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

[NW Dive Dawg]

You don't try and fix what isn't broke.

Yeah.....but isn't it interesting how many folks here spend so much time doing exactly that!

 

[34109411]

Technically this would be "bailout" as "stage" denotes the intention to breathe it as part of the planned dive. Yes, it is still called bailout even if your main gas source is not a rebreather.

Side mount or back mount, but two tanks with separate regulators for sure.

Only if it's night time or inside a cave or wreck or really deep and you need lights to see things or where you are going. The OP indicated 45 ft for 45 min in OW, solo, so there is no need for any lights. The solo diver does not need a light for signalling (himself?) and on a shallow OW dive would not need lights for navigating unless it was night or other low light situation. That said, I would not remove the 2 backup lights I always have on my harness (cuz why?) but would not take a primary if it were daytime.

What checklist would you take on a solo dive? Maybe at the surface, a pre-dive checklist, but that would be no different for a buddy dive. And written dive plan - who ever really does one of those, much less takes it on a solo dive. On a buddy dive, maybe this would have some value in communicating intent to the buddy, but a solo diver should not need to communicate to himself in writing about what he plans to do (or should not be solo if he does). Also, that would negate one of the best parts of diving solo - not having to confer with anyone about on the fly changes to the plan.

Well, this could apply to any diving, but how many of us will ever have this conversation for real. For the most part this would be the end of diving or the end of marriage for most divers (i.e. the loved ones will put you on lockdown).

i think i did read somewhere or watch something with Mark Powell of DAN saying statistics show that people without a checklist have more accidents but don't take my words i need to double check and will post link.

LOL for your last paragraph.

 

[Pumpkin King]

What checklist would you take on a solo dive? Maybe at the surface, a pre-dive checklist, but that would be no different for a buddy dive. And written dive plan - who ever really does one of those, much less takes it on a solo dive. On a buddy dive, maybe this would have some value in communicating intent to the buddy, but a solo diver should not need to communicate to himself in writing about what he plans to do (or should not be solo if he does). Also, that would negate one of the best parts of diving solo - not having to confer with anyone about on the fly changes to the plan.

I don’t solo dive but thinking about it from a process perspective, using a written checklist reduces the risk introduced by not doing buddy checks with a second person. Same with writing and reviewing a formal dive plan with yourself; it’s like rubber duck debugging. Soloing means nobody is there who can catch small mistakes and break the error chain, so risk management has to be done in other ways.

 

[34109411]

I don’t solo dive but thinking about it from a process perspective, using a written checklist reduces the risk introduced by not doing buddy checks with a second person. Same with writing and reviewing a formal dive plan with yourself; it’s like rubber duck debugging. Soloing means nobody is there who can catch small mistakes and break the error chain, so risk management has to be done in other ways.

if someone got a written check list please send it. i do only solo dive now. I found stuff regarding rebreathers but not my case only OC.

cheers

 

[34109411]

i think i did read somewhere or watch something with Mark Powell of DAN saying statistics show that people without a checklist have more accidents but don't take my words i need to double check and will post link.

LOL for your last paragraph.

Checklists
Checklists

well i have something else looking for it.

 

[mdwalter]

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

OK, so now to answer the OP's actual questions. Essential items for solo diving:

1. Dive experience, don't leave home without it.
2. A calm disposition not predisposed to panic, don't leave shore without it.
3. A full but loosely arranged mental list of what might happen and how you will react to common adverse events. I know what I will do if I'm entangled, lose a piece of kit, experience a malfunction, get lost, or whatever.
4. Familiarity with the dive site or at least similar sites with similar conditions.
5. Redundancy of life support - I choose BM doubles, 2 side mount tanks, or as a last resort single BM with slung bailout. In all cases this means at least two 1st stages, each with a single 2nd stage reg. (5a. Chest mount rebreather with any of the preceding as dilout).
6. Multiple cutting tools - I choose one or two Trilobites on my harness at different locations plus a shears and folding knife in my pouch or pocket.
7. Correct weighting to match the suit and other gear being used - I start as light as possible, and heavy enough to account for the planned gas usage of the dive. (Add can light remove lead, add extra bailout remove lead, add bottom stage add lead, more underwear, more lead, etc.).
8. Dual timing and depth devices - This used to mean bottom timer, depth gauge and watch for shallow diving. Later it became bottom timer and multi-gas computer, and now just 2 computers.
9. Surface marker if required by the site - I will tow a flag if I must, take an SMB if venturing under busy boating areas or far offshore, and have a lift bag in case I find something good (and heavy).

Please note that my essentials for buddy diving list is exactly the same, because:

• Buddies sometimes leave
• Buddies sometimes thumb the dive early or before even splashing
• Buddies sometimes ignore you or are just oblivious to their surroundings
• Buddies sometimes have fewer skills than you do
• I trust my bailout tank and reg, my cutting tools, my computer, and my brain more than anyone else's.

Reasoning behind this:

• Items 1 & 2 are the most essential to safe and successful solo diving. One is about being well familiar with how things should go and the other is about being well aware that it may go differently but you can get back on track.
• Items 3 & 4 are essential in helping achieve item 2. By understanding where you will go and what it may be like there, and then going through some mental scenarios of things that may not go to plan, you can make some decisions on how you will handle adverse events and build confidence you will be able to work through them.
• Items 5 to 8 are important to support item 3. Having the right kit properly configured and being well familiar with it supports both the mental exercise of item 3 and the subsequent calm and confidence of item 2, and underpins the physical implementation of solving problems that may occur during the solo dive. For example, I think about "what if I get stuck in some fishing line?" I know I have time to solve this problem, because I have however much back gas left (from SPG or AI computer and/or already in my head from experience of my gas consumption rate, how much gas I started with and how far into this dive I am) AND I have 40 cf of bailout gas (and knowledge of how much additional time that gives me at this current depth), so no need to panic yet. Just think and figure it out. Next step, where am I caught up? Oh, it's my right arm and leg. Can't really back out, so gonna have to cut it. Can't reach any cutting device with my right arm, so I'll get the cutter on my left shoulder with my left hand. Cut right hand free, Can't reach right foot easily with left hand, so put cutter in right hand and free the leg. Am I free yet? Nope can't move forward still. OK, feels like the tank is still caught up. Feel around the valve and reg, put cutter in which ever hand reaches best and cut free. Yea! Check gas; plenty left. Now I clean up the mess so this does not happen to someone else tomorrow. Stow cutter. Check gas; still good. Check nothing missing (i.e. fell off / still on line / unraveled / dangly, etc.); clean up as needed. Check gas. Will the extra gas used make me too light at deco or safety stop? Nope, weighted properly from the start. Do I need to start exit sooner or immediately? Nope still enough gas to finish normally AND bailout still full and extra time has not added any deco time. Continue dive.
• Item 9 - take it if you'll need it, leave it if you won't (decision based on items 1 - 4)

 

[Cthippo]

OK, so now to answer the OP's actual questions. Essential items for solo diving:

1. Dive experience, don't leave home without it.
2. A calm disposition not predisposed to panic, don't leave shore without it.
3. A full but loosely arranged mental list of what might happen and how you will react to common adverse events. I know what I will do if I'm entangled, lose a piece of kit, experience a malfunction, get lost, or whatever.
4. Familiarity with the dive site or at least similar sites with similar conditions.
5. Redundancy of life support - I choose BM doubles, 2 side mount tanks, or as a last resort single BM with slung bailout. In all cases this means at least two 1st stages, each with a single 2nd stage reg. (5a. Chest mount rebreather with any of the preceding as dilout).
6. Multiple cutting tools - I choose one or two Trilobites on my harness at different locations plus a shears and folding knife in my pouch or pocket.
7. Correct weighting to match the suit and other gear being used - I start as light as possible, and heavy enough to account for the planned gas usage of the dive. (Add can light remove lead, add extra bailout remove lead, add bottom stage add lead, more underwear, more lead, etc.).
8. Dual timing and depth devices - This used to mean bottom timer, depth gauge and watch for shallow diving. Later it became bottom timer and multi-gas computer, and now just 2 computers.
9. Surface marker if required by the site - I will tow a flag if I must, take an SMB if venturing under busy boating areas or far offshore, and have a lift bag in case I find something good (and heavy).

Please note that my essentials for buddy diving list is exactly the same, because:

• Buddies sometimes leave
• Buddies sometimes thumb the dive early or before even splashing
• Buddies sometimes ignore you or are just oblivious to their surroundings
• Buddies sometimes have fewer skills than you do
• I trust my bailout tank and reg, my cutting tools, my computer, and my brain more than anyone else's.

Reasoning behind this:

• Items 1 & 2 are the most essential to safe and successful solo diving. One is about being well familiar with how things should go and the other is about being well aware that it may go differently but you can get back on track.
• Items 3 & 4 are essential in helping achieve item 2. By understanding where you will go and what it may be like there, and then going through some mental scenarios of things that may not go to plan, you can make some decisions on how you will handle adverse events and build confidence you will be able to work through them.
• Items 5 to 8 are important to support item 3. Having the right kit properly configured and being well familiar with it supports both the mental exercise of item 3 and the subsequent calm and confidence of item 2, and underpins the physical implementation of solving problems that may occur during the solo dive. For example, I think about "what if I get stuck in some fishing line?" I know I have time to solve this problem, because I have however much back gas left (from SPG or AI computer and/or already in my head from experience of my gas consumption rate, how much gas I started with and how far into this dive I am) AND I have 40 cf of bailout gas (and knowledge of how much additional time that gives me at this current depth), so no need to panic yet. Just think and figure it out. Next step, where am I caught up? Oh, it's my right arm and leg. Can't really back out, so gonna have to cut it. Can't reach any cutting device with my right arm, so I'll get the cutter on my left shoulder with my left hand. Cut right hand free, Can't reach right foot easily with left hand, so put cutter in right hand and free the leg. Am I free yet? Nope can't move forward still. OK, feels like the tank is still caught up. Feel around the valve and reg, put cutter in which ever hand reaches best and cut free. Yea! Check gas; plenty left. Now I clean up the mess so this does not happen to someone else tomorrow. Stow cutter. Check gas; still good. Check nothing missing (i.e. fell off / still on line / unraveled / dangly, etc.); clean up as needed. Check gas. Will the extra gas used make me too light at deco or safety stop? Nope, weighted properly from the start. Do I need to start exit sooner or immediately? Nope still enough gas to finish normally AND bailout still full and extra time has not added any deco time. Continue dive.
• Item 9 - take it if you'll need it, leave it if you won't (decision based on items 1 - 4)

So how do you handle new sites that you, or perhaps nobody, has dove before?

 

[Boarderguy]

So how do you handle new sites that you, or perhaps nobody, has dove before?

Gear up and send it. Trust your gear and trust your process. If you deviate from your plan ensure you're still able to safely surface near your planned exit. Be able to do the math on the fly and know your consumption rate... I

had one Thursday where a planned 100' solo dive with an easy cruise at 50' otw up turned into a long stop, 20 min, at 85'. Deco stop got triggered and rather than do 45 minutes at 45-50 I just just a 15 min run in the area.

 

[Waterwulf]

One item that I carry that others some times freak out about, is a Tourniquet. One of the strap kinds with the built in plastic handle and Velcro clip. The NAUI Open Water course that I took in 72' was taught by part time Instructors who were full time Special Forces Soldiers based out of a Special Ops Base in North Florida. They were very thorough in their training. That's a tactful way of saying they were brutal but even the girls in the class passed so it couldn't have been to bad. One of their teaching techniques was the "What if" game.

What if you hear a boat coming at high speed and you're near the surface. What if your partner vanishes. What if you get snagged by a trolling charter boat piloted by a drunken Captain. (Happened) What if you get grabbed by a very large Eel who has locked you at one end and his tail at the other end. (Almost happened) They were all things that could not really be trained for but still practiced in our minds.

One of their questions was about some kind of injury that is bleeding a lot, as in an Arterial bleed. We learned about pressure points, how to apply pressure underwater, etc. We also learned about tourniquets. Back then, all we had was a length of Para cord laced to two sticks like a Garrotte except for twisting around a limb. Nowadays, I carry a nice bright red one with all the gizmos and unaffected by water. What happens if your Buddy gets his arm sucked into the prop? What happens if a critter mangles your leg? What happens if you cut your Buddies arm open trying to get the fish hook out with your RBFK? (That's R for really) So I carry a tourniquet for those "Hey, whose arm is this floating by" moments.

 

[Jonn]

Redundant air? Yes.
Redundant instruments? No.
But what about what NOT to take solo that you always take with a buddy? Octo reg could probably go, especially with a pony. ‘Buddy managment’ stuff like slate and quacker certainly. Anywhere else a solo diver can lighten the load?