Practicing CESA & ditch and don?

[Azza]

I have been entangled twice in 700 odd dives. Once was around the legs which I cut myself from, and once in a wreck from a line of some description wrapping around my valves, which my buddy cut me free from (I could have done it myself but I have a switched on buddy).
Both times were from poor situational awareness. I would suggest prevention is better than the cure and watch where you are swimming.

 

[Nemrod]

""I use "that DIR stuff" on every single dive. That backup kick that people like to pick on, can prevent an otherwise unavoidable entanglement. Can't say I've ever needed to do a CESA from 150 ft or take off all my gear and retrieve it. I practice the skills that count.""
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How do you know what skills count until you need them? Did the guru decide these skills in advance? Why not practice ALL skills, especially those that are known to be basic dive skills. Is this a rationalization for not doing something that perhaps--just perhaps--in the back of one's mind--they fear or cannot do or think they cannot do?

These are all water skills, including the ones you mention, they provide utility, safety and sometimes just basic water confidence.

I neve said anything about a CESA from 150 feet--what--your saying you cannot do one?---lol.

I am glad you guys always have clear water and perfect buddies.

Pilots do touch and goes and divers do doff and don. Cannot do one--you need to learn how. It is a basic skill even if PadI cannot do one either.

N

 

[Meng_Tze]

Soggy, MengTze, everybody naturally applies their situation to geneal discussions, your a cave diver so this or your a deep wreck diver so your buddy this and whatever buddy or that, all I can says is that counting on a buddy is very likely someday to leave you wishing for more than a pair of scissors. Buddies don't come in a box with a 100% guarantee or money back or your life back.

If you don't see the need to practice basic watermanship skills then don't, don't practice all that DIR stuff like so called helicopter turns and air sharing S drills or any of that, don't practice anything, your never going to need that---or will you? N

Maybe so Nemrod,
But the thing is (and I was being a bit facetious in some previous posts) that the skills we are talking about are a patch on what is the underlying deficit: awareness and forward looking.

I see things written like, getting stuck under a rock/in a wreck, narrow passage, line etc. If you are looking ahead and think before you do, you will not (should not) get stuck under a rock. If one needs to go into those narrow places, do side mount.

Don't let a DM put your rig together either. Do it yourself and double check what you did. Avoid being in the situation.

Line entanglement, gets worse as we all know with movement, I dont believe one initially gets so stuck/entangled that you can not move. your movement after that first moment starts making it worse. If you get entangled there is an opportunity to get untangled/cut yourself free (buddy or self).

I firmly believe in not getting in that situation in the first place.

Practicing all that DIR stuff and such, well on a VERY regular basis. But that is not the issue, the issue is that people 'seem to get into situations' and then practice don/doff to get out of it. I try to prevent getting in the situation in the first place. Nothing to do with Cave or Wreck diving per se. Something we all as divers should be working on. Be aware of what is coming up and stop to think before acting.

BTW it is easier to don/doff with jacket BC and single tank than with doubles, stages and such... this is another reason why you try to prevent being in the situation in the first place.

 

[Soggy]

I am glad you guys always have clear water and perfect buddies.

LOL... Clear water? I'll say it for the second time in this thread...read where I'm from. I don't travel much. I get agoraphobic in that warm clear stuff.

 

[H2Andy]

I am glad you guys always have clear water and perfect buddies.

you don't need clear water (heck, you don't need LIGHT) when you have a good buddy

thank you Scubafool
thank you JeanDiver
thank you Simbrooks
thank you OneBrightGator
thank you Mania
thank you Scuba Jenny
thank you KBeck
thank you Smokeaire
thank you Mo2Vation

... and on and on ...

you guys rock

 

[Thalassamania]

I use "that DIR stuff" on every single dive. That backup kick that people like to pick on, can prevent an otherwise unavoidable entanglement. Can't say I've ever needed to do a CESA from 150 ft or take off all my gear and retrieve it. I practice the skills that count.

The everyday stuff I do everyday and requires little or no practice. It's the stuff I don't do everyday that I need to drill.

Frankly I'd be wary of diving the rig that you dive, it obviates your last option. But if you know that going in perhaps you can compensate for its failings.

Kind of reminds me of a body we recovered all wrapped up in line and kelp, he didn't ditch his weightbelt, he was still in his tank (which was badly fouled about the valve) and his knife was on the bottom twenty feet below. He didn't practice the stuff you didn't need everyday either.

 

[Soggy]

Frankly I'd be wary of diving the rig that you dive, it obviates your last option. But if you know that going in perhaps you can compensate for its failings.

Well, if you want to do deep wreck dives, you have to bring the gear. It's easy to bring itty bitty, light tanks, and use a weightbelt for shallow dives. As the depth increases, so do the gas requirements.

Kind of reminds me of a body we recovered all wrapped up in line and kelp, he didn't ditch his weightbelt, he was still in his tank (which was badly fouled about the valve) and his knife was on the bottom twenty feet below. He didn't practice the stuff you didn't need everyday either.

Why would he ditch his weightbelt if he was entangled? That would be pretty dumb. It's easy to armchair quarterback, but I would put money on the fact that he was either solo or same ocean buddy diving. There is more than one solution to most problems and I choose to focus my attention on what I believe to be preventative skills.

 

[Meng_Tze]

So on this entanglement thing. How many people carry a cutting device (and a backup) and can use it? Do people practice that as well, or are we talking about getting out of your rig and trying to untangle? This is an honest question, no joke

 

[Soggy]

So on this entanglement thing. How many people carry a cutting device (and a backup) and can use it? Do people practice that as well, or are we talking about getting out of your rig and trying to untangle? This is an honest question, no joke

I have done test snips of a variety of materials underwater to know what I can and cannot cut (nothing yet). I carry two pairs of scissors. What took my buddy several hacks with his knife, took two snips with my scissors...that was 1/2" rope.

 

[H2Andy]

How many people carry a cutting device (and a backup) and can use it?

i carry a knife and EMT shears on every dive