to simulate a real OOA emergency you'd have to do this with empty lungs ...

That is a value judgment. Emptying your lungs means a lot of different things to different people. Are you saying a forced exhalation to try to get the most out you can or the bottom of a normal exhalation cycle?

As far as survival in a worst case scenario, it probably does not make that much difference. You will be exhaling before reaching the surface in any case. Your blood is normally oxygenated enough at the surface that you have about two minutes before you actually black out from anoxia. A diver’s blood is far more oxygenated and is likely to give you even more time. Not blacking out should not be confused with extreme distress caused by excess CO2 and a stressful situation. Most trained freedivers discover that that extreme discomfort largely passes and can still extend their time 25-75% (guestimate here, but way longer than I ever thought).

Scuba divers performing a free ascent have it much better than freedivers, which is what most divers try to equate to. Due to hyper rather than hypo oxygenation and reduced CO2 concentrations, the free ascent is many times easier.

If memory serves, my “this ain’t so hard” moment was after my first 30’ free ascent. I was in Scuba class in Monterey and 11 years old in 1962. I had a hell of a time freediving to 30’ earlier that same day, even though I could comfortably swim the length or a 75’ pool on one breath. On reflection, my Scuba instructor was a superb guide to self-discovery.

 

[Rhone Man]

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.