General Vortex Incident Discussion

[bigken462]

It's a fact.

Are you talking about bailing wire and shoe strings? or modifying a transpack into something. I read about people utilizing transpacs all the time to transform the modular BC's into a side-mount rig. Having three of them, I've considered it myself.

Now on the other hand, if your talking about slapping an inner tube to a rucksack, I would agree that's a bit too much red neck engineering going on. However, even had the feller had all the correct gear, I think we would still be nearing 900 post on this thread anyway.

Ken

 

[Cave Diver]

Are you talking about bailing wire and shoe strings? or modifying a transpack into something. I read about people utilizing transpacs all the time to transform the modular BC's into a side-mount rig. Having three of them, I've considered it myself.

Now on the other hand, if your talking about slapping an inner tube to a rucksack, I would agree that's a bit too much red neck engineering going on. However, even had the feller had all the correct gear, I think we would still be nearing 900 post on this thread anyway.

Ken

Before we travel too far down this path, I'd like everyone to keep this in mind. Most of the original pioneers of cave diving used a high degree of redneck engineering. Early backplates were made out of stop signs. BC's were a couple of gallon bleach bottle jugs tied under each arm with string. The HOG/DIR rig came from a guy who tinkered with his gear practically every time he got in the water til he got it "right."

There is a lot to be said for redneck engineering. A good diver is still a good diver, whether he's wearing the newest in sidemount harness and wings, or stop signs and bleach bottles. And all the fancy, high tech gear in the world won't help a bad diver to be any better.

Gear does not make the diver.

 

[diverdoug1]

Does anyone else think that it sounds like there is a problem with deepswim's reg in the video? Sounds like he is having problems breathing through it at times. Also did not understand the Polaris missile breach by the platform before going back down for "decompression". I thought this was someone trolling at first, but now I think it is just a dangerous situation.

 

[ScubaSteve]

DEEPSWIM......Deepstops is actually a competent diver.

Does anyone else think that it sounds like there is a problem with deepstops reg in the video? Sounds like he is having problems breathing through it at times. Also did not understand the Polaris missile breach by the platform before going back down for "decompression". I thought this was someone trolling at first, but now I think it is just a dangerous situation.

 

[Cave Diver]

So here is a question for the masses...

This incident has opened the eyes of a lot of readers to the dangers and unforgiving nature of cave diving without proper training. Many of you are seeing for the first time some example of how badly things can quickly go wrong.

If this turns out to be a hoax, misunderstanding, whatever and it turns out for a fact that he is not in the cave after all, will that soften your perception?

 

[diverdoug1]

Before we travel too far down this path, I'd like everyone to keep this in mind. Most of the original pioneers of cave diving used a high degree of redneck engineering. Early backplates were made out of stop signs. BC's were a couple of gallon bleach bottle jugs tied under each arm with string. The HOG/DIR rig came from a guy who tinkered with his gear practically every time he got in the water til he got it "right."

There is a lot to be said for redneck engineering. A good diver is still a good diver, whether he's wearing the newest in sidemount harness and wings, or stop signs and bleach bottles. And all the fancy, high tech gear in the world won't help a bad diver to be any better.

Gear does not make the diver.

Scubaboard already has a vintage dive equipment forum, we should start the vintage cave diving thread. We could discuss how coming up with enough stop signs, bleach bottles, and duct tape is a challenge!

 

[diverdoug1]

DEEPSWIM......Deepstops is actually a competent diver.

Sorry Deepstops, fixed the post, Thanks Scubasteve!

 

[bigken462]

Before we travel too far down this path, I'd like everyone to keep this in mind. Most of the original pioneers of cave diving used a high degree of redneck engineering. Early backplates were made out of stop signs. BC's were a couple of gallon bleach bottle jugs tied under each arm with string. The HOG/DIR rig came from a guy who tinkered with his gear practically every time he got in the water til he got it "right."

There is a lot to be said for redneck engineering. A good diver is still a good diver, whether he's wearing the newest in sidemount harness and wings, or stop signs and bleach bottles. And all the fancy, high tech gear in the world won't help a bad diver to be any better.

Gear does not make the diver.

I guess the point I was kinda trying to make was that regardless of how modified his gear was, or appropriate or not for cave diving, we would more than likely still be where we are today.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Are you talking about bailing wire and shoe strings? or modifying a transpack into something. I read about people utilizing transpacs all the time to transform the modular BC's into a side-mount rig. Having three of them, I've considered it myself.

Now on the other hand, if your talking about slapping an inner tube to a rucksack, I would agree that's a bit too much red neck engineering going on. However, even had the feller had all the correct gear, I think we would still be nearing 900 post on this thread anyway.

Ken

It wasn't a transpac, but it wasn't inner tube and wire either. While a little bulky, it was more streamlined than at least one commercial rig.

 

[Cave Diver]

I guess the point I was kinda trying to make was that regardless of how modified his gear was, or appropriate or not for cave diving, we would more than likely still be where we are today.

And thats a point I wholeheartedly agree. My post wasn't intended as a slam towards you, just to educate people that having a shiny new harness and wing doesn't make them a cave diver any more than standing in their garage makes them a car.