Remove DIR plate underwater Weight belt over harness

[Blitz]

Entanglement is the one thing that scares me more than any other scenarios.

 

[rjack321]

I was not clear as to the point I was trying to make...

The example that TBQ gave was a scenario where there was no buddy available to render aid with the entanglement. For that reason, you would want some level of proficiency so that you could perhaps help yourself.

If we are to consider this to be valid in DIR diving, then the question becomes, why isn't it equally important to almost always dive doubles or be proficient at CESA? After all, if you have to assume that you might be alone when the entanglement happens, then why would you not also assume that you might be alone when you have a reg failure that causes you to go out of gas?

Planning for 2 failures usually gets rediculous pretty quick:
lost backgas and lost deco gas
lost line and lost buddy
separation and entanglement

Planning for 2 major team/equipment failures means you "need" way more resources than logistically plausible and you end up in a situation where you can't dive. So most of us plan on one big failure - and have other equipment or team resources available to manage the problem.

In Tech1 (and to some extent Cave1) you get multiple, bordering on the rediculous, failures. They do keep you task loaded. But realistically you're expected a major plus a couple of minor failures. At the Tech2 level you have more resources and are more likely to be able to manage 1.5 majors. Multiple major failures means its your time.

 

[lamont]

Entanglement is the one thing that scares me more than any other scenarios.

things i find scarier:

- complete siltout blizzard or no-lights situation in an overhead without any line.
- cave collapse or wreck collapse.
- runaway inflators.

 

[lamont]

If we are to consider this to be valid in DIR diving, then the question becomes, why isn't it equally important to almost always dive doubles or be proficient at CESA?

Being proficient at CESA means being able to exhale.

 

[ShallowDiverDave]

Taking your rig off at the surface is useful for diving off small boats.

Taking your rig off at depth may be critical in just the wrong kind of circumstance. A friend of mine was doing a cleanup dive at a local site, in about 20 feet of water but in poor viz. Her companion swam away from her, and when she tried to follow, she discovered she was caught in fishline. Her buddy didn't return, and she was unable to free herself, and got down to 500 psi (they were toward the end of the dive). She had to take her rig off to see where she was caught and cut the line. By the time she made the surface, she had 300 psi in the tank. Her errant buddy didn't surface for more than five more minutes. Yes, this was a double failure (entanglement and buddy separation) but it could have had disastrous consequences even in shallow water, had she not managed to free herself.

So I wouldn't say it's a useless skill. I'd say it's a rarely required skill.

Great post! My thoughts exactly.

 

[rjack321]

things i find scarier:
- complete siltout blizzard or no-lights situation in an overhead without any line.
.

I'm bringing a line and know how to do a lost line drill. Whether I would be successful is debatable, but I got a backup plan at least.

- cave collapse or wreck collapse..

Rare enough to not spook me much

- runaway inflators.

Scary! They happen fast and after just a few seconds all hell is breaking loose. And you get beyond the point of possible recovery.

 

[lamont]

Rare enough to not spook me much

Cave 2 in mexico seems to involve diving in caves where exhaust bubbles loosen up rocks on the ceiling of the cave which often come down and land on diver's backgas.

That's the point where I'd start to wonder if it was all worth it...

 

[SparticleBrane]

Rocks or silt?
Just means the caves haven't been dove as much as others... Means you need to dive them more to help clear 'em out.

 

[lamont]

Rocks or silt?
Just means the caves haven't been dove as much as others... Means you need to dive them more to help clear 'em out.

rocks. apparently decent sized ones that pound divers into the silt...

 

[rjack321]

rocks. apparently decent sized ones that pound divers into the silt...

We had some golf ball sized peices between the tanks after a couple of our cave1 dives. And there was the recent collapse last week at chac mool. I guess that doesn't wig me out much. Kinda like rock or icefall climbing.

But you're right it probably happens more often in MX than in FL - and more than I'm willing to admit to myself.

But to this day only 1 person's been killed in a collapse. I guess I look to that as my statistical lucky charm.