Diving techniques: New vs Old

[DCBC]

...I don't know what the attitudes were back in the late 50's on solo but I'm willing to bet it wasn't as accepting as it is today. Anyone know for sure?

I don't know about the 50's. I'm sure the attitude about many things (even today) will vary with the various regions within a country. How things may be perceived in the deep south may be different than the NE, or west coast.

In the mid 60's in Canada, solo diving was looked upon negatively by recreational divers. By the 70's even military and commercial divers worked in teams.

 

[Akimbo]

… By the 70's even military and commercial divers worked in teams.

Varied a lot, mostly due to regional codes and insurance. Speaking only for my sphere of visibility:

I was never on a surface supplied commercial job when two divers were wet at the same time, unless the extra hands were required to get the job done. I would take comms and a bailout over somebody that can’t see me anyway. In some conditions, that extra umbilical can be a greater hazard for both divers than a help. Besides, most pay scales jumped whenever somebody got wet.

A lot of Scuba jumps in were solo, but short and shallow — that was about all it was used for. Most of the ships were dynamically positioned, or had one supporting us, so Scuba's mobility had much less value. Very few of the older bells could even hold three guys.

Most surface supplied US Navy training dives I did were solo. Standby divers were always dressed out, but that was as much for efficiency as safety (on the commercial side) because he was the next guy over the side. The standby would often be clearing his ears before the other diver was stripped and in the barrel for SurD.

 

[Nemrod]

I think some of you guys confuse the military and commercial with sport diving. I don't know what the military did nor do I really concern myself with what commercial divers do or don't do. Solo diving always gets the "look" and in my experience more so today than ever.

As to the hand swimming thing, nothing reveals a beginner status or diver discomfort faster to me than seeing that diver hand swimming. It is bad form and inefficient. The diver should master a variety of kicks and use them as required, be it the frog, scissor, flutter or skulling, forward, sideways or backward.

I think I have a new rule, henceforth, for me, military harness with horsecollar BC, no thanks. I cannot tie the straps or adjust them with my arthritis and I cinched the dang sternum thing down so tight trying to keep the straps on my shoulders that I could not breath and nearly passed out (only small exaggeration) and could not get it loose under the horsecollar without getting back on the boat and having the DM do it for me. The cotton gets wet and defies my best efforts. Serious diving requires serious equipment, if I had been solo at least I would not have delayed my buddy's dive. Mixing and matching a harness from the 50s with a horsecollar BC from the 70s just does not make sense to me and henceforth I will not do it. But once I got it loose enough to breath I had a great dive despite the straps falling off my shoulders, oh well.

N

 

[DCBC]

Varied a lot, mostly due to regional codes and insurance. Speaking only for my sphere of visibility:

I was never on a surface supplied commercial job when two divers were wet at the same time, unless the extra hands were required to get the job done. I would take comms and a bailout over somebody that can’t see me anyway. In some conditions, that extra umbilical can be a greater hazard for both divers than a help. Besides, most pay scales jumped whenever somebody got wet.

A lot of Scuba jumps in were solo, but short and shallow — that was about all it was used for. Most of the ships were dynamically positioned, or had one supporting us, so Scuba's mobility had much less value. Very few of the older bells could even hold three guys.

Most surface supplied US Navy training dives I did were solo. Standby divers were always dressed out, but that was as much for efficiency as safety (on the commercial side) because he was the next guy over the side. The standby would often be clearing his ears before the other diver was stripped and in the barrel for SurD.

You may have misunderstood, I usually had a standby diver dressed who wasn't wet and I remained in communication (usually with video) at all times. I just didn't feel that I was diving solo, as I had team members in support. The exception at times in the Navy, was EOD. Not something that you need a crowd for.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

...I think I have a new rule, henceforth, for me, military harness with horsecollar BC, no thanks. I cannot tie the straps or adjust them with my arthritis and I cinched the dang sternum thing down so tight trying to keep the straps on my shoulders that I could not breath and nearly passed out (only small exaggeration) and could not get it loose under the horsecollar without getting back on the boat and having the DM do it for me. The cotton gets wet and defies my best efforts. Serious diving requires serious equipment, if I had been solo at least I would not have delayed my buddy's dive. Mixing and matching a harness from the 50s with a horsecollar BC from the 70s just does not make sense to me and henceforth I will not do it. But once I got it loose enough to breath I had a great dive despite the straps falling off my shoulders, oh well.
N

Nemrod,

I'm surprised by this reaction to the military harness. To be truthful, I've only used it on doubles. But on a set of doubles, the harness should not be binding at all. There should be double D-rings that allow adjustment of the length of the shoulder straps, which should be long enough to allow the tank to be down on the back with the regulator between the shoulder blades. A similar set of double D-rings should allow complete adjustment of the chest strap, and the chest strap should be about half-way down the chest (mid-point on the chest). The same goes with the waist strap. The crotch strap is adjusted for the loop by a metal adjustment piece.

All these double D-rings are threaded with a quick release by putting the webbing through the two rings, back down the inside ring, and then looped back over itself to come back out that same ring. It should be easily adjustable (chest, at least), and releaseable in the water. The shoulder straps may be harder to adjust in the water, as the double D-rings are under one arm. But that should be figured out before getting into the water.

Now, all the military harnesses I have are nylon, and not cotton; this may make a difference too. But with the quick release, it still should be relatively easy to adjust and get into it and out of it. In an emergency, the chest strap, both shoulder straps and the waste strap should be releasable. With the horsecollar, the chest strap should be tied in the quick release, and have the end extending out the neck opening for easy grabbing. We used the Navy horsecollar life vests in this manner (in the USAF, we used underarm life preservers [LPUs] rather than life vests). I have used the military harness extensively with my Para-Sea BC (a modified horsecollar) for many years without problems.

SeaRat

 

[John C. Ratliff]

You may have misunderstood, I usually had a standby diver dressed who wasn't wet and I remained in communication (usually with video) at all times. I just didn't feel that I was diving solo, as I had team members in support. The exception at times in the Navy, was EOD. Not something that you need a crowd for.

DCBC,

You weren't diving solo, and you weren't diving scuba either. You were diving what we used to call "hookah" with a hose line to the surface, with voice and video communication, etc. This commercial work is far from what scuba divers usually do, whether solo or buddy diving.

SeaRat

 

[Akimbo]

You may have misunderstood, I usually had a standby diver ...

Sorry, happens to me a lot.

 

[Akimbo]

... Solo diving always gets the "look" and in my experience more so today than ever.

People have always looked at me funny, which is another story, but explains why I never noticed. I find it rare, but entertaining, when some common-air-breathing know-it-all with shinny C-Card points out the error of my ways. I just smile reassuringly and ask them to call the Coast Guard if I am not back in three days.

I am pretty laisser faire regarding the whole arm swimming thing, it just doesn't do much for me. I have learned plenty from all the ineffective things in my life, and even more from really stupid ones, so I don’t begrudge anyone their journey of discovery.

 

[DCBC]

DCBC,

You weren't diving solo, and you weren't diving scuba either. You were diving what we used to call "hookah" with a hose line to the surface, with voice and video communication, etc. This commercial work is far from what scuba divers usually do, whether solo or buddy diving.

At times I was diving scuba and other times CCR, but you're right umbilical was the norm to the surface or a bell for saturation. I've been a recreational instructor for 39 years, so I do understand the other side.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

At times I was diving scuba and other times CCR, but you're right umbilical was the norm to the surface or a bell for saturation. I've been a recreational instructor for 39 years, so I do understand the other side.

DCBC,

I knew you knew, but I wanted to make sure that those who read this thread also know--there is a big difference in the safety precautions between scuba diving and umbilical diving, and especially the bell saturation diving. I've never done that, and imagine that it is quite a different type of diving. Just having communications would be interesting, as if anything went wrong at least you'd have someone to talk to.

SeaRat