Removing gear in an emergency

[jbd]

I'm wondering how difficult is it to remove a properly adjusted BP/wings from an unconcious diver. My understanding is that the harness has only the one buckle and when properly adjusted according to the DIR threads the harness is tighter than most people thought it would be.

I'm curious because my primary buddy has swithced to BP/wings.

 

[ckharlan66]

If I am in that much trouble my knife is on my left hand side. Cut it off.

Chad

 

[jbd]

if it would be better to simply cut the harness. Then again since its you I might just do you in and take your gear Just kidding but I am seriously curious about this.

Any BP/wing divers have some answers?

 

[kwesler]

I learned this doing my Rescue cert...

I found it easiest, both UW and on the surface, to be on one side of the diver. First, pull the shoulder straps to the outside of the "cup" created by their shoulder bones and breastbone, and then use your hand closest to their head to push the bp down toward their butt, along their back underneath them, rather than trying to pull their arms out of it.

This is, of course, after undoing their buckle.

You can do this while supporting their neck with the hand closest to their chest. It also allows you to keep doing rescue breaths fairly easily while you intermittently slide the BP off underneath them. Finally, if there is any air in the wing, it actually helps keep the diver floating while you slide it off, and the air does not impede the removal.

Pulling to one side or another I found too difficult if the straps are properly tight.

Hope this helps.

Ken

 

[jbd]

Have you got that ckharlan66? We may need to try that someday.

 

[ckharlan66]

I hope not!

But good to know.

Chad

 

[jbd]

I'm talking about practice. I certainly hope I don't ever have to do this for real. I've had my fair share of the real deal.

 

[JoelW]

A couple of us here who dive plates have discussed the issue, practiced and bit and decided that if the gear is coming off, the shears are coming out. Two of us were in a Rescue class together with our plates (peeved the instructor a bit) and concluded that cutting is the way to go. I was a victim in another rescue class and the three people doing the rescue had a bit of a problem getting my plate off. It's not outrageously tight either.

Just to practice this a bit, I have an extra plate/wing setup that is going to get a harness with some replaceable short sections put in below where the d-rings would be. To practice, the short sections are going to get cut. The sections will be replaced and then the next guy does the rescue scenario. We decided that if you want to practice something you really have to practice it.

JoelW

 

[Wendy]

I have done my rescue course and all my DM drills (even the gear swap) with a bp/wing/harness set up and so did my instructor. Of course in a real emergency the webbing would be cut. But in class I found that once I had the victim on the surface and bouyant, if I removed just a bit of air I could get the harness off. (side note: when I'n on the boat or at my car I can't remove my gear if the wing is fully inflated, deflating the wing, even a little gets the harness looser.) I use the 'chicken wing' technique. This is where you kinda bend the victim's arm at the elbow and pass the arm elbow first out of the harness This is also the easiest way for me to remove my gear at the surface.

Practice is always a good thing to do. It also helps you become more familair with your buddies gear if you don't both dive the same setup.

 

[Uncle Pug]

... whether it is a serious MV accident patient wearing $500 leather jacket, $100 shirt, CK jeans, $100 belt, and $300 cowboys boots...

Or...

A serious diving accident patient strapped into a DIR rig with $12 worth of 2" webbing...

The solution to extrication is the same... trauma shears (aka, EMT shears, penny cutters, EMT boot-jacks).