Input wanted from solo divers

[swimjim]

A second small knife wouldn't be a totally silly thing, but I can't imagine what anyone uses shears for as I have never had to cut my pants off underwater...

Shears are good for fishing tackle and nets, among other things. Plus, they are easier to use with gloves on and are less likely to get dropped. At least, that is the selling points I've ran across. A dive instructor friend of mine in San Jose, Ca, mentioned that shears are their main tools for getting out of entanglements now.

That being said, I'm sure I could come up with a pleasant scenario involving the use of shears to remove clothing underwater...

EMT shears are awesome and they are my go to cutting utensil. I can even, and have, cut through down rigger cable. They are also very handy for cutting fish hooks off of a mooring line. While the state uses chain, most private moorings are nylon or plastic rope around here. I do carry a back up cutting device whether solo or buddy diving. I've seen more then one cutting tool spiraling into the unreachable abyss.

Jim

[Ron]

Hanging a bottle is always a good option as well. For offshore diving here, I rarely get deeper than 60-70 feet unless I go several hours offshore. Provided that I run a reel, then I could CESA to the hang bottle, do my safety stop, and the get back on the boat. I know that some of you don't do safety stops, but I actually enjoy doing them. It gives me time to make sure that I have everything, relax for another minute, and pee one more time before I get back on the boat.

I also have double 72's with a cheater bar manifold on them. I could just take the cheater bar off and run two regulators, and not sling a bailout bottle at all. That would make ocean diving off of the boat even easier. I suppose I'd have to use two single hoses, which is a bummer, but for vintage solo it would work.

I'm with Geoff, this is a great discussion.

[crimediver]

I got certified years ago as a Solo Diver. I think it was with TDI. Anyways, most of my diving solo is around 35 feet in river current. I generally have at least ten feet of viz. Entanglement is my biggist problem and it involves throw nets and monofiliment, I can count on having to cut away lines several times a dive. I usually am doing search patterns on the bottom looking for relics , artifacts and such. I usually collect fishing sinkers and lures while I am at it so I tend to like searching log jams and old supermarket carts that tend to collect bottom rigs, lures and sinkers. I tend to get snarled a lot, usually around my fin buckles and weight belt area. I mostly carry a knife to cut away lines but I have found EMT shears are necessary to cut away the kevlar lines that are becoming more common. In my region Spiderwire fishing line is popular and it can be tough to cut w/o shears.

I keep a cutter high and low so I can reach one if tangled. I sling a 19 CF pony and don't notice it. I use a necklace for the second stage. Although my solo class told me I need a second mask I often omit it as I am in such shallow water I just don't feel like it is a safety problem for me not to have one. Most likely thing to happen would be to lose a strap but I replaced mine with a nylon slap strap so it is unlikely to fail. If I got a broken faceplate I would just surface as I could do that blindfolded anyhow.

I recommend the shears. I have had several fail. While rustproof, the steel rivet is not. After breaking some (it always happens when you are cutting something) I found I could repair them by replacing the rivet with a small SS bolt and nylon core nut. Then you are good to go.

[SurfLung]

... I am more concerned and spend more time with their cyborg penguin appearing gear setup as they pile on this or that. Meanwhile I have pulled on a tank/harness and weight belt and am spending 90% of my time waiting/checking their equipment over...

IMO this is Baby sitting... Not Buddy Diving. Baby's don't watch out for you. You watch out for them. I think Solo diving is no less safe than babysiting and maybe more safe.

[swimjim]

Solo diving causes you to really dot your I's and cross your T's. As far as I'm concerned it's the second safest diving I do. Rec, that is. No 1 is ice diving as your tethered to the surface and there is a back up safety diver if you get in a jam.

Jim

[DaleC]

For me, if I'm diving 50' or less a redundant airsource is optional. Deeper I usually have one but then again I'm often in a drysuit and need a LP hose (which my mistral doesn't have). If it's a benign setting I may only take one cutting tool, which for vintage may be a big ol' knife on my calf. For more serious dives I take shears and a knife.

The buoyancy issue is interesting for vintage because, if using a wetsuit, one is so close to neutral anyways. On simple shallow dives I may take nothing but on a bigger dive I will probably have either my horsecollar or a lift bag.

[hallen41]

Back in the day,,,,,
I went down on a working job (USN) using an Aquamaster. We went to 120 Ft.
When working we did not stay close to each other we just went about our business. So basically we were solo diving. My own complacency caused me to dive without checking my tanks(twin 72's) they must have bleed out between the dive locker and the dive site. After a couple of minutes on the bottom I was out of Air. I pulled the J valve reckoning that I would gain more air as I ascended. Not so about 20-30 ft off the bottom I was dry. A controlled free blowing ascent was on,all the way. I did have to drop my weights about half way up because I seemed to be going too slow. Every thing worked out fine no DCS problems.
It just taught me not to take anything for granted.
Bottom line is I think one can solo dive just as deep as you think you can handle it.

[phsdive]

I've been following this thread with some interest and agree with most of what has been said. Shears are a must have if solo diving. To avoid losing them, I've attached a small bit of bungee between from the shears to the sheaf. If you need to have more movement just snip the bungy. We dive wrecks often that are between 140ft and 180ft, other people are in the water, but you are effectively diving solo. Diving the Phoenix on these dives surprises people and gets some comment. Years ago I moved from a 20 cu ft bailout to a 60 cu ft as a 20 cu ft will get you up but not enough for deco. A hang tank will assist only if you get back to the anchor - when things go wrong its sometimes a number of things and you may not get back to the anchor. Last Saturday, after some issues that added to my time I used up every bit of air on both tanks bar about 50 PSI and just finished my 40 minutes deco. When choosing a bail out think of the diving you are doing and likely deco obligations that may add to your time.

[captain]

I've been following this thread with some interest and agree with most of what has been said. Shears are a must have if solo diving. To avoid losing them, I've attached a small bit of bungee between from the shears to the sheaf. If you need to have more movement just snip the bungy. We dive wrecks often that are between 140ft and 180ft, other people are in the water, but you are effectively diving solo. Diving the Phoenix on these dives surprises people and gets some comment. Years ago I moved from a 20 cu ft bailout to a 60 cu ft as a 20 cu ft will get you up but not enough for deco. A hang tank will assist only if you get back to the anchor - when things go wrong its sometimes a number of things and you may not get back to the anchor. Last Saturday, after some issues that added to my time I used up every bit of air on both tanks bar about 50 PSI and just finished my 40 minutes deco. When choosing a bail out think of the diving you are doing and likely deco obligations that may add to your time.

The coiled plastic key lanyards work well for keeping small items from being loss, it is what I use on shears.

[BigMike]

And I was thinking that I was the only guy who liked to dive solo occasionally. Not having to keep track of a knucklehead buddy can be a real blessing.

[Ron]

Thanks again for the interesting and educational discussion!

[Nemrod]

And I was thinking that I was the only guy who liked to dive solo occasionally. Not having to keep track of a knucklehead buddy can be a real blessing.

That is funny, from my observation, most of the people on this board are solo divers or at best, gaggle divers.

Trying to pin solo down is not easy, solo in Alexander Springs with 20 buddies swimming circles around you but not actually paired up is not the same as jumping solo off of a boat upon which you are the only diver and nobody with you but the fishes.

Another consideration is diving with a weak buddy, that is not solo, that is something else entirely.

I would stay out of an overhead environment solo. By overhead I mean deco or a hard ceiling. The surface is my redundancy and being as this is vintage, I ain't got no scissors with me but I might have a couple of knives.

Nem

[SurfLung]

- I've been reading "Shadow Divers"... About those guys that found the German U-Boat at 230 feet off New Jersey. Very deep and very dangerous. The main guys were also the most experienced and respected of wreck divers and they dove alone. Two reasons: Its tough enough for just one diver to keep from stirring up sediment and creating dangerous zero-visibility... Where they went inside the wreck was cluttered with debris and barely enough room for one diver. The second reason was the danger of depth. Nitrogen Narcosis at 230 feet is extreme and that, along with the decompression issues made a buddy more of a liability than a help...
- There WERE divers using the buddy system. The second trip out, a less experienced diver with a buddy passed out at 230 ft. His buddy couldn't revive him and got into a low air situation huffing and puffing and trying to drag his buddy up the anchor line. He finally had to let go of the body and try to save himself.
- On the way to the surface he ran out of air with a full second tank to spare... But narcosis and panic took hold. Two other divers were coming down the line. One of them left the line to go after the passed out diver and nearly got lost in the open ocean from the current. The second guy had to deal with the out-of-air diver who was in a panic and grabbing his mouthpiece.
- The open ocean guy luckily caught a dim glimpse of the anchor line and made it back. The out of air guy finally settled down when the other diver offered him his octopus. The passed out guy was dead... But the lesson here is that being his buddy almost got three other divers killed.
- This is a heck of a book... The divers are way above the skill and courage of 99% of us I think... Their kind of diving scares the heck out of me. But it goes to show that there are reasons for and against solo diving even in the most dangerous conditions and situations.

[scubasteve59]

Jumping in late.....I do most of my diving solo in Fla springs and find it most relaxing. I am usually donning double hose reg, steel 72 with j rod, two lights, neoprene vest, watch, and...a spare air. I have purposely tested the spare air from 100 feet and it works perfectly well. I wear it on my waist belt strap right side. I have been diving now 36 years and even with all the spare air jokes, I really do trust this set up for vintage spring diving. There have been times when diving with others, that they ended up being a liability risk for me due to lack of experience or unfamiliarity with caverns, silt technique, etc.

All the best,

Steve

[21]

In the genesis of recreational/scientific/military diving much emphasis was placed on the skills and ability of the individual and training was based on that premises.
See;
1) Scripps Institution of Oceanography;Probing the oceans, (Shor) 1978-LCCC # 78-52598 & ISBN # 0-914488
2) LA County Underwater safety manual, (Morgan) July 1954
3) NAVSHIPS 250-538; USN diving manual, part 3, Self contained diving, 16 October, 1956.

Scripps (SIO) lead the way in self contained diving instruction, a few years later LA Co UW Instruction was established basted on the SIO model
This was followed by the USN in 1956 who based and still base their training on SIO & LA Co model.

The LA Co was and is considered the most demanding civilian dive training organization in the world. Every year many apply for the LA Co UW instructor program only a few are accepted and of those accepted only a pittance complete the program.

The candidate must be in top physical condition, have above average water skills, and knowledge of all other dive related subjects.

LA Co requires all Instructor Candidates to perform a D&R in 33 foot of water and make a successions of free assents, from 50, 75 & finally 100 under controlled conditions prior to graduation. The basic LA Co students are required to make a 33 foot free assent under controlled conditions and under the watchful eye and in contact with their instructor

The reasoning was to practice under controlled conditions what might occur under a panic mode.

In my many years as an LA Co/NAUI/PADI etc instructor I have made numerous assents from 100 feet in training of instructor candidates and uncountable 33 feet free assents accompanying basic students..

Therefore, we had the training, experience and knowledge and self reliance to frequently dive
solo with out concern. However there were exceptions.

Since the watering down of basic student as well as instructor requirements (except for LA co- "The few,the proud")by the PADI controlled RSTC about 25 years ago has resulted in a minimally trained diver almost totally reliant on equipment and always present instructor and/or equally poorly trained equipment dependant dive buddy.

Where in lies the answer? Better self conditioning, Better self training,and Practice..remember only perfect practice makes perfect.

SDM