Visual reference on anchor line

[johndiver999]

Some NE wreck divers appear to have adopted highly questionable practices.

They "adopted" those practices well before you were born. LOL.

 

[old frogman]

I'm trying to figure out what I can attach to the anchor line that will serve as a visual reference while switching gases, etc. I'm imagining some kind of giant clothespin, but haven't seen any products that seem like they would work. Anyone have any suggestions?

Getting back to the original question. I would shoot an SMB instead. Current or no current, separated from anchor line or jackstay or team during ascent, it works every time. In particular, in low vis.

Presence of SMB also notifies persons on boat/surface that you are on deco.

 

[Wibble]

Getting back to the original question. I would shoot an SMB instead. Current or no current, separated from anchor line or jackstay or team during ascent, it works every time. In particular, in low vis.

Presence of SMB also notifies persons on boat/surface that you are on deco.

Depends upon the agreed rules in place with the boat skipper. Lots of options:

• Must return to shot: the skipper needs everyone on the shot line due to conditions (fog) or shipping traffic (diving in shipping lanes). This is common in very high traffic areas such as the Dover Straits where all divers hang on to the shotline in the current like flags from a mast; a pretty unpleasant way of spending decompression time.
  • The skipper will use the boat to guard the shotline and the radio to bat ships away; AIS is your friend.

• Should return to shot: such as when using a “lazy shot” or trapeze arrangement where a shot is dropped on the wreck and the divers go down leaving a tag on the lazy shot which is retrieved when the diver ascends; when the last tag is removed, that diver disconnects the lazy shot from the main shot by pulling the quick release and the lazy shot drifts downstream with all divers floating around it. You can bag off (send up a SMB) in extremis, but you should return to the shotline, hence you’d put a strobe a few metres up off the wreck.
  • This is very common in deeper diving where you have a substantial decompression obligation as it is far safer for all divers to be grouped together around the trapeze with unlimited gas supplies (from the other divers) and with the boat guarding you all on the surface.
  • Dropping off the shot and surfacing under a bag is not good form as the other divers will eventually need to get one of them to disconnect the shot line or hang on like flags on a pole whilst the SMB wallah floats off many miles downstream — wot moi? Over 3 miles downstream in my case as my scooter failed and the current was really running strongly!

• Can return to shot: if the normal process is to bag off, the shot line is generally left on the wreck until all divers are recovered downstream, floating in a sea of SMBs. The skipper will want the bags sent up from the wreck, one per diver, so he/she can count the bags and then drift with the bags. This field of SMBs can stretch a considerable distance if there’s discrepancies between bottom times; although the early divers will be the first to surface.
  • Sometimes divers come up the shot line as they enjoy being flags on a line (or dropped their SMB!) but the skipper will bollock them for not sending up a SMB
  • When diving like this you should have a backup SMB and spool/reel should the main SMB fail (e.g. self inflating fails, string tangles and you have to let it fly upward without you, lest you get injured as you fly to the surface. The skipper will notice the dead blob on the water and should fish it out for you.

• Doesn’t matter about shotline: typical low current diving where there’s little current or decompression time. Just stare at the shot/buoy line whilst gently finning against the current, or hovering motionless if slack water. There’s always a thread or mark on any downline which you can use as a reference. If not that, there’s always some jellies or other plankton to be your temporary reference.

 

[old frogman]

Depends upon the agreed rules in place with the boat skipper. Lots of options:

• Mustreturn to shot: the skipper needs everyone on the shot line due to conditions (fog) or shipping traffic (diving in shipping lanes). This is common in very high traffic areas such as the Dover Straits where all divers hang on to the shotline in the current like flags from a mast; a pretty unpleasant way of spending decompression time.
  • The skipper will use the boat to guard the shotline and the radio to bat ships away; AIS is your friend.
• Shouldreturn to shot: such as when using a “lazy shot” or trapeze arrangement where a shot is dropped on the wreck and the divers go down leaving a tag on the lazy shot which is retrieved when the diver ascends; when the last tag is removed, that diver disconnects the lazy shot from the main shot by pulling the quick release and the lazy shot drifts downstream with all divers floating around it. You can bag off (send up a SMB) in extremis, but you should return to the shotline, hence you’d put a strobe a few metres up off the wreck.
  • This is very common in deeper diving where you have a substantial decompression obligation as it is far safer for all divers to be grouped together around the trapeze with unlimited gas supplies (from the other divers) and with the boat guarding you all on the surface.
  • Dropping off the shot and surfacing under a bag is not good form as the other divers will eventually need to get one of them to disconnect the shot line or hang on like flags on a pole whilst the SMB wallah floats off many miles downstream — wot moi? Over 3 miles downstream in my case as my scooter failed and the current was really running strongly!
• Canreturn to shot: if the normal process is to bag off, the shot line is generally left on the wreck until all divers are recovered downstream, floating in a sea of SMBs. The skipper will want the bags sent up from the wreck, one per diver, so he/she can count the bags and then drift with the bags. This field of SMBs can stretch a considerable distance if there’s discrepancies between bottom times; although the early divers will be the first to surface.
  • Sometimes divers come up the shot line as they enjoy being flags on a line (or dropped their SMB!) but the skipper will bollock them for not sending up a SMB
  • When diving like this you should have a backup SMB and spool/reel should the main SMB fail (e.g. self inflating fails, string tangles and you have to let it fly upward without you, lest you get injured as you fly to the surface. The skipper will notice the dead blob on the water and should fish it out for you.
• Doesn’t matter about shotline: typical low current diving where there’s little current or decompression time. Just stare at the shot/buoy line whilst gently finning against the current, or hovering motionless if slack water. There’s always a thread or mark on any downline which you can use as a reference. If not that, there’s always some jellies or other plankton to be your temporary reference.

Brave man diving in fog and shipping lanes. In fog conditions I would carry a personal EPIB and a couple bars of chocolate. In shipping lanes, a strobe and signal mirror.