DIR Compatible Ice Harness

[bcsean]

The whole concept is different from DIR to any other really. DIR treats it as an overhead environment and you tie off lines, run reels.... The other organizations have you on a rope, which is your signalling device to the surface. Rescue divers are ready.... Very different philosophies behind setup and gear required due to this.

 

[radinator]

I asked that very question and was told "thems the rules". When I tried to point out that the D-rings on the BP harness were every bit as secure as those of the "ice harness" I was told "thems the rules". In the grand scheme of things it was not worth fighting over so I "followed the rules".

Whose rules?

 

[Green_Manelishi]

Whose rules?

Most of the time the DM's on these dives were PADI certified and I suspect those were the rules which were being followed. My wife was never keen on me participating in the u-i dives but one year I convinced her to attend the "pre dive seminar" so she'd be reassured that risk was minimized, etc. The day of the actual dive though all of the assurance was eliminated as the result of three episodes:

1) a late arrival, the DM's daughter was given preferential treatment as well as allowed to replace a member of a dive team

2) the DM's daughter was tending, grew tired of holding the line and decided to just lay it down on the ice. Guess who was on the end of that line?

3) the DM himself elected to do an untethered u-i dive. No reel, no line, no nothing.

Needless to say, during the drive home my wife told me "If you ever dive under ice again it will NOT be with a group led by that idiot." In all fairness to all involved, that year's u-i dive was DM'd by a different DM than previously or since. However, the harness rule was present in all cases.

As I mentioned in a previous post, although I've dove (diven? dived?) under ice several times I do not consider myself an u-i diver. However, given the opportunity I'd like to take a well conducted course in u-i diving.

 

[ScoobieDooo]

That was a pretty poor outing - thats for sure! Amazing no one was hurt or killed.

So whats supposed to BE the purpose of the Ice Harness anyway? A means to 'haul' the diver up in case of an emergency, etc?

 

[Green_Manelishi]

That was a pretty poor outing - thats for sure! Amazing no one was hurt or killed.

So whats supposed to BE the purpose of the Ice Harness anyway? A means to 'haul' the diver up in case of an emergency, etc?

It certainly was a poor outing.

The harness can be used to haul the diver out. Perhaps it's a hold over from the 'prior to DIVING under the ice' days of rescuing people who fell through the ice.

 

[ScoobieDooo]

And HOW was the Surface Support Crew to know IF and WHEN to haul the diver up?

Any good web sites about Ice Diving, etc?

 

[Green_Manelishi]

And HOW was the Surface Support Crew to know IF and WHEN to haul the diver up?

Any good web sites about Ice Diving, etc?

Bob3 should chime in here 'cuz he's done a lot of commercial diving but here is my input:

Absent a voice com-system the tender and diver maintain communication by prearranged signals on the rope. When 'communication is lost' then the tender begins hauling. Obviously it's a fine line between 'snug enough to feel movement' and "so damn tight that the diver is fighting the tender." A good tender is worth his (or her) weight in precious metal or exotic breathing gas :dazzler1: Also, eventually there could be so much line laid out that communication is difficult if not impossible. Many years ago that very problem plagued a crew that was trying to work on a flooded tunnel. In the annals of diving there is not much more balsy a dive than this one

 

[XJae]

...When 'communication is lost' then the tender begins hauling...

don't pull it all the way out...
it points in the direction you'll want to search first.

 

[Green_Manelishi]

don't pull it all the way out...
it points in the direction you'll want to search first.

Not of there is a current or the line is not a floater. The tended SHOULD be able to indicate to the safety diver in which direction to start swimming.

Typically in u-i diving with a tender the rescue diver's tether is significantly longer than that of the other divers. When the non-rescue realizes he is off the line the idea is to ascend to the ice ceiling and wait. The rescue diver enters the water, swims under the ice to the end of his (or her) tether then begins a sweep. If the lost diver is staying in place just under the ice he (or she) should be caught in the sweep.

Of course this supposes a plethora of "if ..."

 

[VTernovski]

So whats supposed to BE the purpose of the Ice Harness anyway? A means to 'haul' the diver up in case of an emergency, etc?

yep... exactly that.