Entanglement is always a potential problem in diving. I always dive with my knife strapped to my leg; I've been able to access it there from any position. I've also had entanglement issues many, many times. Kelp diving is not the only way to get tangled, but most of the kelp canopy is in that top 5 feet of water.
The problem that watchmanjc had derived from the number of tasks he was trying to accomplish. Having a fish on the line diverts attention from the environment around the diver, and watchmanjc had the need to get the fish under control. Kelp moves with the surge, and with the diver's movements. Entanglement happens when those movements are reversed, and the kelp catches on a piece of equipment or on the diver. Stopping, like watchmanjc did, and figuring out what needed to be done is what needs to happen to preclude further problems and entanglements.
Perhaps the worst case of entanglement occurred when I was making a Pararescue training parascuba jump in 1967 during our training. Somehow one suspension line had made a clove hitch around my riser, and on the way down I tried to get it undone. These were slip risers, so to function correctly I needed to remove a fork from the riser near the capewell release on my parachute harness. But because of the clove hitched riser group, I would not be able to steer even if I detached the fork, so I concentrated on the knot. When I got close to the water's surface, I realized that I needed to release the fork in order to release the riser group to deflate the parachute. But I hit the water before that could happen, and could not release that side. The parachute still inflated, I was drug some distance before I could get the other side released (regulator in mouth, but mask still behind my head). When I did finally deflate the parachute, I simply stayed in the water and got my breath back. But there were 32 parachute lines around me, and on top of me. So I became very entangled in them. I kept my regulator in my mouth (this was Eglin Bay, Florida, so not much in the way of waves). The recovery boat came over, and picked me up with the entangled 'chute still around me. The instructor quizzed me about what happened, and then asked me what I would have done if this was a real mission. I told him no problem on the real mission jump, as I would simply have taking my knife out and cut away all the lines--I didn't want to do that in a training jump, as the boat was right there and parachutes were valuable. I was wearing my own dive knife, an orange-handled Sportsways dive knife with Soligen steel, which was razor sharp (I like my knives). It was not an issued USD knife, which were notorious for poor steel quality and an inability to keep an edge. That satisfied the instructor, but took me out of the running for outstanding student. I still think someone purposely put that clove hitch on my riser group.
I have been solo diving rivers for many, many years. I am now diving in the Clackamas River near Portland, Oregon. Because of boat traffic, I initially tried diving there (High Rocks, for those who know the river) with a dive flag. I got it from he LDS, and it was the classic design with the flag on a post which had a styrofoam float, a small weight on the end, and a place to put the line. I used a strong nylon cord for the line. But when I went into some high current areas (I didn't have as much current on the bottom as the float experienced on the surface), the styrofoam float pulled off over the dive flag, and the whole thing then sank to the bottom, entangling in the rocks. I tried to recover it, but it started entangling in my legs. I cut that free, then left the whole thing on the bottom. I don't dive a dive flag there now, but wear a high visibility helmet when I dive there so boaters can see me if I surface in the center of the river. But I also make a point to surface only near a projecting rock, one which a boat would have a hard time with.
Last winter, I dove that area in February with a full wet suit (water temp in the high 30s F). I was in about 20 feet of water and found I could not get off the ground. The reason--my gauge was tangled in fishing line. I cut that line with my knife, and continued the dive routinely. Fishing line in rivers is a real problem, both for me and the fish. About a month ago I found a norther pike minnow (a fish about a foot long) swimming around an obstacle. He had been hooked, and had tangled around some wood on the bottom. The fisherman had broken his line, and there the poor fish was, hooked to the wood. I freed him with my knife is just a few seconds.
When we dive solo, we need to be mentally prepared for entanglement as it occurs frequently underwater. Here's a few tips about how to cope:
--As watchmanjc did, keep your head and figure out what's happening. Keep your regulator in your mouth (seems like something you don't need to say, but it is important).
--Find the point of entanglement. You may have to look in different places, as it may be almost invisible (monofiliment line, for instance).
--Keep your sharp knife where you can get to it from any position. Use it to cut yourself free.
--Once free, reholster your knife into the sheath carefully (you can get cut doing this).
On the preventative side, there are many things that can be done too. In Pararescue, we had our tanks (double 40s) with what we called a "manifold guard." This was a piece of metal banding which went over the manifold and protected it from parachute lines. On top of the manifold guard, we used masking tape to make a complete shield for the manifold. I think masking tape could be appropriately used to cover projections of current diving configurations too when diving in kelp country. When entanglement is a potential problem, wear a leg knife on the inside of the leg. My preferred place is actually on the outside of my right leg, but for kelp diving I put it on the inside (haven't done that in years though).
In entanglement situations, realize that movement is your enemy. Plan each movement to define the problem. Fast motions tend to complicate entanglements, whereas slow motions can define the entanglement, where it is, what the restrictions are, and how to deal with or cut yourself out of it.
watchmanjc, thanks for sharing you post. Entanglement is a major issue for all solo divers, and we are all solo even if diving with a buddy if that buddy swims out of sight.
SeaRat
The problem that watchmanjc had derived from the number of tasks he was trying to accomplish. Having a fish on the line diverts attention from the environment around the diver, and watchmanjc had the need to get the fish under control. Kelp moves with the surge, and with the diver's movements. Entanglement happens when those movements are reversed, and the kelp catches on a piece of equipment or on the diver. Stopping, like watchmanjc did, and figuring out what needed to be done is what needs to happen to preclude further problems and entanglements.
Perhaps the worst case of entanglement occurred when I was making a Pararescue training parascuba jump in 1967 during our training. Somehow one suspension line had made a clove hitch around my riser, and on the way down I tried to get it undone. These were slip risers, so to function correctly I needed to remove a fork from the riser near the capewell release on my parachute harness. But because of the clove hitched riser group, I would not be able to steer even if I detached the fork, so I concentrated on the knot. When I got close to the water's surface, I realized that I needed to release the fork in order to release the riser group to deflate the parachute. But I hit the water before that could happen, and could not release that side. The parachute still inflated, I was drug some distance before I could get the other side released (regulator in mouth, but mask still behind my head). When I did finally deflate the parachute, I simply stayed in the water and got my breath back. But there were 32 parachute lines around me, and on top of me. So I became very entangled in them. I kept my regulator in my mouth (this was Eglin Bay, Florida, so not much in the way of waves). The recovery boat came over, and picked me up with the entangled 'chute still around me. The instructor quizzed me about what happened, and then asked me what I would have done if this was a real mission. I told him no problem on the real mission jump, as I would simply have taking my knife out and cut away all the lines--I didn't want to do that in a training jump, as the boat was right there and parachutes were valuable. I was wearing my own dive knife, an orange-handled Sportsways dive knife with Soligen steel, which was razor sharp (I like my knives). It was not an issued USD knife, which were notorious for poor steel quality and an inability to keep an edge. That satisfied the instructor, but took me out of the running for outstanding student. I still think someone purposely put that clove hitch on my riser group.
I have been solo diving rivers for many, many years. I am now diving in the Clackamas River near Portland, Oregon. Because of boat traffic, I initially tried diving there (High Rocks, for those who know the river) with a dive flag. I got it from he LDS, and it was the classic design with the flag on a post which had a styrofoam float, a small weight on the end, and a place to put the line. I used a strong nylon cord for the line. But when I went into some high current areas (I didn't have as much current on the bottom as the float experienced on the surface), the styrofoam float pulled off over the dive flag, and the whole thing then sank to the bottom, entangling in the rocks. I tried to recover it, but it started entangling in my legs. I cut that free, then left the whole thing on the bottom. I don't dive a dive flag there now, but wear a high visibility helmet when I dive there so boaters can see me if I surface in the center of the river. But I also make a point to surface only near a projecting rock, one which a boat would have a hard time with.
Last winter, I dove that area in February with a full wet suit (water temp in the high 30s F). I was in about 20 feet of water and found I could not get off the ground. The reason--my gauge was tangled in fishing line. I cut that line with my knife, and continued the dive routinely. Fishing line in rivers is a real problem, both for me and the fish. About a month ago I found a norther pike minnow (a fish about a foot long) swimming around an obstacle. He had been hooked, and had tangled around some wood on the bottom. The fisherman had broken his line, and there the poor fish was, hooked to the wood. I freed him with my knife is just a few seconds.
When we dive solo, we need to be mentally prepared for entanglement as it occurs frequently underwater. Here's a few tips about how to cope:
--As watchmanjc did, keep your head and figure out what's happening. Keep your regulator in your mouth (seems like something you don't need to say, but it is important).
--Find the point of entanglement. You may have to look in different places, as it may be almost invisible (monofiliment line, for instance).
--Keep your sharp knife where you can get to it from any position. Use it to cut yourself free.
--Once free, reholster your knife into the sheath carefully (you can get cut doing this).
On the preventative side, there are many things that can be done too. In Pararescue, we had our tanks (double 40s) with what we called a "manifold guard." This was a piece of metal banding which went over the manifold and protected it from parachute lines. On top of the manifold guard, we used masking tape to make a complete shield for the manifold. I think masking tape could be appropriately used to cover projections of current diving configurations too when diving in kelp country. When entanglement is a potential problem, wear a leg knife on the inside of the leg. My preferred place is actually on the outside of my right leg, but for kelp diving I put it on the inside (haven't done that in years though).
In entanglement situations, realize that movement is your enemy. Plan each movement to define the problem. Fast motions tend to complicate entanglements, whereas slow motions can define the entanglement, where it is, what the restrictions are, and how to deal with or cut yourself out of it.
watchmanjc, thanks for sharing you post. Entanglement is a major issue for all solo divers, and we are all solo even if diving with a buddy if that buddy swims out of sight.
SeaRat
