How do you rig your BC?

[gangrel441]

CESA problem, I could not find the handle for the integrated weights as the console was blocking my ability to reach it. Ended up only getting one free, holding on to it with one hand, flipping upside down, where gravity came to my aid moving the console out of the way. I was then able to draw the second weight pouch free and complete the ascent.

Ok...haven't seen this one addressed already....but why were you ditching your weights on a CESA drill? Forgive me if I am reading this incorrectly, but it seems to me you were ditching your weights at depth as well. Not really sure why you would ever do that unless you were grossly overweighted. Weights should only ever need to be ditched at the surface in order to maintain or establish emergency positive bouyancy. Either way, I have no recollection of weight ditching being part of CESA procedure....

 

[Blackwood]

Ok...haven't seen this one addressed already....but why were you ditching your weights on a CESA drill? Forgive me if I am reading this incorrectly, but it seems to me you were ditching your weights at depth as well. Not really sure why you would ever do that unless you were grossly overweighted. Weights should only ever need to be ditched at the surface in order to maintain or establish emergency positive bouyancy. Either way, I have no recollection of weight ditching being part of CESA procedure....

Right. It's a "SA."

I imagine he wanted to grab that handles so he could dump if necessary at the surface.

 

[gangrel441]

Right. It's a "SA."

I imagine he wanted to grab that handles so he could dump if necessary at the surface.

He specifically mentions pulling the handle on the one he did find and holding on to the weights, which inverted him in the water, thus moving his console out of the way so he could find the other one, pull it, and right himself. This doesn't sound to me like he was just trying to locate the handles so he could dump if he needed at the surface....

 

[3-Ring Octopus]

Agreed with Gangrel...you shouldn't be ditching weight on the bottom for a CESA...weight ditch is the "last ditch" effort to get your butt off the bottom and into fresh air. As I recall, the order of OOA options is: 1) Make a natural ascent, 2) Ascend using your buddy's octo, 3) CESA (weights in place and swim up) 4) Buddy breathe, 5) Ditch, flare, and take the express train to the surface.

And again...I could have sworn the OP said NOT to make this a DIR issue...oy. But I digress. As has been stated, you'll probably find it easier to route the octo UNDER your right arm and then clip it to the BC. As far as the DIR non-issue of donating a working 2nd stage...doesn't everyone just take a couple of breaths from their octo to make sure it's working?

And if you needed to ditch weight and are finding the console is in the way of reaching your pouches, I find that clipping it off to a retractor either on your left side or "across body" onto your right waist and then being able to pull it out, glance, and let it spring back to your body works pretty well.

Cheers,
Austin

 

[doghouse]

The CESA was part of my class work!

Maybe I mis-worded what I am looking for. I would like to see how others have rigged their gear, and / or considering the gear I have what suggestions would you make on rigging it.

Consider we are on a boat, and I have just been assigned as your insta-buddy. Do you see anything wrong with how I am setup?

DIR and GUE suggestions are fine, although I am not going to tell my instructor that "The DIR/GUE people say I have to do it this way, not the way you are teaching." I think that would not go over too well.

Should I be asking him this, I don't doubt it but there are more of you than there is of him so by asking here I can get a varied opinion on rigging the gear I have.

 

[gangrel441]

The CESA was part of my class work!

Maybe I mis-worded what I am looking for. I would like to see how others have rigged their gear, and / or considering the gear I have what suggestions would you make on rigging it.

Consider we are on a boat, and I have just been assigned as your insta-buddy. Do you see anything wrong with how I am setup?

DIR and GUE suggestions are fine, although I am not going to tell my instructor that "The DIR/GUE people say I have to do it this way, not the way you are teaching." I think that would not go over too well.


Should I be asking him this, I don't doubt it but there are more of you than there is of him so by asking here I can get a varied opinion on rigging the gear I have.

On the set-up, I would also advise a retractor for the console. More importantly, I would advise that whatever setup you use, you be familiar enough with it to know where everything is instinctively, or at least by feel. It sounds to me like your problem with finding the ditch handle for your weights came from not having this familiarity.

I know it wasn't the question you were asking, but I am curious as to why it was you were ditching your weight pouches during a CESA drill...

Edit: Just reread your post from before and I think I understand. It wasn't during the CESA drill. You were demonstrating a weight ditch for a bouyant ascent. Am I correct? This makes more sense, except my understanding is that the instructor isn't supposed to have you pull your ditches if you are using integrated weights. My understanding is that if you are using integrated, your requirement to demonstrate ditching weights is covered by your BCD ditch and don drill.

Sorry for dwelling on this, but it strikes me as pretty dangerous to pull your weight ditch handles at depth. As I said before, in practice the only time it is really safe to ditch your weights, and the only time you should ever need to, is at the surface in an emergency to establish or maintain emergency bouyancy. If you need to ditch your weights at depth, you are probably grossly overweighted for the dive in the first place.

 

[Blackwood]

He specifically mentions pulling the handle on the one he did find and holding on to the weights, which inverted him in the water, thus moving his console out of the way so he could find the other one, pull it, and right himself. This doesn't sound to me like he was just trying to locate the handles so he could dump if he needed at the surface....

But he didn't let go of it.

I agree... it's a bit odd/alarming.

 

[Blackwood]

As I recall, the order of OOA options is: 1) Make a natural ascent, 2) Ascend using your buddy's octo, 3) CESA (weights in place and swim up) 4) Buddy breathe, 5) Ditch, flare, and take the express train to the surface.

You may be right, but I certainly hope that most divers would opt to buddy breathe on ascent rather than CESA.

 

[doghouse]

OK to clear this up so we can go get beyond why I had the problem.

1. I was doing #5 in the exam.

I had already done the natural ascent 30'/min
I had already done OOA buddy breathing skill test both donor and receiver
I had already done buddy breathing ascent both as donor and receiver.
I had already done emergency swimming ascent with bobbing technique.
I had already done buoyancy control tests.
I had already done ditch and don.
I was doing a final test of dump and flare. Our Depth was around 8-10'. Each Time I would reach for the release handle for the weights, the console was in the way and I could not find the handle.
YES THIS IS A PROBLEM WHY THE HECK DO YOU THINK I STARTED THIS POST?

I have mild OCD and if I cannot find a resolution for this I will have to quit diving as I will never be comfortable with the knowledge that there is no safe way to rig this equipment! I am sure you have read other posts by me. They will show that I tend to over-think things and over analyze them compared to what most people will consider normal. That is exactly what OCD is. I cannot help but obsess about something until I have a full understanding of it. This is why I am not looking for further people obsessing about how to do air sharing. I used the abbreviation CESA as it was suggested in post #3 that, that is what I was doing. If that confused anyone, sorry.

I have 3 days left to get comfortable enough with rigging my gear to complete my last 2 dives for my OW exam. That is not much time considering how it keeps being pushed that there is no safe way to rig this setup!

 

[Blackwood]

... Each Time I would reach for the release handle for the weights, the console was in the way and I could not find the handle. ...


I have mild OCD and if I cannot find a resolution for this I will have to quit diving as I will never be comfortable with the knowledge that there is no safe way to rig this equipment! I am sure you have read other posts by me. They will show that I tend to over-think things and over analyze them compared to what most people will consider normal.

Are you also melodramatic?

If something is in your way move it. If that isn't possible (it is), don't quite diving, rather replace the equipment with something that isn't inherently flawed.