I had long line of wrong decisions (didn't want to say "stupid" but they really are) until I ended up with my current gear configuration. To name them stupidities shortly:
- single tank with single YOKE 1st stage. Yeah, call it as you like, but that's stupid. Been there done that
- single tank with two Yoke 1st stages. False security, helps only in unlikely event of 1st stage failure and anyway almost impossible to deal with valves on your back while solo diving.
- single tank with pony, both Yokes. That could be a decent option for solo, but still hard to get to valve on the tank on your back, plus, you can't really see it, and, it is Yokes.
Eventually, after too many Yoke burst o-rings, I decided that I really must avoid Joke regulators and that I MUST have a better control of my air sources.
Thus I ended up changing all first stages to DIN and switching to Side Mount. Why sidemout? Because now you can see your tanks and first stages, and it allows to deal with failures like free flowing (or whatever)- in just a few *seconds*, with *negligible* lost gas. Even if first stage got completely screwed up, you still got the gas and in the worst emergency you will be able to easily use it by swapping regulators underwater (yep- swap them, stay alive, send them for service afterwards...)
Now, it depends what type of diving you're doing, but a redundant air source is really a *MUST*, a small spare-air is usually a joke that in many cases (not all, of course) provides you a false sense of security.
So, to continue the list above with what might be a better options for solo, according to the type of diving you're doing (and as I said, DIN is much better than Yokeys):
- Single tank with Spare air: good only for "controlled environment" dives (e.g. shallow, easy shore OW. Or in other words: only on a dive that you can easily and readily jump out of the water without any other risks of boats, currents, entanglement, overhead environment etc etc, basically good only for ~1% of cases?)
- Doubles. Not so good for solo. You can't really see what's going on, much more difficult to deal with the valves on your back. Since you don't have a buddy who can have a look for you, it is better to have them tanks in your view.
- Single with pony: better for solo than doubles on backmount, because at least the redundant air source is directly in your view and full control.
- Doubles with pony. If you really need a lot of gas...
- Sidemount: both air sources are fully under your view and control. IMHO it is the best configuration for solo diving.
And I don't think you should "double everything" but rather follow the rule "if you don't need it
don't take it, but if you do- take two". So basically, I'd take also the following stuff on ANY dive:
- additional mask (in pocket)
- cutting devices (one in pocket, one on waist harness)
- SMB w/spool (pocket)
- backup light (right shoulder strap)
- computer (on wrist)
- compass (on other wrist),
- a small mirror (in pocket, good as signaling device and also to see what's going on behind you or "where the heck did this fishing hooks got hold on me???")
- laminated last will.. Nah, just joking on account of all these dudes that always tell you "I told you it is dangerous to solo dive"
At night I also add the primary light, of course.
Also, when solo diving I remove the wetnotes from pocket- I decided against writing memoirs while soloing
- single tank with single YOKE 1st stage. Yeah, call it as you like, but that's stupid. Been there done that
- single tank with two Yoke 1st stages. False security, helps only in unlikely event of 1st stage failure and anyway almost impossible to deal with valves on your back while solo diving.
- single tank with pony, both Yokes. That could be a decent option for solo, but still hard to get to valve on the tank on your back, plus, you can't really see it, and, it is Yokes.
Eventually, after too many Yoke burst o-rings, I decided that I really must avoid Joke regulators and that I MUST have a better control of my air sources.
Thus I ended up changing all first stages to DIN and switching to Side Mount. Why sidemout? Because now you can see your tanks and first stages, and it allows to deal with failures like free flowing (or whatever)- in just a few *seconds*, with *negligible* lost gas. Even if first stage got completely screwed up, you still got the gas and in the worst emergency you will be able to easily use it by swapping regulators underwater (yep- swap them, stay alive, send them for service afterwards...)
Now, it depends what type of diving you're doing, but a redundant air source is really a *MUST*, a small spare-air is usually a joke that in many cases (not all, of course) provides you a false sense of security.
So, to continue the list above with what might be a better options for solo, according to the type of diving you're doing (and as I said, DIN is much better than Yokeys):
- Single tank with Spare air: good only for "controlled environment" dives (e.g. shallow, easy shore OW. Or in other words: only on a dive that you can easily and readily jump out of the water without any other risks of boats, currents, entanglement, overhead environment etc etc, basically good only for ~1% of cases?)
- Doubles. Not so good for solo. You can't really see what's going on, much more difficult to deal with the valves on your back. Since you don't have a buddy who can have a look for you, it is better to have them tanks in your view.
- Single with pony: better for solo than doubles on backmount, because at least the redundant air source is directly in your view and full control.
- Doubles with pony. If you really need a lot of gas...
- Sidemount: both air sources are fully under your view and control. IMHO it is the best configuration for solo diving.
And I don't think you should "double everything" but rather follow the rule "if you don't need it
don't take it, but if you do- take two". So basically, I'd take also the following stuff on ANY dive:
- additional mask (in pocket)
- cutting devices (one in pocket, one on waist harness)
- SMB w/spool (pocket)
- backup light (right shoulder strap)
- computer (on wrist)
- compass (on other wrist),
- a small mirror (in pocket, good as signaling device and also to see what's going on behind you or "where the heck did this fishing hooks got hold on me???")
- laminated last will.. Nah, just joking on account of all these dudes that always tell you "I told you it is dangerous to solo dive"
At night I also add the primary light, of course.
Also, when solo diving I remove the wetnotes from pocket- I decided against writing memoirs while soloing
