Ascending on a line?

[xjeslesx]

I think his definition of 'heavy current' differs from how many other people would define it.

There are some serious dead-ends to the logic in that advice...which makes me think it is a 'hypothetical' skill rather than a demonstrated one..

If current was too heavy to guarantee return to the start point, then the boat should be roaming to collect the divers.

By heavy I mean 5kts+ of current. The kind that you wont do a safety stop in because you will end up a mile from your boat by the time you surface.

 

[Blackwood]

String

You seem to be an intelligent person that is obviously smarter than everyone on here, so please enlighten us.

If you began your dive from an anchored boat, came into bad viz, are 70' deep, cannot locate the anchor line, and need to complete a safety stop how would you do it?

Free ascent and let the current take you a mile away? Possibly blow off your safety stop and risk getting bent. You are a really smart person so I'm sure you will have some great advise for everyone here.

Thanks in advance for all your brilliant knowledge you non-retarded person.

I won't answer for String, but personally I'd tie into the bottom rather than wedging it in there such that I can free it from the surface. Sure, me hanging on while being pulled by the current is likely to lock it in place, but a spool is a small price to pay to be sure (and you can always go back and get it at a later time).

 

[knowone]

How long is this line going to be and how long were you diving in 20m to collect the substantial deco that you may blow holding a line that is holding onto a rock in a five knot current that will take you .86 nautical miles that will negate your stop through exertion as you are doing your deco horizontally through no choice of your own if you can hold on to the line that is holding on to a rock maybe anyway..:storm:

When a comfortable fast Superman flying using your body to steer drift hanging from a bag is exhilarating.

And what are you doing there without a plan anyway.

 

[Sas]

I rarely have an anchor line to ascend on. Usually I deploy an SMB as the boat drop offs and pickups are live here so the boat can find me, or my buddy might do it. Boats expect everyone (or at least one per buddy pair) to have an SMB.

Also I practice ascending without visual reference quite a lot and so do not have issues with it. Because of local conditions in my OW course we had to do this so it's just something I have always done.

When I travel and there is an anchor line I hang off that, it's awesome! So easy to do stops, love it

 

[aquaregia]

I'm comfortable with free ascents from 50', however if I'm diving with a less-experienced buddy we usually look for some kelp to come up. Better stuff to look at on the kelp too.

Edit: My diving involves no current or pleasureboaters to speak of.

 

[ScubaMarc]

here is a dive i did off the duane, key largo, the guys below me are around 5 feet apart. If you watch the bubbles, there are almost horizontal. All of us we holding on the mooring line like flags. If i did a free ascent or tied a smb to a rock, i will be lost forever. Sometime you can not just do a free accent.

Marc's Dives/Key Largo 2007/Video/dive_video_florida_key_largo_2007_01

 

[aquaregia]

For sure, I should have specified my region. I had a similar experience on the Vandenberg -- I had to hold onto the ship at all times, swimming was not an option.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I won't answer for String, but personally I'd tie into the bottom rather than wedging it in there such that I can free it from the surface. Sure, me hanging on while being pulled by the current is likely to lock it in place, but a spool is a small price to pay to be sure (and you can always go back and get it at a later time).

Do you realize what this will accomplish in a strong current? What you suggest is impossible

A diver trying to ascend UP a smb line which is fixed to the bottom in a strong current will be unable to hold the thin line and will get drug toward the surface from the current. It will be fast and the diver will be unable to stop.

If, after sliding uncontrollably "up" the smb line, and the diver then does manage to hold on to the float, he will get sucked back downward uncontrollably, even if their BC is full and the smb has 20 -30 lbs of bouyancy in it. Do you's guys have any real experience or what?

Not too long ago, I watched a relaitve novice get the "ride of his life" in exactly this type of scenario. He was clueless, but I would expect that experienced divers giving advice about this stuff would have a firm grasp of the obvious?


You can't come up a smb that is tied to the bottom while diving in a strong current. If you dive in a strong current, you MUST expect that sooner or later you are going to screw up and get away. To be safe, you must have some contingency plans that are workable. A big part of mine is to carry a marine radio in a pressure proof vessel in my BC.

 

[peterbj7]

My buddy and I saved the lives of two novices in the Maldives who were doing just that.

A rather different question. Does anyone here know what a "lazy shot" is? I'll describe it if necessary, but I'm rather hoping others may know. It's a very useful device/technique for a group to make a controlled ascent in a current.

 

[Blackwood]

Do you realize what this will accomplish in a strong current? What you suggest is impossible

I'm not suggesting anything. I'm merely stating that if I'm counting on a line to stay put, I wouldn't wedge it under something such that I can indiana-jones-with-a-bull-whip it out from under that thing once I reach the surface.