Shooting bags ... and other ways to look like a fool

[CompuDude]

Shooting bags is not normally taught in AOW classes.

There are a few rather exceptional AOW classes that do cover the info, however.

 

[123Scuba.com]

Am I the only instructor that can shoot a bag 50 times for real without a screw up and not thinking about it – and then keep my class in stitches when I try to demo it?

No, I've done the same thing myself... Murphy's Law tends to happen more when students are watching

 

[Rick Inman]

My 2nd stage clip once got caught on the bag and I took a ride from 30 feet all the way up.

Funny, I've never made that mistake again.

I would never ride with the bag intentionally. If I forgot to hook up the reel, I'm letting the bag go every time. Holding onto it would be a bad habit to have.

 

[jeckyll]

Good points Bob.

From my experience yesterday, I'd suggest to someone just starting with this:
-don't put too much air into the SMB / Bag initially, just focus on doing all the other parts and managing the spool & double ender
-take your time. There is absolutely no reason to rush this and the extra time prepping will pay off in not messing it up
-start shallow. If something happens and you get dragged to the surface due to entanglement, just breath out and fix it in time
-practice this one at a time so that your buddy can help if you need it.
-make sure to practice it before you really need to do it for real. The reason we went out this week is because on Saturday we're diving the Cape Breton and the Saskachewan (off Nanaimo, BC). It's nice to know that should something happen to cause us to not be able to come up the line, we can shoot the SMB's and have the boat follow us & pick us up if necessary

I do have a question though for the folks who have more experience: When doing this with a spool, do you just clip the double ender and leave it, then ascend up the line? Or do you try to roll the line up as you ascend? I think that keeping some force on the line to keep the SMB standing as well as trying to get the line rolled up would be pretty tough...

Thanks

Bjorn

 

[Uncle Pug]

One of my early bag shots caused Bob to coin the term "underwater macrame."

Ah yes... underwater macrame.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Ah yes... underwater macrame.

Don't even go there ... :11:

... (actually, I told him about it) ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[dsteding]

I do have a question though for the folks who have more experience: When doing this with a spool, do you just clip the double ender and leave it, then ascend up the line? Or do you try to roll the line up as you ascend? I think that keeping some force on the line to keep the SMB standing as well as trying to get the line rolled up would be pretty tough...

Bjorn,

The way we do it we use the double ender to wind up the line. Clip one of the ends to the line, and use it as a handle to wind the line. As a team, the person on the bag manages the bag, the other manages stops and the ascent. This really only works well when the non-bag shooter stays in front of the person handling the bag. That way the team is able to keep easy track of each other.

One trick, if your back-kick isn't perfect, is to use your fists to maintain separation. I'm still, uh, back-kick challenged, and when I do ascents with people and need a bit of separation, I just put my fists out. The other team member will extend theirs, and we'll gently push off as needed.

You could let the bag hang, but then you do run the risk of getting blown off the line or separated from the bag . . .

If you are diving with a can light, having a loop on the cord and an extra double ender to clip off the light on your d-ring hanging down (out of the team's faces) is pretty handy. That way, you can keep your light on, and relatively accessible if needed to signal.

 

[dsteding]

Don't even go there ... :11:

... (actually, I told him about it) ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Great. My reputation precedes me.

UP, looking forward to diving with you at some point, I'll try not to tie us both up in knots

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Great. My reputation precedes me.

It wasn't your reputation he was referring to ... I'm sure I told you about the first time I ever shot a bag, and Uncle Pug had to unravel the line from around my fins ... :shakehead

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[dsteding]

It wasn't your reputation he was referring to ... I'm sure I told you about the first time I ever shot a bag, and Uncle Pug had to unravel the line from around my fins ... :shakehead

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

That shocks me . . . but I think I do remember something about that.

Just goes to show, we've all been there, done that. I'm glad UP has his underwater macrame untangling certification . . . very handy with the newber bag-shooters.