Solo Kit setup: the required, redundant, optional, and hell-no items

[Subcooled]

With winter and few options for hitting the water right now I'm reviewing my kit for my independent diving to see what I might want to add and what I might want to leave behind. This applies to both in-water kit and support kit I leave onboard the boat, or in my truck.

My independent diving parameters are pretty tame, 45-foot max dive and bottom depths, mostly shore based though I do sometimes use a boat. May do up to three consecutive dives per trip but more likely two or less.

Kind of curious what you folks consider to be essential items and what items you can do without. Also curious which items you absolutely want more than one of.

And, as usual, I'm very much interested in your reasoning behind your decisions

I want two independent sources of air on shallow solo dives. I dive in cold water and I do not want to abort dives when a regulator decides to free-flow. Another reason is that I might forget to monitor my air - this has happened at least once (yes, I do make mistakes). You might not need an alternate air source, though. An emergency ascent from 45 feet is easy. I've done it from 60, after running out of air because some stupid mistake, and that was even with a short safety stop.

I also want at least two methods of resurfacing. These methods could include a drysuit, a BCD/wing, weights to drop, optimal weighting (positive buoyancy with empty tanks), a rope tender, a lift bag, crawl to shore...

I want two or three cutting devices. Entangled under water alone is a lonely place. Been there, and I love my line cutter, my serrated dive knife and, occasionally, a twig cutter

Always carry a cutting device