Solo skills to practice?

[gert7to3]

RE: #4
I regularly switch over to breathing off my octo/dual air inflator during dives. This gives me practice with removing my 2nd stage, then transferring to another regulator. Also a good check on how your back up reg breathes, it is different. The reg on my pony is the same model reg I dive with. I have put the same mouthpieces on my primary, pony and my octo/dual air regs.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Love these comments and suggestions.

BC or wing tear/Compromise, Necessitating sideways ascent or upside down ascent, inflator hose disengagement, and pre-dive checklist, losing a fin, Oral inflation of DSMB. With a buddy and in a swimming pool, we will use Thick fishing line or fishing net string to entangle each other, usually pulling a fin and wrapping the string around the mask, or pull the mask off and roll the tank to the off position. The entangled person then has to fix the mask, get the fin, turn on the valve, and disentangle from the string.


And on several occasions I have certainly Purposely breathed my tank down to zero while at my safety stop, With my pony at the ready. If I am with somebody, or diving with others, I always let them know pre-dive that I will be doing some drills at the safety stop. On more than one occasion, I had a dive master come rushing up to me trying to save me in the midst of a drill while at the safety stop. These have always been Divers not in my group, but happen to be nearby.

Regarding breathing a tank to zero,I hate that feeling of breathing off an empty tank, but those two or three breaths before it goes dry is an important warning sensation and a skill I hope I never have to utilize.

That's why I dive a J-valve a lot. When I get that feeling, I still have some psi ((300 psig in a steel 72, 500 psig in one tank in my doubles) to work with. My dive site is less than 25 feet deep.

I try to not breath a tank to zero, as all my tanks are now steel, and at zero pressure there is the potential for condensation/introduction of sea water and corrosion.

SeaRat

 

[aquacat8]

I guess you could add any type of failure to practice. But the take-away should be that it results in an automatic quick reaction since 'thinking' instills panic that kills. Time isn't on your side in most cases.

*) Total bladder failure and unable to hold any air at depth
*) Zero viz deco ascent without looking at any gauges
*) The boat sank drill {or can't find you in the rain drill}
*) How to send a message to the surface immediately {I'm blown off the drop site the boat's anchored to in strong current}
*) What steps to take if in the water overnite.

I have my own solo solutions, but you should discuss with your instructor what works for you.

Your post made me think... those are some pretty intense scenarios. I am not sure what exactly to do in water overnite, or if the boat sank, so I’d love to hear more about what you or others recommend?

 

[Johnoly]

.. I am not sure what exactly to do in water overnite, or if the boat sank, so I’d love to hear more about what you or others recommend?

Most will agree that not one solution will work for all types of emergencies. For me if the boat sank I always carry an underwater marine radio to hear someone calling me back, a mini GPS to tell them where I'm at exactly, and a green laser to shine at aircraft or ships passing. The debate of PLB's vs radio's is pages & hours long on SB and no single correct answer. If in the gulf's middle ground (90 miles from anything) and the boat sinks, hopefully the boat's epirb is jettisoned and activates, but my radio and laser have an excellent chance of a quicker picker upper. This is what I dive with every week, every time.

But even something so simple and cheap as a 55 gallon yellow trash bag stashed in a pocket. You can blow it up and tie closed with a string while also attached to a D-ring is extremely effective at being seen 5 - 10 miles away and at night with a light glowing inside.

. I have a couple of extra sealed bags. If you want one, PM me a mailing address (work,home,po box,etc) and I'll send it to you free. If it adds just one additional layer of safety, & confidence it's worth it to bring on dives.

 

[aquacat8]

Wow! How about I just bring YOU LOL... oh wait this is the solo forum!

 

[aquacat8]

The laser is a great idea! The radio doesn’t work underwater does it? Or does it? Sorry I’m not very knowledgeable about them. Does all that have to stay dry in the aluminum can?

 

[Fastmarc]

Interestingly, I just saw on youtube over the weekend a new products list that included a laser pointer made for diving. There was also a version which is dive flashlight/laser pointer. Might be a good thing to have a spare flashlight.

 

[aquacat8]

Plus you could tease catfish! Sorry couldn’t resist...

 

[Fastmarc]

Plus you could tease catfish! Sorry couldn’t resist...

You owe a round...

 

[Johnoly]

The laser is a great idea! The radio doesn’t work underwater does it? Or does it? Sorry I’m not very knowledgeable about them. Does all that have to stay dry in the aluminum can?

The Laser, GPS, & Radio all fit inside the double oring McMurdo aluminum dive canister and they all only work on the surface. Like I said, not everyone will use these if a boat sinks. The 55 gallon trash bag came from a Blue Wild tradeshow discussion years ago with a couple of Coast Guard search and rescue guys. After doing so many rescues of boaters in the water overnight they couldn't understand why passengers wouldn't put a yellow trash bag in their pocket. Their computer controlled long range cameras detect both shapes and colors that are opposite of water to find you. The plane mounted systems can see the yellow trash bag over 50 miles an any direction.

I've made up bunches of them and vacuum packed them sealed to hand out at my local dive club meetings. It's pennies and so easy to put in a pocket, yet so effective. Hence my above offer to send one to you. In Florida it seems like once a month there is a story of a boater sinking overnite. And when I'm driving our dive boat, I hear it on the marine radio almost every other trip that the coast guard issues an alert of a vessel in distress.