Minimalist Setup for Small River Diving (~15ft or less)?

[2airishuman]

I dive local lakes and rivers.

I have experimented with "minimalist" rigs and made several dives with an old-school plastic "backplate," no octo, no BC, the idea being to streamline and maybe have an inexpensive set of gear I can leave in the back of the car, bottom of the boat, etc. I experimented with various sizes of cylinders, like you propose. I got a Calypso J regulator and experimented with diving without an SPG.

After becoming familiar with the setup I concluded that there weren't any advantages.

I dive a backplate and wing on all my dives now. I dive LP72s on shallow dives. I use primary donate with a necklaced secondary. My rig is well streamlined and with some small adjustments gives me everything I need for a wide variety of dives. Everything is always in the same spot and works the way I expect it. I like my rig. I like having a BC. I like having plenty of air.

A smaller/lighter rig isn't enough smaller, enough lighter, or enough more streamlined than what I usually dive to make a meaningful difference.

Lots of hazards in rivers. Be aware that in current you may get stuck on a "strainer" i.e. pinned against an obstruction by the current. Be aware that logs/branches/trees may move so that they trap you under them. Carrying a hand saw is sometimes a prudent precaution. Viz is poor in many cases.

Enjoy, be safe

 

[Rick Brant]

I find that hammer head swimming device in the second dive very interesting.

Very interesting video, I love seeing divers being of service like this. Hammerhead can be seen here.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Very interesting video, I love seeing divers being of service like this. Hammerhead can be seen here.

@Rick Brant, @Jcp2,

Here is a better video showing the Sea Turtle/Dolphin underwater swimming style, using the Hammerhead Unit.


The Hammerhead Unit was made out of the propulsion blades for a 1970s product called the Aqueon. I simply put handles on it after removing it from the rest of the Aqueon. I have now put my Aqueon back together, and tested it out on two dives this Spring, but like it as a Hammerhead Unit and like it better. I have put together a new Hammerhead Unit, based upon two kayak paddles and some webbing, and been using it for the last year. I am also about to build another unit, based upon a sea lion's front flippers.

John

 

[SlugLife]

SeaRat

• I do frequently find tons of loot. I have a rather large custom loot-bag I made, which folds up tiny, and has a brightly-colored opening.
• Today, I decided to take my main backplate setup & spare aluminum backplate. I reversed the aluminum backplate (similar to "Toddy") and tied bungee around the edges to pull in the (oversized) wing as much as possible. It's an 85-lbs wing (I know, haha) that lets you pull a cord to make it smaller, but I wanted to make it even smaller and more streamlined. I'll probably post pictures tomorrow.
• After seeing the hammer-head unit, I've been thinking of DIYing something like it. I have seen paddles occasionally (kayak or paddle-board probably) while scuba-diving occasionally, but am probably better off getting one off craigslist or just new, and hacking it apart & attaching a couple handles.
• I agree on the grapple. I had the idea of using an ice-pick while seeing your first-video, but quickly realized that would be something else bulky to carry around, and another item in my hands to manage. Perhaps something DIY might be okay, like gloves with a small hook, but it could still get in the way of using that hand.

I dive local lakes and rivers.

I have experimented with "minimalist" rigs and made several dives with an old-school plastic "backplate," no octo, no BC, the idea being to streamline and maybe have an inexpensive set of gear I can leave in the back of the car, bottom of the boat, etc. I experimented with various sizes of cylinders, like you propose. I got a Calypso J regulator and experimented with diving without an SPG.

After becoming familiar with the setup I concluded that there weren't any advantages.

I dive a backplate and wing on all my dives now. I dive LP72s on shallow dives. I use primary donate with a necklaced secondary. My rig is well streamlined and with some small adjustments gives me everything I need for a wide variety of dives. Everything is always in the same spot and works the way I expect it. I like my rig. I like having a BC. I like having plenty of air.

A smaller/lighter rig isn't enough smaller, enough lighter, or enough more streamlined than what I usually dive to make a meaningful difference.

Lots of hazards in rivers. Be aware that in current you may get stuck on a "strainer" i.e. pinned against an obstruction by the current. Be aware that logs/branches/trees may move so that they trap you under them. Carrying a hand saw is sometimes a prudent precaution. Viz is poor in many cases.

Enjoy, be safe

Thanks for the feedback and shared experiences. I think I'm leaning towards using my main backplate setup, but putting more effort into streamlining that (like the dual-backplate plus bungee thing I mentioned). I agree that smaller/lighter won't really be smaller-lighter, because I'll need weights anyway.

I always dive poor-viz. What kind of saw do you carry? My small dive-knife has a serrated edge, but I'd guess it wouldn't be a very effective saw. Just brainstorming (though not advocating these specific products)

• https://www.amazon.com/NOVSIX-Survival-Stainless-Outdoor-Emergency/dp/B0793R163R - A wire-saw would be compact, but require two hands & possibly difficult to control.
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Woodworking-Collapsible-Multifunctional-Gardening/dp/B08C4MHMMX - A folding-saw might be a decent choice, although you never know if all components are stainless-steel. I'd probably want to try to find one that's not too big.
  
• A multitool with a saw might be a pain to open underwater (and bulkier than needed).
• A good stainless-steel steak-knife might also work, I could make a sheath for it fairly easily.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I think a saw is impractical underwater. Even weighted, you are in essentially a weightless environment. To use a saw, you'd have to have one hand stabilizing you to provide the ability to even work the saw. Remember, for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction; you have to provide for that to move the saw. A wire saw requires both hands to work, and therefore you won't have any way of providing stability against that reaction; it won't work underwater.

This thought of being pinned by the current against something is mostly something that swimmers and breath-hold divers have to be worried about. I have not experienced this while scuba diving, even though I have been around many, many obstacles in heavy current. I have always been able to go around, under or over those obstacles. Again, with scuba, you have time to work through these things.

SeaRat

 

[SlugLife]

I think a saw is impractical underwater. Even weighted, you are in essentially a weightless environment. To use a saw, you'd have to have one hand stabilizing you to provide the ability to even work the saw. Remember, for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction; you have to provide for that to move the saw. A wire saw requires both hands to work, and therefore you won't have any way of providing stability against that reaction; it won't work underwater.

This thought of being pinned by the current against something is mostly something that swimmers and breath-hold divers have to be worried about. I have not experienced this while scuba diving, even though I have been around many, many obstacles in heavy current. I have always been able to go around, under or over those obstacles. Again, with scuba, you have time to work through these things.

SeaRat

Agreed, I'm not convinced a saw is practical at this time, but I am curious what he uses and generally remaining open-minded. I'm even thinking about ditching my knife.

There are many cases where I find myself suddenly with zero visibility (which isn't really a problem in open water) & one entanglement case. The closest I came to a rush-scenario, was a bad air-leak, I didn't rush, and still surfaced with about 1900 psi. Rushing is probably the one thing that would be most likely to cause a problem, such as being entangled, not diagnosing your situation, and then damaging your regulators by yanking hard or accidentally cutting them with a knife. Or a reg knocked out of your mouth, it's better to stop, think, and reliably retrieve either primary or secondary reg, than to frantically search for it causing you to run out of air faster. There are few cases where rushing has any advantage.

Anyway, here's my initial attempt to streamline my backplate setup, with pictures of inflated and deflated above surface & from the backside (there are 2x backplates). I think it's an 85lbs wing (yes, I'm aware a smaller wing would be better), so it could definitely use some "assistance" being smaller. It needs a little bit of adjustment, but is probably a decent start, and better than what I had before.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

That streamlining looks quite nice. I think you’ll enjoy it.

Do not ditch the knife. It is a very useful tool in a variety of situations. You’ll find it especially useful if you try to recover fishing lures. But I’ve gotten myself out of messes with my knife. So I urge you to keep it. Don’t worry about cutting your LP hose in two with it either. You’d really have to try to cut that hose, even in zero visibility. I assume you’ll be diving without wet suit gloves. I dive bare-handed most of the time when the water is warm. Yes, I’ve gotten a fish hook or two in the finger, but not deeply imbedded, just a prick. I find that the manual dexterity is an advantage, and especially in low visibility you’ll know more about what’s there without gloves.

SeaRat

PS, I once cut two deceased Korean Air Force T-33 pilots out of their parachute harnesses in the Yellow Sea in zero visibility using my diving knife. They had crashed when their altimeter malfunctioned and they flew their jet into the sea, thinking they were at 10,000 feet when they were at only about 1,000 feet over a dead calm, glassy surface of the Yellow Sea. Their parachutes had deployed upon impact, and the lines were all over the water.

 

[Texasguy]

This is my most minimal setup, starts at 1:42

 

[2airishuman]

Agreed, I'm not convinced a saw is practical at this time, but I am curious what he uses and generally remaining open-minded.

I rarely do dives where it is necessary but what I have is something like the one in the second link you posted, just a short folding pruning saw that has a handle that folds to protect the blade.

As for bungee wings of death, they are well covered in a much older thread

 

[SlugLife]

That streamlining looks quite nice. I think you’ll enjoy it.

Do not ditch the knife. It is a very useful tool in a variety of situations. You’ll find it especially useful if you try to recover fishing lures. But I’ve gotten myself out of messes with my knife. So I urge you to keep it. Don’t worry about cutting your LP hose in two with it either. You’d really have to try to cut that hose, even in zero visibility. I assume you’ll be diving without wet suit gloves. I dive bare-handed most of the time when the water is warm. Yes, I’ve gotten a fish hook or two in the finger, but not deeply imbedded, just a prick. I find that the manual dexterity is an advantage, and especially in low visibility you’ll know more about what’s there without gloves.

SeaRat

PS, I once cut two deceased Korean Air Force T-33 pilots out of their parachute harnesses in the Yellow Sea in zero visibility using my diving knife. They had crashed when their altimeter malfunctioned and they flew their jet into the sea, thinking they were at 10,000 feet when they were at only about 1,000 feet over a dead calm, glassy surface of the Yellow Sea. Their parachutes had deployed upon impact, and the lines were all over the water.

Where I normally dive, there are zebra-mussels Zebra mussel - Wikipedia. They're tiny creatures which coat nearly every surface, and are extremely sharp. The few times I've dove without gloves, I end the dive with 10 or more cuts in my hands, even if I'm careful. I wear 1mm gloves, and sometimes even get minor cuts through the gloves somehow. Hopefully, the zebra-mussels aren't present in the rivers I mentioned.

I do have a 2ft aluminum pole I use for feeling my way through 1-ft visibility. You can see it tucked next to the backplate here.

When I said ditching the knife, I have other cutting tools, including (1) DGX Titanium M-Cut Safety Tool - Orange with Yellow (2) DGX Sharp Cut w/Sheath and (3) titanium shears.

This is my most minimal setup, starts at 1:42

I rarely do dives where it is necessary but what I have is something like the one in the second link you posted, just a short folding pruning saw that has a handle that folds to protect the blade.

As for bungee wings of death, they are well covered in a much older thread

Is there a specific concern you have? I'm a little hesitant to respond given that thread's controversial nature.

This setup is closer to "toddy style" than a bungee'd wing, because it's sandwiched between two backplates. If I happened to need more lift, I have multiple options, including cutting the bungee, using my DSMB for lift, or following the shore up. If the bladder fails or inflator fails, this is a dual-bladder BCD. Air trapping isn't as likely here, given there's a permanent gap between the plates meaning the bungee can never completely pinch the BCD. The main problem area is at the bottom near the two bottom dump-valves, that I can't squeeze, but if that's a problem, I'll discover it quickly.

There's a black aluminum plate on the back/tank (towards top of photo) and a steel backplate towards the harness/diver.

This is my most minimal setup, starts at 1:42

Thanks for sharing! That is super minimalist.