Question re: Solo Diving Course drill

[texdiveguy]

I am 'guilty' of not practicing this drill of don-doff enough--gee!

 

[shoredivr]

Me, too.

I'll add it _before_ the bag shoot though.

 

[ClayJar]

Fully weight-integrated systems have poor distribution of weight vs. buoyancy. That much is simple physics and cannot be helped except by moving some weight to balance the terms of the equation. In situations where you *must* be balanced (confined spaces, for example, where floating up and dangling from your BC would be dangerous -- not likely a place you'll solo), you have to use a belt or something, but for open water, it is not necessarily as important.

Obviously, I, too, would recommend practicing the doff and don. I would note, however, that you may find that some methods of donning work better than others. For example, it is almost certainly a pain to try to don the BC one arm at a time (like a jacket) while holding on to it and dangling above. The angles and forces just don't work out. The over-the-head method is often *much* easier to execute.

Position the BC in front of you, facing you and upside-down. (Imagine what it would look like if you put it on as an upside-down chest protector.) Now, reach through the arm holes and grab the tank -- it works best if you can get your arms in to the elbow. (You want your regulator hose to be on the BC's-neck side of your arm, not the BC's-waist side, by the way, or it will end up under your arm instead of over your shoulder.) Once you've got both arms in the arm holes, duck your head and lift the jacket up and over.

Doing this on dry land, the BC would land on your back, but underwater, orientation doesn't matter -- if your BC stays still and you somersault into it, that's no different than you staying still and flipping it over your head. Whatever position you end up in, just roll back to horizontal and velcro, clip, buckle, or otherwise fasten your BC.​

You can practice this with just your BC on dry land. (Take the weights out if you want it to be easier.) Just stick your arms through to the elbows with it in front and upside down, and then flip it over your head. (It's actually quite easy, even with a tank, but I wouldn't recommend a dry-donning this way with doubles. :biggrin

 

[Darnold9999]

I like the upside down over the head route - will have to try it. In my solo course I simply could not get back into my gear after disentangling myself. The bouyancy difference was simply too great in a dry suit with a BP/Wing and steel tank. Surfaced - under control - and put the gear back on which works, but is not optimal.

Might create floaty feet problems as you rotate over the tank, but if you expect it you may be able to control it.

 

[redacted]

I like the upside down over the head route - .

You do need to watch your hoses when you do it. Make sure they look to be as out of the way as you can get them when you start. And then check them before you fasten everything in case they were not. If you get one tangled and it does not untangle real easy, just come out of the BC and try again. It really is surprisingly easy.

I've done it a number of time in practice and twice for real. Once my wife/buddy was concerned with a 1st stage leak in Cozumel. So, much to her and the DMs dismay, I released the waist buckle and reached up and pulled it off over my head so we could all inspect it. And because I didn't have to take it too far off, it was a snap to slip back in.

 

[Thalassamania]

If you're really going to dive solo you need to be ready to doff and don with ease. This means, I think, a modification of the HOG harness with the addition of two stainless twist locks (like they used to use on a wetsuit beavertail, you can get them from any sailmaker) on the (gasp!) cut left shoulder. I've never seen double twistlocks let go accidentally, but they sure make it easy to get out ... unwind long hose, right hand to the left shoulder, half turn on each twistlock, release waist and crotch (if used) strap(s), right hand to where waist strap meets backpack, pull rig out in front.

 

[Darnold9999]

If you're really going to dive solo you need to be ready to doff and don with ease. This means, I think, a modification of the HOG harness with the addition of two stainless twist locks (like they used to use on a wetsuit beavertail, you can get them from any sailmaker) on the (gasp!) cut left shoulder. I've never seen double twistlocks let go accidentally, but they sure make it easy to get out ... unwind long hose, right hand to the left shoulder, half turn on each twistlock, release waist and crotch (if used) strap(s), right hand to where waist strap meets backpack, pull rig out in front.

Getting out is not the problem - getting back in with a dry suit pulling you north and steel tank and steel backplate pulling you south is a real trick. Worst case is you just hug the BC and tank and go to the surface - no big deal as you have full control and nobody else to worry about and putting it back on at the surface is easy. But it would be nice to be able to get back in to the gear at depth and the summersault has the advantage of being ballanced side to side which is what I couldn't figure out. Don't think separating the harness into two pieces would help to deal with that.

 

[jaybombs25]

if its an option you could grab a 3 pounder or as close to half the weight as possible ( I dive with 6 pounds so thats easy enough) from the pocket and hold it in your hand... or put it in the neck or your wetsuit both work

 

[Thalassamania]

Getting out is not the problem - getting back in with a dry suit pulling you north and steel tank and steel backplate pulling you south is a real trick. Worst case is you just hug the BC and tank and go to the surface - no big deal as you have full control and nobody else to worry about and putting it back on at the surface is easy. But it would be nice to be able to get back in to the gear at depth and the summersault has the advantage of being ballanced side to side which is what I couldn't figure out. Don't think separating the harness into two pieces would help to deal with that.

That's why I use a plastic backback and all my lead is around my waist. Tank goes back on over the head.

 

[sytech]

Can't picture what you mean by a twist lock.


Can you shoot over a photo? I looked but found nothing,

Thanks,

Sy

If you're really going to dive solo you need to be ready to doff and don with ease. This means, I think, a modification of the HOG harness with the addition of two stainless twist locks (like they used to use on a wetsuit beavertail, you can get them from any sailmaker) on the (gasp!) cut left shoulder. I've never seen double twistlocks let go accidentally, but they sure make it easy to get out ... unwind long hose, right hand to the left shoulder, half turn on each twistlock, release waist and crotch (if used) strap(s), right hand to where waist strap meets backpack, pull rig out in front.