Shellfish diving - how much weight can you swim with?

[KS1977]

I second using a lift-bag & definitely not your BCD.

You can also float a rope to the surface with a DSMB or lift bag, while leaving the loot on the bottom, and then pull it up while on the boat. However if you're dealing with 100+lbs, you might want a winch, or splitting your haul into several smaller bags.

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As far as using your BCD to float stuff, there are several reasons it's dangerous and annoying:

* If your BCD loses bouyancy (develops a leak, etc) you might be plummeted to the bottom.
* If your drop what you're carrying, you might rocket to the surface at a dangerous speed.
* Keeping your bouyancy and trip while carrying a weight is extremely difficult and annoying, much less holding a safety stop.
* Whatever you're carrying can become entangled in your gear, interfere with finning, etc.
* There are a number of threads in the "Accident and Incidents" section about golf-ball divers dying. How and why that happens is the subject of several very long threads, but lets just say this sounds similar you don't want to follow in their foot-steps.

Is there maybe a small lift bag i would have to use just to move them underwater? I might have to move them 2-300ft. To a winch

 

[johndiver999]

Is there maybe a small lift bag i would have to use just to move them underwater? I might have to move them 2-300ft. To a winch

Using a lift bag and dealing with heavy bags underwater and on the surface can be challenging. Have you ever done any of this? My recommendation would be to start with smaller bags and see how it goes.

I have used this cheap lift bag for anchors and it works ok, not sure it would stand up to daily commercial use.

I assume you could have a length of rope hanging from the bag with a small hard float, so that the boat operator could grab the float, haul in the slack rope from the float to the bag and then winch it up.

DGX Gears Lift Bag { 65 lb | 30 kg }

DGX { 65 lb | 30 kg } Lift Bag in high visibility Orange has a semi-closed bottom.

www.divegearexpress.com

edit... get one of these too. DGX Adapter: HQ Air Nozzle = Schrader QD Post

 

[azstinger11]

Whenever I get around to making a dive trip to your neck of the woods would love to see it.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Whenever I get around to making a dive trip to your neck of the woods would love to see it.

Happy to pull it out and demo. Not teaching it for a while.

 

[KS1977]

53lbs in a 2knot current for 45 minutes,,, It was commercial work.

View attachment 752525

Beautiful catch!

 

[KS1977]

I have done lots of shellfishing in my days living in New England especially for scallops. We NEVER EVER NEVER use our BC's as a liftbag, NEVER!! We used liftbag to lift the game bag from the bottom when it is getting full and just push it with our hand as we are moving underwater. When it is time to come up, we add air to the liftbag for it to rise to the surface. We have a reel attached to the liftbag and let line out as the bag rises. We reel the line in as we ascend and do our stop and then go up to the surface. The boat would be nearby waiting for us. Don't over inflate the lift bag, just barely enough for it to start to rise to the surface. Make sure that you don't get entangled in the lift bag or the line. Don't let the game bag, octo or SPG or any dangly get caught in the line.

Exactly this. Thank you.

 

[KS1977]

Using a lift bag and dealing with heavy bags underwater and on the surface can be challenging. Have you ever done any of this? My recommendation would be to start with smaller bags and see how it goes.

I have used this cheap lift bag for anchors and it works ok, not sure it would stand up to daily commercial use.

I assume you could have a length of rope hanging from the bag with a small hard float, so that the boat operator could grab the float, haul in the slack rope from the float to the bag and then winch it up.

DGX Gears Lift Bag { 65 lb | 30 kg }

DGX { 65 lb | 30 kg } Lift Bag in high visibility Orange has a semi-closed bottom.

www.divegearexpress.com

edit... get one of these too. DGX Adapter: HQ Air Nozzle = Schrader QD Post

Yes this answers everything. Especially the nozzle.

 

[SlugLife]

Is there maybe a small lift bag i would have to use just to move them underwater? I might have to move them 2-300ft. To a winch

You can get different sizes and ratings of lift-bags. Here are a few examples, but there are many other sizes as well from other brands and other vendors:

Lift Bags - Marking Tubes

The Surface Marking Tube (SMT) is also known as Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) or Delayed SMB (DSMB) For an overview of all features and specifications see the table details in our TekTip below.

www.divegearexpress.com

You could partially fill a lift bag, but you'd have to watch the depth/buoyancy, because the air inside will expand as the bag moves upwards. So long as you're at a fixed depth, you could slowly add air as you get a bigger haul.

Another option is multiple lift bags. Just beware that as what you're doing gets heavier, you're starting to deal with much stronger and stronger forces. I don't have a commercial-dive training myself, but if you're dealing with 150lbs loads, you might look into commercial-dive training options.