Shooting the Big Bag!

[FLDVR]

Ok heres a post about one part of last weekends dive on the Jim Atria that didnt go quite like the textbook version that we like to dream about.

I've never shot a large liftbag from depth using a reel. So I dutifully notified the team what I would like to do. No problems so far

Of course the dive went great, the wreck was fantastic and then came time to leave...
as we ascended I pulled out the liftbag from the pouch behind my back, this is a feat unto itself. I maintained "reasonable trim" while working it out. I hooked up the reel and lossened the drag screw(more on the screw in a minute).

I hooverd in a good breath checked the flight path and let her fly, I let out a couple of hundred feet of line and held on for the ride.

The current at the surface was nil, the current at the bottom was a couple of knots...at this point the bag was acting like a sea anchor and I was doing a waterski imitation at the bottom, we managed to ascend to 70 for our swap, when I handed off the bag for my switch my bouyency was way off due to the bag, I shot a quite a few feet(out of trim also) before I dumped the bc and regained control.

I guess the lesson that I learned is mess with the new gadgets in shallow controlled conditions.

Hope this makes everyone think!
Henry

 

[Rick Inman]

The current at the surface was nil, the current at the bottom was a couple of knots...

Was this a drift dive? I don't thnk I'd have first-time-drilled in that much current. What was you depth when you let fly?

 

[dsteding]

Another question, why the reel? Were you very deep? My understanding of things is that a spool should be used, but I haven't shot a bag from really deep before.

One trick I learned with larger bags is to shoot it as a team, one person handles the spool/line, the other inflates. Works great with my larger open-bottomed bag, inflating it with my long hose.

 

[David P]

I let out a couple of hundred feet of line and held on for the ride.

how deep were you!?!?!

 

[DiveGearExpress]

Here in So Fla, shooting bags from depth and drift deco is the norm. Sometimes the currents do funny things. I have seen on wrecks here where the surface current was north, and the bottom current was south.

Most instructors here will drill the hell out of you on lift bags and reels for this reason.

 

[FLDVR]

Just as a note: I have had the bejezus drilled out of me using the normal prerigged spool and Smb. I also have a large Smb which still doesnt present much surface area to the current.

The normal team procedure is to have someone hold the reel and one person inflate the bag.

We almost always shoot bags here in SFla. usually at the 70 switch. Sometimes it is desireable to shoot with a reel right off the wreck to aid in surface vessel tracking.

The point of the post was and is that I made a mistake:
Good training and buddies made it recoverable

All in all my next learning experience will be under much more controlled conditions...

I'm surprised no one suggested ditching the bag and shooting another, that could of been one solution....

Henry

 

[MBH]

I pulled out the liftbag from the pouch behind my back, this is a feat unto itself.

Hi Henry. What size bag was it? The reason I ask is that I regularly practice deploying and shooting a 50lb bag fron a DiveRite quick draw sleeve. I have a fool proof way of folding and packing the bag so that it comes out with one smooth pull. I'll post it if you or anyone else is interested.
Brent

 

[Meng_Tze]

The point of the post was and is that I made a mistake:

What mistake was that?

MBH: yes please do share the folding method. I basically roll it up and stuff it in....

 

[MBH]

OK, here's my method for folding and packing a 50lb lift bag into a DiveRite quick draw sleeve. When packed in this manner it will stay put until you need it and then it will deploy smooth as silk.

start with the bag opened and laying on a flat surface-

 

[MBH]

Next make this fold-