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If you believe what you read in NSS-CDS publications or hear at the spring
run, there seems to be consensus in the cave community that manifolds aren't
considered safe for solo diving.  I.e., it is considered safer to dive with
either independents or a buddy bottle when diving solo in a cave.  A buddy
bottle is more or less a large pony bottle; it is a stage bottle which
contains enough air to get you out of the cave and is normally not breathed
off of.  

The argument is that catastrophic manifold failures have been known to happen,
typically due to impacts with the cave ceiling.   Independents - if
effectively air-managed - or a buddy bottle are the surest way to prevent
running out of air from this type of accident.  Due to increased task loading
associated with regulator switching, manifolds are still preferred for cave
diving with a buddy (assuming of course the thirds rule is used, otherwise you
might as well be alone).

I frequently dive wrecks solo and use a manifold, since I don't like swapping
regs.  I can reach my valves, and am not quite as worried about manifold
damage in the wreck environment as I am in the cave environment.   There are
some situations in a wreck where having independents would be safer when solo,
but integrating over event damage vs. probability of event occurance I believe
that manifolds come out ahead.  Carrying a big pony bottle would probably make
my rig safer, but I don't like the extra weight, drag and entanglement risk. 
I have only done two solo cave dives, both with a manifold, but if I do this
in the future will probably carry a buddy bottle.

Comments?

John

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