Don't move the upline!

[do it easy]

And both terms, grapple and grapnel are the same?

Grapple (tool), a tool for grasping, hooking, and pulling objects

As far as I know they are used interchangably, but I believe that a grapnel is a specific type of grappling hook. Of course, I learned to sail in the bathtub, so take this for what it's worth.

 

[TSandM]

Well, since people were writing different words, I went and looked up "grapnel", and as far as I can tell, the kind of hook with the multiple curved tines that we were using is, in fact, a "grapnel", which is used to grapple the wreck . . .

 

[onfloat]

Instead of hooking the wreck with the boat tied in, why not use a shot line if the boat needs to be free. Basically it's a weight that is shaped like a missle or torpedo with fins, tie a line to it and attach a bouy at the other end. Drop it on your mark, use it for the up line and pull it when you are done.

 

[Rainer]

The word you indeed want is grapnel. Gentile always makes this a point in his books it seems.

 

[do it easy]

Instead of hooking the wreck with the boat tied in, why not use a shot line if the boat needs to be free. Basically it's a weight that is shaped like a missle or torpedo with fins, tie a line to it and attach a bouy at the other end. Drop it on your mark, use it for the up line and pull it when you are done.

You won't be able to anchor the boat while the divers are underwater, so maybe the boat drifts about until the divers surface, although I would bet this is a bad idea most of the time. Around here, the boat moors on the wreck and we don't even have strong currents!

 

[onfloat]

Live drop and live retrieval. Sounded like the boat didn't want to be anchored during the dive anyway.

 

[Ben_ca]

Lynne and Peter,

Thanks for sharing... Your insight into your diving experiences benefit all of us. Do not let the haters and bashers get to you..... You cannot win with them...

If you acknowledge that you made an error they bash you for being incompetent.... and when you tell a story of "All is well" then they bash you for being "arrogant"

The take away for everyone here is "What would I have done in this case" and for the ones who have been there and done that please tell us what worked for you.

Thanks,

Ben

 

[grazie42]

Well you don´t know what you don´t know and everyone makes mistakes. Good divers only make the same one once or even learn from others so thank you for giving us the oppurtunity to learn from yours...

Live drops are only feasible if the viz is good it would never work here for instance...and with currents etc it takes a great skipper and disciplined divers to make it work...

I agree with whoever it was that said that the first teams responsibility is to secure the hook to the wreck and the last teams is to free it. You need to agree on how you know that you´re the last team out. A small bit of line attached to the mooringline with clothespins for each diver is an easy/cheap way to do it.

If it´s critical to find your way back to the upline (it usually is) then you need to make sure that you do. Either run a line or leave enough time before ascent to allow you to search. Also have a procedure in place, that you´ve communicated to the skipper, if you fail to find your way back...

All of these things (and more) should be covered in a good wreck-class...IMO...

 

[onfloat]

Live drops are only feasible if the viz is good it would never work here for instance...and with currents etc it takes a great skipper and disciplined divers to make it work...

What's the viz like there? This is done in San Diego, where the viz is usually 10-20 ft. If team gets off by the shot line, assembles and goes down together......

 

[Charlie99]

Live drops are only feasible if the viz is good it would never work here for instance...and with currents etc it takes a great skipper and disciplined divers to make it work......

True for a live drop with nothing to mark the position of the wreck, nor a downline to lead to the wreck.

OTOH, in some areas (most notably the UK) it is normal practice to drop a shotline on the wreck and then do a live drop upcurrent of the buoyed shotline. The divers have the shotline as a downline to the wreck. When ascending, they shoot a bag from the wreck, before starting ascent, and do drifting deco. Since the bag starts off near the wreck, it is easy to spot.

Obviously, there is a limit to how many divers or how many groups can be handled by one boat using this sort of live drop and live pickup, which is probably why it isn't all that popular in NE/MidAtlantic USA.