Jon lines

[patmandu]

I agree with what everyone has said about the live boating vs the tied-in boat that we seem to have up here in the northeast.

Since my 'trip report' was used an example, I thought I'd clarify a little on what we learned and how we implemented it.

yes, Fraser showed us how to use a spool as a makeshift jon-line. No, we never clipped ourselves off to the spool to go 'hands free'. No, we never used this solution in a 'ripping current'; we drifted using a live boat when the condition warranted it.

The reason we used the Joh-line then and I have used the same procedure in the caymans, and up here in the NE is when there is an 'annoying' little current blowing and you have a longer stop (i.e. 20ft). Constant lazy finning or occasional finning to keep around the anchor line while your supposed to be 'relaxing' and decoing is a PITA. I'm not talking a ripping current and holding on for dear life.....come on, would you trust the line on spool for that?

Instead we tie off and hold onto the spool so that we don't have to kick all the time to keep in sight of the line and our buddies. I'm not seeing any danger in this at all. We aren't hanging off the line, so that 'ups' and 'downs' in the mooring line are going to jerk us to tox depths or anything of sort. And, we aren't hanging out like a blowing flag. Simply it's an aid in slight current where you don't want to be 'excercising' during deco.

Make sense?

--Pat

 

[daylight]

Pat,
It's good to see a post that demonstrates reality and common sense.
thanks,
Larry

 

[ericfine50]

Pat.
Thanks for the info.
Eric

 

[Braunbehrens]

patmandu once bubbled...
Instead we tie off and hold onto the spool so that we don't have to kick all the time to keep in sight of the line and our buddies. I'm not seeing any danger in this at all. We aren't hanging off the line, so that 'ups' and 'downs' in the mooring line are going to jerk us to tox depths or anything of sort. And, we aren't hanging out like a blowing flag. Simply it's an aid in slight current where you don't want to be 'excercising' during deco.
--Pat

Sounds like a reasonable thing to do, so long as the current is light enough that if someone does let go they can get back easily.

 

[patmandu]

I've always thought it was a pretty reasonable thing to do, and was convienent.

To give a good example, I was doing a gas dive in the Caymans last year. Stops from 70 to 20 we experienced a slight current as we gradually made our back to the boat (which was moored for the recreational divers on the boat). With a 16 minute stop or 20' (or something like, I don't have wetnotes at the office) the slight current was sort of annoying. I'd stop kicking and notice myself 20ft or so from the downline, I'd then kick back to the line, and relax....then I'd be 20ft from the line again. UGH. I look over to the other down line (they hang two lines off the swim platform) and there's Fraser hanging onto his spool with two fingers and just enjoying his deco. Of course, I followed suit and enjoyed just watching the fish swim by and checking on my buddy as the time ticked off.

There is no way I'd tie off a spool in a ripping current. I just wouldn't trust the line to keep 'safe' and if the current were that bad, I'd never get back to the anchor line if the line snapped. No what I mean.

I think this is the case where people read something, and don't 'get' what is being said.

Just my .02