Got stuck in kelp.

[euphoricnod]

Recently I was diving in the Mendocino area and as I was surfacing I noticed that I was unable to go any further up. I couldn't figure out what was happening for a bit and then I realized that there were several long strands of kelp around me and my gear.

My partner had a dive knife, an item which I had been putting off purchasing because it didn't seem totally necessary.

It took her about 20 minutes to cut me out and by the time we were finally able to surface her tank was empty and we were breathing off of my tube. Its a great thing that we were at a shallow enough depth that we didn't have to sit to decompress.

Lesson learned: carry a dive knife and kelp is more treachorous then I thought!

 

[openmindOW]

Thank you for your post. I am glad that you are alright. It's a good lesson for us all.

 

[Gombessa]

Glad to hear you're OK. What kind of kelp was it? I've never had to cut kelp with a knife before, the macrocysta stuff usually snaps like a carrot if you double it over on itself.

 

[muddiver]

Lesson number two is: don't surface under the kelp canopy, swim to the edge of the kelp bed brfore going up.

I also agree with Gambessa. Kelp is very easy to snap, but very difficult to cut.

 

[Peter_C]

Diving in the same conditions and dive sites as you I to encounter kelp on every dive. There are a few simple things you can do to keep yourself out of trouble. A knife is a great thing to have, but shears are safer. A knife mounted on a leg is what killed an ab diver when they got caught on the knife in the kelp and drowned. Location of the knife is also important, not the size of it. Smaller can be better. Right around the belly button area is ideal so it can be reached with both hands. Many people will use a Betty Crocker knife with about half of the tip removed so it is safer to handle. It cuts through rope faster than my sharp edged knife too, and if you loose it? Well Safeway has plenty in stock.

A cutting instrument is a requirement since you may find yourself caught in monofilament aka fishing line and it will have to be cut. Again shears are safer than a knife, but they do make safety knives.

Back to kelp. Grabbing a stalk and breaking it is very easy to do, as is chewing through it. The best way is to never get caught in the first place. Streamline your gear with little or no danglies. Get pockets on your drysuit or wetsuit and put your safety items in there. Typically the kelp grabs the tank valve. Again not having a tank valve cover on a leash or anything else like reg covers etc. that are around the tank valve will help alleviate getting caught in the first place.

When you do get caught STOP! Think and look to see what is caught, then address the situation. Typically you can just reach back and while rolling slightly, easily remove the stalk. Turning over will just tangle you more. Often backing up will free you. Thank goodness you had a buddy with you since it definitely was a near miss. We often run through the kelp going fairly fast and once in a while get snagged. Much of the time, without stopping, we can reach up and remove the kelp strand. The biggest thing is do not panic.

 

[bill-da-ho]

Glad you made it out ok, I know of someone who didnt make it out of kelp, you were fortunate to have a good buddy that hung in there with you till you were free, sounds like your buddy ended up with an OOA situation in trying to save you. In another post they are asking "what makes a good diver" I'd say you had one with you, wish I knew how to refer to another post, I'd send all of them over to this one to show what a good diver is.

 

[muddiver]

Oh, this is also a good reason for those gear removal drills that a lot of veteran members say are useless and dangerous. Just take off your rig, untangle it and continue to the surface. Just as easy as breaking kelp stalks.

 

[DandyDon]

Oh, this is also a good reason for those gear removal drills that a lot of veteran members say are useless and dangerous. Just take off your rig, untangle it and continue to the surface. Just as easy as breaking kelp stalks.

Or if you feel the last ditch need, take your gear off and ascend without it. The 7 mil suit you wear in Calf waters will get you up; you may need DAN to pay for the treatment and the last gear, but that's what dive insurance if for and better than drowning.

But kelp breaks easily. Apply two hands, grasp, break. I thot all Calf divers knew that...?

 

[muddiver]

Not if you get your C card on a tropical island in an 8 hour wonder class.

 

[DandyDon]

Not if you get your C card on a tropical island in an 8 hour wonder class.

Yes, well - I have been fortunate to have dived in many different environments and had to learn new survival skills in each, but that was well covered in my Calf briefings, but maybe it was because of my Texas accept.