johndiver999
Contributor
I too am a solo diver who places great faith in things like physics and accident reports.
It is my perception that few (if any) fatalities are averted by ditching weight. In fact, it is my perception that it is rare that any diver ditches weight intentionally in an actual emergency.
Here's why. The only circumstances where ditching weight is a wise choice is when a diver is at the surface and is having trouble staying there. Usually that happens with newly minted divers who are panicking, and they can't ditch weight any more effectively than they can inflate their BC. An experienced diver unable to stay at the surface has other things to try, and usually won't ditch because it's expensive and a hassle to replace integrated weight pouches.
I use a weight belt and typically carry some ditchable weight however it is under my crotch strap and won't come off in one motion the way I was taught. There are some dives where I am properly weighted without adding lead. I avoid configurations where I am overweighted without adding lead but if it is just by a pound or two I'll do it.
I don't believe that, in my particular situation, having ditchable weight contributes to safety.
What if someone has a tank failure and starts sharing air with you and you have too small of a reserve. Might it be nice to drop the victims 6 or 8 lb weight belt to ensure you both get to the surface?
What if you have a scuba failure and are trying to kick up initially and you run out of air and get a bad leg cramp? Might it be nice to drop the belt or lead and ensure an ascent?
People that are underwater with unditchable ballast are putting themselves in a precarious position. If you are hundreds of feet in a cave or have an hour of deco, an immediate exit to the surface is not an option, but for recreational no deco divers, dropping some ballast is an important option.
Even in an emergency situation that is using all the divers resources to manage and remain calm and avoid panic, is there not some value in knowing inthe back of your mind, I can still drop my belt - as a last resort.
I think there are lots of scenarios where having the option to ditch ballast at depth is beneficial. What if you are bringing a buddy up who is out of air, he fails to vent bc, starts shooting up, then becomes separated, screws up and completely dumps bc and then plummets, alone to the bottom with no air to breath or to inflate bc. A yo yo screwed up ascent with recreational divers in a true emergency is Not unheard of.
Divers make it to the surface often and then sink and die. Maybe they forget to ditch lead, but I would rather be vulnerability to forgetting, then to have no option.
I don’t agree with the idea that the only time ditching lead is beneficial is on the surface and in some regard, it is irrelevant because if you have the ability to ditch on the surface (which many people think is beneficial) then you also have the OPTION of dropping at depth.
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