When I see the amount of gear people carry today I doubt they could realistically get out and back in safely. With a simple rig and the weight split between the rig and a weight belt it’s no problem. I routinely put on and take off my rig in the water. Steel twins and wing or steel single and bcd. Both used with a weight belt. I’ve taken off both underwater, the rig and diver can be neutral in a drysuit. But the diver is slightly heavy deep in a wetsuit, in either case there’s no reason to lose control. There’s something badly wrong if you can’t control the rig.
DIR- Generic Removing kit (BP/W) underwater - risk/reward & weighting
- Thread starter steinbil
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Dex~
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So, I'll provide my perspective from a DIR standpoint. I won't discuss Solo diving since it's not a type of diving I engage in or plan to, although that's debatable for some, but I won't delve into that.
When should you remove your equipment? The simple answer is only when you encounter entanglement or a narrow passage that you believe you can't navigate through without removing your gear. Let's break down these two scenarios.
Entanglement:
In such situations, it's advisable not to remove your equipment because there are various ways to address this issue without resorting to gear removal. Here's why:
1. You can try untangling yourself, if possible. As DIR divers, or at least in GUE (which is the training I've received), we typically carry a knife that can be used in such situations.
2. Since we engage in team diving, if you're unable to solve the entanglement on your own, you can always seek assistance from your team or buddy. In 99% of cases, the problem can be resolved this way, eliminating the need to remove your equipment. (That's why GUE doesn't emphasize training for this skill.)
3. If the situation is extreme and you find yourself entangled in a net, for example, you can use the knife to cut the BP webbing and free yourself. This brings up the concern of losing buoyancy and your gas supply. So, what do you do? Well, you have your buddy's gas supply, which should be more than enough to ascend both of you to the surface (which is our minimum gas requirement). Additionally, you can rely on your buddy for buoyancy assistance.
Narrow passages:
Usually, you're aware of a narrow passage before diving into it. During the dive briefing, you'll likely be informed about any narrow passages you'll need to navigate. Therefore, it's a good idea to prepare the appropriate equipment setup for this dive, such as a sidemount OC/CCR setup.
When should you remove your equipment? The simple answer is only when you encounter entanglement or a narrow passage that you believe you can't navigate through without removing your gear. Let's break down these two scenarios.
Entanglement:
In such situations, it's advisable not to remove your equipment because there are various ways to address this issue without resorting to gear removal. Here's why:
1. You can try untangling yourself, if possible. As DIR divers, or at least in GUE (which is the training I've received), we typically carry a knife that can be used in such situations.
2. Since we engage in team diving, if you're unable to solve the entanglement on your own, you can always seek assistance from your team or buddy. In 99% of cases, the problem can be resolved this way, eliminating the need to remove your equipment. (That's why GUE doesn't emphasize training for this skill.)
3. If the situation is extreme and you find yourself entangled in a net, for example, you can use the knife to cut the BP webbing and free yourself. This brings up the concern of losing buoyancy and your gas supply. So, what do you do? Well, you have your buddy's gas supply, which should be more than enough to ascend both of you to the surface (which is our minimum gas requirement). Additionally, you can rely on your buddy for buoyancy assistance.
Narrow passages:
Usually, you're aware of a narrow passage before diving into it. During the dive briefing, you'll likely be informed about any narrow passages you'll need to navigate. Therefore, it's a good idea to prepare the appropriate equipment setup for this dive, such as a sidemount OC/CCR setup.
Alekseolsen
Contributor
As this is part of IANDT Rec-Trimix course, I've done it in a drysuit, 8°C waters with corresponding lofty undergarments, no weight on weight belt or similiar.
As much as I'd say it's useless in the real world, it was a way smaller issue than at least I thought it would be - simply make sure the rig remains on top of yourself for the entire process.
Course requirement (states deeper than 6 meters!)
www.rebreatherpro-training.com
As much as I'd say it's useless in the real world, it was a way smaller issue than at least I thought it would be - simply make sure the rig remains on top of yourself for the entire process.
Course requirement (states deeper than 6 meters!)
IANTD Advanced Recreational Diver Course | Rebreatherpro-Training
Program extends the diver’s knowledge of EANx diving. It further develops diving skills and provides a greater understanding of the EANx concept of divin
www.rebreatherpro-training.com
I've seen this twice in my life outside of training. Both instructors.
First case: I was joining the local dive shops in one of their recreational outings. The leader of the dive was the shop owner (Nikos - @wetb4igetinthewater knows him). One of his double tanks was leaking some gas from the neck. Not a big deal but as I was relatively new diver I considered it right to let him know, so I signaled to him small leak and pointed to his manifold. He remained very calm and withing seconds he had his BPW with doubles straight in front of him, saw the leak replied to me that it's ok and put it back! All this while maintaining perfect horizontal trim and keep (slowly) fining/moving with the group!!!
The way he did it was to unstrap his weist strap and then pull with both hands the manifold on top of his head to bring his rig in front of him. To don it, he put his hands through the shoulder straps with his rig in front of him and then pushed his BPW/tanks back on top of his head.
Both him and his BPW/tanks seemed to be perfectly trimmed and neutral even when separated so he could effortlessly hold his rig in front of him. It looked like he could comfortably do the whole dive like that.
Second case. Towards the end of a dive during an Egyptian LOB we were slowly fining at SS depth to reach our boat. Out of the blue the dive leader removed her BCD/tank, had a look at the back/side of it for something (no idea what she was looking for) and put it back like nothing happened. Again she remained trimmed and neutral throughtout.
The way she did it was to remove on hand from the shoulder strap and rotate her rig around her other hand in front of her, saw what she wanted to see, and reverse to put it back.
Both dives were in calm. clear, warm water.
Since I dive solo frequently I have tried to practice this a couple of times. Yes I can do it, but not nicely.
First case: I was joining the local dive shops in one of their recreational outings. The leader of the dive was the shop owner (Nikos - @wetb4igetinthewater knows him). One of his double tanks was leaking some gas from the neck. Not a big deal but as I was relatively new diver I considered it right to let him know, so I signaled to him small leak and pointed to his manifold. He remained very calm and withing seconds he had his BPW with doubles straight in front of him, saw the leak replied to me that it's ok and put it back! All this while maintaining perfect horizontal trim and keep (slowly) fining/moving with the group!!!
The way he did it was to unstrap his weist strap and then pull with both hands the manifold on top of his head to bring his rig in front of him. To don it, he put his hands through the shoulder straps with his rig in front of him and then pushed his BPW/tanks back on top of his head.
Both him and his BPW/tanks seemed to be perfectly trimmed and neutral even when separated so he could effortlessly hold his rig in front of him. It looked like he could comfortably do the whole dive like that.
Second case. Towards the end of a dive during an Egyptian LOB we were slowly fining at SS depth to reach our boat. Out of the blue the dive leader removed her BCD/tank, had a look at the back/side of it for something (no idea what she was looking for) and put it back like nothing happened. Again she remained trimmed and neutral throughtout.
The way she did it was to remove on hand from the shoulder strap and rotate her rig around her other hand in front of her, saw what she wanted to see, and reverse to put it back.
Both dives were in calm. clear, warm water.
Since I dive solo frequently I have tried to practice this a couple of times. Yes I can do it, but not nicely.
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PfcAJ
Contributor
You are in the DIR forum.
Also lol if it’s a struggle to move a line off your tank valve… reach back there and move it?
Needless complication.
Gone for diving
Contributor
What’s a good way to practice this particular party trick? Besides being easily able to get in and out of your gear in the first place. And importantly not letting go of it
Aluminum cylinders are not common in Greece.
But throw in wearing a dry suit with no weight belt. While the diver in question far more skilled than me, wearing a dry suit with thick undergarments with a steel 100's on my back and an addition 10 lb v-weight results in significant torque when taking off the twinset from one's back. You have to keep it close to your body or you're going up to the surface and your twinset is going down to the bottom.
Gone for diving
Contributor
Exactly,,,
To derail this thead further,,,
It's very similar with sidemount,
Aluminum versus big steels
Big steels tend to become part of you, and you can't just hand them off.
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