I wish i had more dive time to practice rescue and self rescue. Like most divers, my balance between work, family and diving is a precarious one, so dive time has to be quality dive time.
As a result I keep my emergancy procedures simple. If in doubt bail out and carry enough gas for this to work. Then to make it even more simple i got a BOV plumbed into a big off board tank.
I am told by many in "black suits" that this is covering up for a lack of skill. Which is spot on but why make a hard situation even harder??
My attitude is have a plan and stick to the plan. Make the plan as simple as possable so it stands a chance of working even on a reely bad day.
I am sure if i could get in a couple of days diving every week I could be a dive god, but seeing as I cant Ill have to aspire to being a pleb who makes do.
I hope and pray that what I lack in skill i make up for in self beleif and a strong servival instinct.
As far as the rest of the dive goes (ie non CCR specific failures) then a lot can be done during deco to ensure equipmnet placement & accessabuility is adiquat and that mucle memory is up to speed. valve on valv off touch the reg, get SMB out, put it back, unclip, re clip stage etc. all the usual stuff and it helps to pass the time.
I also run bailout deco plans in my head (using ratio deco)and compaire them with the Shearwater on 10/95 to build a knowladge base for X dive to Y depth and I visulise specific failures and plan a responce in my head.
Another favorite deco pass time is "analise your buddys rig" where has he clipped stuff, how is his on board off board gas rigged, where are his dump valves etc etc. What would you go for if he sinks? What would you go for if he goes up? That sort of thing.
All good fun and as I say it passes the time.
ATB
Mark Chase