deco bars

[The Chairman]

More than one team? In the scenario that I mentioned, there’s no safety diver team(s). The bar is more a safety stop bar than a deco bar.

If there are more than one team, then the first team has to wait for all the other teams to join them before they unclip from the tether/anchor. With an SMB, there is no waiting. Once you're off the wreck, your team pops at least one and you just hang together. We've often each popped a sausage because it's so much easier to control your depth that way. Also, if you're on the wrong end of the wreck when you finish, you don't have to work your way to the bar.

Don't get me wrong: if it works for you, by all means, use it. I'm just trying to understand the problems it addresses and how it's a better solution than what I currently do.

 

[KenGordon]

If there are more than one team, then the first team has to wait for all the other teams to join them before they unclip from the tether/anchor. With an SMB, there is no waiting. Once you're off the wreck, your team pops at least one and you just hang together. We've often each popped a sausage because it's so much easier to control your depth that way. Also, if you're on the wrong end of the wreck when you finish, you don't have to work your way to the bar.

Don't get me wrong: if it works for you, by all means, use it. I'm just trying to understand the problems it addresses and how it's a better solution than what I currently do.

While deco’ing on an SMB is ok in some/many/most circumstances there comes a time that it will not work out so well. Sometimes you MUST return to shot so as to be in a group at the end of the dive. Saying ‘I’ll bag off from the other end of the wreck” is nearly as silly as bagging off from the far end of a cave. Everyone needs to be on an appropriate plan too, and if you are late you might discover the bar has left, You can have long deco in places where the boat traffic and current preclude hanging off the shot or drifting through the busiest shipping lanes in the world. A 200m cargo ship isn’t going to notice an SMB let alone avoid it. The dive boat has to follow the deco’ing divers and fend off trouble, that is much more effective for one group than 6 spread over many miles.

 

[The Chairman]

Note to self: avoid long deco in shipping lanes.

 

[Edward3c]

While deco’ing on an SMB is ok in some/many/most circumstances there comes a time that it will not work out so well. Sometimes you MUST return to shot so as to be in a group at the end of the dive. Saying ‘I’ll bag off from the other end of the wreck” is nearly as silly as bagging off from the far end of a cave. Everyone needs to be on an appropriate plan too, and if you are late you might discover the bar has left, You can have long deco in places where the boat traffic and current preclude hanging off the shot or drifting through the busiest shipping lanes in the world. A 200m cargo ship isn’t going to notice an SMB let alone avoid it. The dive boat has to follow the deco’ing divers and fend off trouble, that is much more effective for one group than 6 spread over many miles.

In addition, we have fast moving currents on the Scottish West coast. After a 45+ minute deco ride your could be miles away from your boat and your fellow divers. You're then left with either swimming to shore or hoping Search & Rescue find you. In the UK they will recover the divers, dive kit will be cut off and abandoned; their job is to save life not equipment.

 

[lermontov]

most times Ive used deco bars clipping direct to boat and it works pretty well if the current isnt too strong, alternatively if it is and if everyone is on the bars then the skipper can cut loose and drift with the bars.

the scenario we are trying to avoid is one we got caught out on a while back 4 of us got back on the upline one got caught in the currrent and had to drift on his SMB after 40 min of deco he was a long way up the coast before the boat could release from the mooring line and pick him up

i was thinking dropping a line to the wreck - then floating the bars alongside connected to the dropline and keeping the boat live - the way if someone got caught in current with smb deployed the boat could trail them. Because we have GPS for the wreck the boat can easily get back to the spot but not so easily the other way around.

my concern is the effect of current on a floating deco rig -so want ot make sure it doesnt get dragged under with current

 

[lermontov]

What are you making the deco bars for? Off of boats? Multiple depths or just the final stop?

Have you considered something like below where you don't have to deal with PVC and it's easier to stow?

View attachment 612045

its a 65m dive in some current so will need 3-6-9m bar 12m can be the bottom weight so well have 30-40 of deco depending on BT - my biggest concern is if the Current picks up- its 21nm out from coast

 

[tbone1004]

If there are more than one team, then the first team has to wait for all the other teams to join them before they unclip from the tether/anchor. With an SMB, there is no waiting. Once you're off the wreck, your team pops at least one and you just hang together. We've often each popped a sausage because it's so much easier to control your depth that way. Also, if you're on the wrong end of the wreck when you finish, you don't have to work your way to the bar.

Don't get me wrong: if it works for you, by all means, use it. I'm just trying to understand the problems it addresses and how it's a better solution than what I currently do.

in NC they're really useful. Deep wrecks, anchor line on the bow, divers coming up randomly, it lets you space yourselves out for the final stop then coast with the current to the stern of the boat. They're pretty much required for the diving up there and I imagine that's why the rigging is called "Carolina Rig". The currents are more than strong enough that open ocean deco is going to take you several miles before the boat can get unhooked and no one wants to deal with that...

 

[KenGordon]

i was thinking dropping a line to the wreck - then floating the bars alongside connected to the dropline and keeping the boat live - the way if someone got caught in current with smb deployed the boat could trail them. Because we have GPS for the wreck the boat can easily get back to the spot but not so easily the other way around.

In the scheme Edward was talking about the shot stays on the wreck and the trapeze drifts with the current. This makes deco much less stressful as you are not hanging on a line like a flag. If you are late and left behind you can stay with the shot or risk the drift. The boat will go with the trapeze. Nobody wants people left though and nobody wants people lost. It is not unusual for it to take 8 hours to find a lost diver, it is probably even less unusual to never find them. It is a big old sea and you will only get a couple of helicopters and a lifeboat or three for two or three days.

 

[Edward3c]

most times Ive used deco bars clipping direct to boat and it works pretty well if the current isnt too strong, alternatively if it is and if everyone is on the bars then the skipper can cut loose and drift with the bars.

the scenario we are trying to avoid is one we got caught out on a while back 4 of us got back on the upline one got caught in the currrent and had to drift on his SMB after 40 min of deco he was a long way up the coast before the boat could release from the mooring line and pick him up

i was thinking dropping a line to the wreck - then floating the bars alongside connected to the dropline and keeping the boat live - the way if someone got caught in current with smb deployed the boat could trail them. Because we have GPS for the wreck the boat can easily get back to the spot but not so easily the other way around.

my concern is the effect of current on a floating deco rig -so want ot make sure it doesnt get dragged under with current

Being dragged under is a real risk if your rig is secured to the bottom. When we dive the Hispania it’s normal to wait for the marker buoy to surface and stabilise before entering the water. After exiting (30 minutes later) the buoy gets pulled back under. I’ve seen a 200Lt barrel (200kg lift) pulled under on the wreck.

 

[lermontov]

In the scheme Edward was talking about the shot stays on the wreck and the trapeze drifts with the current. This makes deco much less stressful as you are not hanging on a line like a flag. If you are late and left behind you can stay with the shot or risk the drift. The boat will go with the trapeze. Nobody wants people left though and nobody wants people lost. It is not unusual for it to take 8 hours to find a lost diver, it is probably even less unusual to never find them. It is a big old sea and you will only get a couple of helicopters and a lifeboat or three for two or three days.

yes either way the boat stays live to address the situation - another option is at a designated time the support diver can check if all on the trapeze then cut it loose for a drift deco- drop line can be picked later