Your Preferred Solo Configuration

[SeanW]

That's one of the reasons why, when I taught solo, I required the students to have a mirror. Either in a pouch or on the back of their hand. That allows you to do your bubble check and buddy check as well. I got that from my sidemount instructor and found it highly valuable.
It also comes in handy on wrecks when you are considering a new entry point. Rather than stick your head in and risk a sharp object or maybe a monster biting your head off, just stick the mirror in and survey the opening all around its perimeter.

Though I voted sidemount as that was my primary configuration, if I was staying shallow and just cruising around the quarry, single tank backmount and a slung bottle also worked.

I can see using a mirror for backmount doubles being an effective sanity check!

 

[34109411]

i am using a back mounted and use a pony on the side for the last two years, but just bought my hollis katana 2 for SM so soon i will be a real diver. I will than complain a lot about people using a pony.

after much tough i will enroll in the sdi SM certification this will be not for right now i didn't start my diving season yet, i will put in couple of Dive BM and take the SM class mid july.

 

[stepfen]

Carry a small mirror if solo, to look behind you.

The glass face of my DCs serves very well for this purpose. Ratio iX3M2's screen is bigger hence better for this, but I can check my 1st stage for leaks even with my (smaller) peregrine.

 

[halocline]

I just use the same configuration I would use with other divers; it depends on the environment. Relatively shallow open water? Single tank, no pony. Deeper-but-still-recreational OW, I might sling a bailout bottle but I very rarely do those kinds of dives solo; I just don’t find myself in that scenario. For solo cave dives, which I do on occasion, just my regular SM set up. I still go through the pre dive checks in the same order, write things down, and stick to familiar caves.

I really believe that people focus on gear too much in these conversations. Dive safety, regardless of solo or team oriented, is always about diver behavior, judgment, and awareness. Of course being prepared for gear failure is a part of the picture, but there are many other things to manage.

 

[34109411]

I just use the same configuration I would use with other divers; it depends on the environment. Relatively shallow open water? Single tank, no pony. Deeper-but-still-recreational OW, I might sling a bailout bottle but I very rarely do those kinds of dives solo; I just don’t find myself in that scenario. For solo cave dives, which I do on occasion, just my regular SM set up. I still go through the pre dive checks in the same order, write things down, and stick to familiar caves.

I really believe that people focus on gear too much in these conversations. Dive safety, regardless of solo or team oriented, is always about diver behavior, judgment, and awareness. Of course being prepared for gear failure is a part of the picture, but there are many other things to manage.

what do you write down exactly?

 

[landphil]

I thought my drysuit had a leak somewhere on the neck- until I started solo diving with a mirror. Then it was pretty clear that the leak was in the corner of my mask. Just snapped the bezel back into place and it was all fixed

 

[grantmac]

I do basically all my dives in sidemount. If NDL it's LP50s, deco usually LP85s plus a rich gas.
Sidemount for me is both more comfortable and more convenient in all situations.

 

[halocline]

what do you write down exactly?

Gas plan, max depth/time, any navigation plan, stick map of the route on my wetnotes. Then I record time/depth/direction of return at jumps/tees/gaps. When I don’t have a teammate to confirm navigation decisions, I want to have clear notes for everything. And again, at my level, I’m only doing this in familiar caves, nothing too tight.

 

[34109411]

Gas plan, max depth/time, any navigation plan, stick map of the route on my wetnotes. Then I record time/depth/direction of return at jumps/tees/gaps. When I don’t have a teammate to confirm navigation decisions, I want to have clear notes for everything. And again, at my level, I’m only doing this in familiar caves, nothing too tight.

oh ok i see you dive in cave far bit complex than my solo open water diver. I carry a wrist slate where i also note my heading etc... I ve been always wondering to find a written pre dive check list for solo diving that i could check the box. Some say it s not different than a buddy still i like to elaborate a list for the purpose of solo diving.

be safe

 

[hedonist222]

Back mount both via shark mount bracket

Post in thread 'Mounting plate for tank and pony bottle'

Jun 27, 2022

I'm a big fan of carrying my pony on the front of my rig, rather than attached to the tank on my back. If I have an emergency & need to reach for the pony quickly, I want it in front of me, where I can clearly see everything & I can reach it easily.

I have my pony attached to my main tank.
The 2nd stage is clipped to my chest D-ring.
The tank is always on.
For a while I ran an SPG from the pony - but recently found a cheap transmitter.
In both cases, in an emergency, I'm not sure why you would be concerned with handling the pony?
You need to ensure it has enough air (which you...

• hedonist222

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