Identifying your reel/spool/markers in 0 viz

[InWay2Deep]

I've seen some really thin wire wrapped around one side of the spools in specific patterns.

 

[ajanelle]

One of my buddies 3d printed my cookies. They work incredibly well.

 

[Ulfhedinn]

I have some marks in my REMs I put there years ago and have never had to use feel to identify them. I think the number of cave divers that were in such a bad silt out they absolutely could not identify their marker is very low. I think it's something that sounds important on paper/the internet/forums, but is pretty much never used. No reason not to add them if you want, but don't overthink it.

Its as I thought, I think I'm just impatiently waiting to take the Cave class this year with @Capt Jim Wyatt and looking for anything to add the subject.

 

[Gene]

You'll have great, informative courses with Jim, and he will answer and/or square away your underwater questions and issues.
He was my instructor years ago and I'm still grateful to him for all he put me through. And my wife and kids second that.

 

[rjack321]

Its as I thought, I think I'm just impatiently waiting to take the Cave class this year with @Capt Jim Wyatt and looking for anything to add the subject.

Are you diving at all right now? Any previous cavern or cave training? Gear is fun to play with and easy to talk about but not really the make or break thing.

Probably the most under appreciated cave skill is the ability to be still. Something you can do in OW. Swim up to a rock, stop (using a back kick), stay there without arm waving or kicking/sculling.

 

[Ulfhedinn]

Are you diving at all right now? Any previous cavern or cave training? Gear is fun to play with and easy to talk about but not really the make or break thing.

Probably the most under appreciated cave skill is the ability to be still. Something you can do in OW. Swim up to a rock, stop (using a back kick), stay there without arm waving or kicking/sculling.

I am.. well as much as I can. No cave or cavern training at all.

Back kick - Check, No Sculling - Check, the surge has other plans though but yes buoyance and trim is something I'm dedicated 100% too dialing in and the recent fundies was a good tool to scale my skill. Its getting these doubles of mine to be optimal before I show up that is still a work in progress.

 

[MinimalMayhem]

I know some people talk about putting a nut and bolt through the marker - that should be easier to detect when wearing thick gloves than notches (though I've never tried it myself).
Have never been in a silt out bad enough that I couldn't bring the marker close enough to my face to read it...not that it couldn't happen!

 

[rddvet]

I know some people talk about putting a nut and bolt through the marker - that should be easier to detect when wearing thick gloves than notches (though I've never tried it myself).
Have never been in a silt out bad enough that I couldn't bring the marker close enough to my face to read it...not that it couldn't happen!

That’s a bad idea. You drop it and expect it to be gone. Add to that the extra weight and in very loose silt, you created a hazard.
If you’re a cave diver and haven’t accidentally dropped a marker, it just hasn’t happened yet

 

[flymolo]

I would suggest just writing your name on your markers and waiting to see what your instructor suggests during your class. I don't know too many divers who have tactile markings on their cookies/arrows.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I would suggest just writing your name on your markers and waiting to see what your instructor suggests during your class. I don't know too many divers who have tactile markings on their cookies/arrows.

This. Like many of us getting started in cave diving, it immediately occurred to me upon reading about zero-vis exits that having a unique tactile marking on my markers and reel would be a clever thing to do. But I refrained from doing it, instead waiting to see what my instructor said, if anything. I forgot to bring it up in class, but my GUE C1 instructor did not mention anything about tactile markings. As someone said above, a true ZERO-vis exit, where you couldn't see a marker even if you put your face right up against it, seems unlikely. Also, it occurs to me that a tactile marking needs to be easy to discern at a time when you may not be in your optimal state of composure and yet not present some sort of additional hazard, like catching on the line where it isn't supposed to. So there is an inherent design tradeoff that does not seem simple to address. We learn to plan for unlikely things, but there are some events that are apparently so unlikely that we don't mess with the (standard, in the case of GUE) gear in anticipation of dealing with such events. Granted, my perspective is only C1.