Have you ever had to doff and don your rig while diving?

[tmassey]

Once in 49 years. I went where I shouldn't have gone. Lesson learned.

Similar here. Engine room. Got in, couldn’t get out—don’t know if it was position or angle, or if I was going through a different spot. There was a narrow opening in the ceiling. I figured if I was going to have to get out of my gear, I’d go out the hole that definitely got me out!

When I told my wife about it later, I said that I had gotten in without too much difficulty, I should have been able to get back out. She replied “Said every fish in a trap ever...”

I went too far into too technical a space and without a line. Like The Chairman said... Now I run a line, and proceed more cautiously.

 

[TMHeimer]

Like others,,Had to do it several times.

Each time was chasing a fish or grabbing a bug and the flag line got hooked on >>>> Take your pick, 1st stage, pony bottle, cam strap, suicide dbl enders, fin strap, and on and on, and on.

Mostly solved the problem by just diving naked the last few years and carry a radio instead.

I've had the line get snagged on numerous places as well (hate having to use a dive flag when I leave NS....). I always managed to get it free, or at least to a place where it was still functional without having to doff & don.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Simple story. Solo dive in popular area. Not too risky, bc shallow with lots of people nearby, just no buddy (Monterey Bay, CA).

Kelp entanglement. Reached over my head to pull off what I could. No go. Still stuck. Doffed gear, found the culprit strand, donned gear, swam on.

Simple story. Not uncommon among kelp players in CA. Even if not solo, it may still be easier for you to fix issue than have your buddy swim up into the trees and get tangled too.

Before someone says, "Stay out of the kelp!", there are lots of great critters there for macro photo. Stuff happens. No big deal.

And yes - I split my weights. No sense hanging on to your heavy bcd in thick neoprene, when you can each be neutral with combo of integrated weights and belt.

Same thing happened to me once, except I wear all of my lead on a weightbelt. The rest is a steel tank and backplate.

 

[scubafanatic]

Nope, and I thought 'teaching' the skill in BOW class a bit silly. Doing it once, years ago in BOW class, doesn't represent mastery of any skill, it's so minimal from a 'training' perspective as to be worthless. I can imagine some 'tech' diver (wreck or cave penetration) entanglement scenario where it could potentially be useful, but I've never heard of that being incorporated into any GUE / cave/ wreck training class as a required skill....I'll admit I'm not a 'techie', just a very experienced, open ocean, warm water, tourist diver. Having to doff/don one's scuba gear in the middle of a dive is generally an indicator of more serious general deficiencies in one's training/situational awareness/experience level.

 

[CuzzA]

Nope, and I thought 'teaching' the skill in BOW class a bit silly. Doing it once, years ago in BOW class, doesn't represent mastery of any skill, it's so minimal from a 'training' perspective as to be worthless. I can imagine some 'tech' diver (wreck or cave penetration) entanglement scenario where it could potentially be useful, but I've never heard of that being incorporated into any GUE / cave/ wreck training class as a required skill....I'll admit I'm not a 'techie', just a very experienced, open ocean, warm water, tourist diver. Having to doff/don one's scuba gear in the middle of a dive is generally an indicator of more serious general deficiencies in one's training/situational awareness/experience level.

That is a bunch of nonsense. First of all, in any open water class it is usually emphasized that all of the basic skills taught should be practiced for mastery after you get your certification. So the idea a diver does a skill once and then should forget about it is wrong.

Second, since entanglement in either cave line in a cave or fishing line and nets on a wreck, not to mention the other entanglement and passage issues of that type of diving is greater than what the average warm water tourist diver being led by a DM would find, I'd be shocked to learn those skills are not emphasized and practiced in cave and wreck courses. Especially considering the more complex gear configurations required for technical diving.

Finally, you've just read quite a few examples where fellow board members have had to remove their rig. Many with decades of diving experience and then you essentially state they are ****** divers.

Let me ask you something, since your situational awareness is far superior. How are you able to see fluorocarbon under water when no one else can?

Most entanglements are elementary, unless you've never practiced the skill.

Here's an example of an untrained diver dying because he was separated from his group, got tangled and then panicked. He died at 25 fsw with 2200 psi still left in his tank. He had plenty of time. Sad.

Divers Alert Network, Untrained Diver Dies Entangled in Kelp

 

[Colliam7]

removed several times, typically for gear adjustments that I'm too lazy to surface and fix.

Same here. Times when I get in and realize 'something' just doesn't feel right in the way the rig is fitting, Even at depth it is easier to to doff the rig, then put it back on, than it is to re-surface. And, yes, it was a symptom of another problem - rushing to put my gear on and splash.

 

[Oldbear]

Mostly for gear adjustments...

No big deal.

 

[Soloist]

Had to? No. Choose to? Yes, many times. First time was at Blue Heron Bridge in 15 feet of water, without a weight belt, as part of my solo diver certification. Other times were in ideal conditions with a sandy bottom, again without the luxury of a weight belt. I have gone through numerous backplate iterations, so I would practice this skill for each setup. Never tried this off the bottom though, but plan to. Should this be taught in OW? That would have been great, but not practical considering current training “standards”, so no. However, definitely should be an AOW exercise. Hopefully none of us will have to execute this procedure due to a serious problem, but as described throughout this thread you never know when things will go south.

 

[Tassi Devil Diver]

Occasionally to squeeze under a ledge to grab a lobster.

 

[graham_s]

As with a few of the posters, I was diving on holiday with a rental BC.
The strap for my cylinder stretched slightly and the cylinder slipped down.
I took it off and reset it at about 10m without problems.
It's one of the skills we used to practice during my Novice Diver training.
My current BC has double straps, so it's not happened with my own gear.
The rental gear was about at the end of its service life I think.
I take all my own gear these days.