Down deep...things to remember

[Uncle Pug]

What are you hanging them from?

 

[Dive-aholic]

And how many boats do you bring along to carry and hang all of these tanks from?

 

[boomx5]

We hang several tanks every dive, on several different lines, with multiple second stages. We dive multi-redundant (our back-ups have back-ps) and NEVER intentionally deviate from the dive plan.

Thanks for the reply. I have a couple more honest questions. What mix do you keep in the tanks? How deep do you hang them? How do you plan the dives with regard to using the hang tanks if you had to use them for deco? Are you hanging the tanks for a dive charter because that is the policy or are you doing it just when you and your dive buddy decides to go for a dive? If you got blown off the line, how would that effect the boats ability to come and pick you (or anyone) up if they got caught in a mean current; that's assuming you don't have a Zodiac or some other boat along.

Just so you know I'm not trolling you, I'm just curious how other people do things.

Thanks,

 

[BigboyDan]

Thanks for the reply. I have a couple more honest questions. What mix do you keep in the tanks? How deep do you hang them? How do you plan the dives with regard to using the hang tanks if you had to use them for deco? Are you hanging the tanks for a dive charter because that is the policy or are you doing it just when you and your dive buddy decides to go for a dive? If you got blown off the line, how would that effect the boats ability to come and pick you (or anyone) up if they got caught in a mean current; that's assuming you don't have a Zodiac or some other boat along.

Just so you know I'm not trolling you, I'm just curious how other people do things.

Thanks,

We only use the tanks in the same way that there are fire extinguishers hanging in the hallway at our dive shop, or the ones hanging onboard. They are never A PART of the dive plan; they're there for a total failure of a breathing system (eg. hose blows due to a rip or strong yank.) or emergency decos. We only dive with air, no mixes. Usually on boat dives with a strong current we launch a zodiac, or second boat that hovers the divers down current. We hang an 80 with one 1st stage with two 2nds stages at ten feet and another identical rig at thirty feet and one each more every thirty feet up to 120', with do this from each boat. And, the zodiac is never recalled to the mothership until the last diver is aboard and accounted for. When we dive from shore (on inland) we carry ponys with dedicated 1st and 2nd.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Oh... you are doing this from boats! I thought you were hanging bottles from the cows necks while you dove in the stock tank!

Just kidding. You do have a sense of humor... I've read your posts.

 

[OE2X]

Usually on boat dives with a strong current we launch a zodiac, or second boat that hovers the divers down current. We hang an 80 with one 1st stage with two 2nds stages at ten feet and another identical rig at thirty feet and one each more every thirty feet up to 120', with do this from each boat.

So you hang these tanks from the Zodiac which is following the divers? I don't know about your Zodiac but with mine if I hang my anchor with 20' of chain the drag makes the manuevering much harder and that is in no current. Having driven my boat and others for live boating there is no way in hell that I would leave tanks suspended while doing a drift. The last thing I would want is to have these tanks be a prop entanglement hazard or become an anchor with a 1:1 ratio of line out.
Another consideration for this technique is that the boat may drift differently than the divers ie... faster, slower or in a different direction. If you are down current of the divers how do they know where you are to find the tanks that you have suspended for them? Unless you are right on top of them, then it is highly unlikely that they will find them.

What happens if you have divers on the line, but have to manuever out of the way of an underwater or above water obstruction - crab pot, buoy etc...?

No thanks Dan. If you are trying to tell us that you do this with your Zodiacs I'm calling BS.

 

[OneBrightGator]

No, I think you're mistaken, they hang the 5 bottles off the "mothership" while the Zodiac follows the divers as they drift and come up far away from the "mothership" and the hang tanks.

 

[OE2X]

No, I think you're mistaken, they hang the 5 bottles off the "mothership" while the Zodiac follows the divers as they drift and come up far away from the "mothership" and the hang tanks.

So the hang tanks are essential in this application? Drifting divers - far from the mothership - far from the hang tanks...

I think if I dive with this dive op, then I'll carry all the gas with me for my dive. Now if they sent support divers down to me with extra gas - that would be awesome. Then I'd just use my 40 cf deco bottle.
You think they would be able to bring me some tanks with something besides air though?

 

[OneBrightGator]

Yes, essential... what if somebody rips your second stage off your hose? jeez...

Air is the best gas for off-gassing, what goes in must come out... haven't you read your OW manual?

Do I have to do everything around here???????

 

[OE2X]

Yes, essential... what if somebody rips your second stage off your hose? jeez...

I'd turn to the third member of my team for help.

Air is the best gas for off-gassing, what goes in must come out... haven't you read your OW manual?

Been a while on the manual, but on a recent SI I ate Chili and I was off gassing something besides air!