Preparing For A Total Silt Out

[scubafool]

I was checking out a low cavern that pinched down quite a bit and ended up having to turn around about 50' in. I couldn't even see my gauges. As I turned around I didn't reel in fast enough and ended up having quite a bit of slack in the line, enough that I questioned whether I was turning the reel the right way and had to turn back to see it and verify I was. The key thing that kept me from stressing out in there was that I knew I was only 20' deep, had a set of doubles on my back with over 2000 psi in them, and my wife was about 50' away from me waiting.

Upper UPPER OG?

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I was fortunate enough to start diving where 10' of viz was good and to get involved in inland commercial diving where lots of silt and zero viz were the norm, often in restrictive places.

With zero viz, you mentally acclimate to it over time and learn to use all your senses to maintain buoyancy and trim, sense changes in depth, and most importantly develop the situational awareness needed to extricate your self from no viz situations. If you can't make that adaptation you need to reconsider whether cave diving is a sport you should be doing.

Situational awareness is key as when a silt out starts you want to immediately get on the line and that starts with being constnatly aware of where it is in relation to you, how it lies in the cave, and in addition a mental check list of significant bends, unique tie offs, jumps, line arrows, etc that you will encounter on the way out so that you stay oriented and remain assured you are indeed progressing out and not further into the system.

Many of the line work skills can be practiced in a quarry, especially if you have one with a wall that allows cave like line placement. You can practice running your primary reel, use that as the main line and then practice setting jumps and using appropriate line markers to aide you in getting out.

Then, at the maximum "penetration" close your eyes or cover you mask with tin foil and practice exiting following your line and markers back to the "exit". If you lay the line(s) with some vertical variation you will also be able to practice sensing and adjusting buoyancy on the way out.

Many quarries also have lines strung between items of interst and you can practice oking and following the line with your eyes closed as well - just be sure not to stir up silt and rototill the quarry for every one else - just like you'd strive to do in a cave.

In short, you always have the option of closing your eyes to simulate darkness just about every where.

I personally got silted out by my buddy in a 3' - 3 1/2' high bedding plane with a clay bottom 4,100' back. We were on scooters (both diving rebreathers) and he hooked a cylinder off the ceiling and dug into the clay floor bouncing free

People like that, and people who use them in areas where scooters have no business being are why scooters are getting banned in so many systems. The silt out eventually clears, even with clay. The big gouge in the floor is basically permanent.

 

[GLENFWB]

Thanks Rob, I will take you up on the offer to work with me on some skills. As soon as I figure out what I am going to do about my gear....I will be in touch.

Glen, a lot of great advice here. My first silt out was shortly after I received my Intro training. I was checking out a low cavern that pinched down quite a bit and ended up having to turn around about 50' in. I couldn't even see my gauges. As I turned around I didn't reel in fast enough and ended up having quite a bit of slack in the line, enough that I questioned whether I was turning the reel the right way and had to turn back to see it and verify I was. The key thing that kept me from stressing out in there was that I knew I was only 20' deep, had a set of doubles on my back with over 2000 psi in them, and my wife was about 50' away from me waiting. I knew I had plenty of air to stay there for a few hours. I went over a hundred cave dives after that without getting into a silt out. Since then every silt out I've been in has been expected. They have been in small sidemount passages where silt is inevitable and expected during the return trip. Basically what I'm trying to say is even though we train for silt outs, they're not all that common. But when they do happen, just keep your cool. Hold onto the line and trust it. That's what it's there for. I've been through several silt outs or simulated silt outs since I started cave diving. I've had to follow lines out several times, even lines with very few line arrows. If you want to simulate silt outs, head out into the gulf at the St. Andrews jetties and run some line out towards the bay. The visibility gets really crappy out that way. Then follow the line back and forth. Even though you know you have the surface above you, you have very little, if any, visibility here. Or if you want to avoid the salt, come over and dive with me. We'll run some drills and get you feeling more comfortable and prepared for it.

 

[Dark Eternal]

I did some practice in gator hole. There is short tunnel in it that is pretty small, very silty and more or less in the cave zone (basically no ambient light). It also has about a foot of air in the top. I reeled into it, tied off and then silted it up real good. I had the safety of technically being in open water (air in the top) but still in a cave - just only a 75% full one. I did this for awhile until I felt comfortable navigating the line in the complete silt out. I let it settle for a few minutes and then reeled out. The more realistic your simulation the better in my opinion - as long as it is in a safe environment. Robs point of knowing you have a ton of gas always is what I think of first - really calms me down. With double 108s and 3000+ psi I have a very long time to handle the situation, especially in the shallower, closer sections of the cave/cavern that I currently dive in.

 

[GLENFWB]

I know exactly where you are talking about...and that is a good idea. Here are some shots I took last year in Gator Hole...pretty cool place.

Thanks for the suggestion. Also, how are those 108's doubled working for you? Are they monsters to carry around? I am still debating if I am going to double mine or get something else.

I did some practice in gator hole. There is short tunnel in it that is pretty small, very silty and more or less in the cave zone (basically no ambient light). It also has about a foot of air in the top. I reeled into it, tied off and then silted it up real good. I had the safety of technically being in open water (air in the top) but still in a cave - just only a 75% full one. I did this for awhile until I felt comfortable navigating the line in the complete silt out. I let it settle for a few minutes and then reeled out. The more realistic your simulation the better in my opinion - as long as it is in a safe environment. Robs point of knowing you have a ton of gas always is what I think of first - really calms me down. With double 108s and 3000+ psi I have a very long time to handle the situation, especially in the shallower, closer sections of the cave/cavern that I currently dive in.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I did some practice in gator hole. There is short tunnel in it that is pretty small, very silty and more or less in the cave zone (basically no ambient light). It also has about a foot of air in the top. I reeled into it, tied off and then silted it up real good. I had the safety of technically being in open water (air in the top) but still in a cave - just only a 75% full one. I did this for awhile until I felt comfortable navigating the line in the complete silt out. I let it settle for a few minutes and then reeled out. The more realistic your simulation the better in my opinion - as long as it is in a safe environment. Robs point of knowing you have a ton of gas always is what I think of first - really calms me down. With double 108s and 3000+ psi I have a very long time to handle the situation, especially in the shallower, closer sections of the cave/cavern that I currently dive in.

Hope you guys classes are going well. We pulled in to gas up before going to a cave along the river this morning when you were setting up on Edds pontoon boat. I was too lazy to walk down(more importantly having to walk back up) that bigass hill - LOL.

 

[jeandiver]

Da Fool: Me knows where UUOG is (smile). I'm going to try it one day with my 50's.
We can check it out someday. (wink)

Best silt-out I had was back near the Ice Room in Ginnie. I was the last one coming out and the line was running the ceiling at that point. OK'ed the line above my head and closed my eyes. (IT helps for me). I just kept on singing and slowly trudged along. Kept peeking to see when we got into clear water.

I know I could get kicked for the eyes closed business , but for me it REALLY does help.

I DO agree with the others , it's a mental thing. FER SURE.

Bean

 

[Meng_Tze]

...... With double 108s and 3000+ psi I have a very long time to handle the situation, especially in the shallower, closer sections of the cave/cavern that I currently dive in.

Do you know how long, and can you keep track of it in a real situation?

 

[DA Aquamaster]

OK'ed the line above my head and closed my eyes. (IT helps for me). I just kept on singing and slowly trudged along. Kept peeking to see when we got into clear water.

I know I could get kicked for the eyes closed business , but for me it REALLY does help.

I DO agree with the others , it's a mental thing. FER SURE.

Bean

Same here Jean. I think keeping your eyes closed helps as it prevents you from wasting mental resources and focus on seeing if you can see anything. With your eyes closed you can focus on the line and on mental imagry of the cave constucted from memory and the non visual cues you are getting.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Upper UPPER OG?

You must have been in there before...