Visual reference on anchor line

[Wibble]

A couple of weeks ago I was last on the trapeze with 30 mins of deco remaining. We'd disconnected the trapeze, leaving the one floating buoy, 30m/100ft of line down to the 8kg/20lb weight.

I let go of the line and had to swim quite quickly to catch up with the line as it was obvious the current on the surface was running slower than the current below, so the buoyed line was being pushed through the water at a fair speed. Thought I was going mad. Nope; definitely moving away from me at a fair lick. BTW there was little wind either.

Sometimes you have to hang on the line.

Other times you can hang back using the line for a reference. You takes what you gets.

 

[Celt]

Personally, I cannot imagine a single advantage of being tied to a line, but if you like the idea, if you do it safely, and if you can manage an ascent without any reference - where would be the problem? The problem just does not exist, so do as you like.

When you say without any reference are you talking about doing deco mid water with no smb or shot line, an SMB is a reference, And of course no one is tying themselves to an anchor rope or shot line.

 

[ginti]

When you say without any reference are you talking about doing deco mid water with no smb or shot line, an SMB is a reference,

I explained it before. There might be some stops without an SMB in an actual ascent far from the line (especially when diving deep, say, below 50m/170ft with trimix), but it's explained in post #27

And of course no one is tying themselves to an anchor rope or shot line.

This is what I understood about some techniques proposed in this thread; maybe I misunderstood - if yes, my bad

 

[lermontov]

- me sitting on the 12 m bar trying to hold it down at 6m depth- check out the angle of the ropes- this is a situation where drift deco is a must

 

[Celt]

I explained it before. There might be some stops without an SMB in an actual ascent far from the line (especially when diving deep, say, below 50m/170ft with trimix), but it's explained in post #27


This is what I understood about some techniques proposed in this thread; maybe I misunderstood - if yes, my bad

Sorry I missed your point In post #27 but now I’m racking my brains trying to think of a reason not to shoot the SMB before reaching the first deco stop. Why would you need to do that. In an emergency like you say getting separated from a wreck the sooner the SMB is on the surface the sooner the support knows there’s a problem.

 

[Celt]

- me sitting on the 12 m bar trying to hold it down at 6m depth- check out the angle of the ropes- this is a situation where drift deco is a must

View attachment 787272

Great photo, are ye waiting on divers to let it go.

 

[lermontov]

Great photo, are ye waiting on divers to let it go.

the skipper was on the dive too and didn't trust the crew to do a drift - ( Solomons- 3rd world situation low budget unskilled etc etc) though to be fair the current was a lot more the expected towards the end of the dive

 

[Celt]

the skipper was on the dive too and didn't trust the crew to do a drift - ( Solomons- 3rd world situation low budget unskilled etc etc) though to be fair the current was a lot more the expected towards the end of the dive

Lovely photo to have, tells the whole story. Thanks

 

[ginti]

Sorry I missed your point In post #27 but now I’m racking my brains trying to think of a reason not to shoot the SMB before reaching the first deco stop. Why would you need to do that. In an emergency like you say getting separated from a wreck the sooner the SMB is on the surface the sooner the support knows there’s a problem.

If a member of the team is out of gas. In this case, another mamber of the team would share gas with them, and the goal would be to reach an alternative source of gas ASAP. Assuming accelerated deco, the first alternative source of gas is usually the deco gas that is, unfortunately, usually breathable only at shallow depths. So the team would start ascending without an SMB at the fastest rate possible, and there will be at a minimum the first deco stop without a reference. Depending on when the team switch to deco stages and length of deco stops before it, there might even be more than one stop without SMB.

Sure, the team may also prepare the SMB during the ascent, but (1) this depends on several environmental and decisional factors and (2) the ascent rate before the SMB has anyway to be managed without reference, which in itself is challenging.

I, personally, would likely delay the SMB except if the current is so strong that I could get too far from the boat too fast. Too many advantages in reaching deco gas without further problems.

 

[Celt]

If a member of the team is out of gas. In this case, another mamber of the team would share gas with them, and the goal would be to reach an alternative source of gas ASAP. Assuming accelerated deco, the first alternative source of gas is usually the deco gas that is, unfortunately, usually breathable only at shallow depths. So the team would start ascending without an SMB at the fastest rate possible, and there will be at a minimum the first deco stop without a reference. Depending on when the team switch to deco stages and length of deco stops before it, there might even be more than one stop without SMB.

Sure, the team may also prepare the SMB during the ascent, but (1) this depends on several environmental and decisional factors and (2) the ascent rate before the SMB has anyway to be managed without reference, which in itself is challenging.

I, personally, would likely delay the SMB except if the current is so strong that I could get too far from the boat too fast. Too many advantages in reaching deco gas without further problems.

Having dived continuously in all conditions for over 50 years when I read posts on scubaboard I can instantly visualise what’s been said. Every scenario you’ve put forward is complete pie in the sky and nothing to do with reality. Not only have you now been separated from the wreck but there’s 2 of you and one has run out of gas. You say you now must make a free assent past possible 2 stops to make it to a breathable gas. All this rubbish talk to justify whatever crazy rules you’re diving by. First if the conditions were such that you could be separated from the wreck you should have a strobe out and be on a line, so there’s no excuse for being off the wreck in the first place, secondly how did you lose your bottom gas reserves that you need to depend on deco gas. Ironically all the fictitious scenarios you thought up could’ve been avoided if you used the anchor rope described by the OP. The problem with locking yourself into a system is you have to make all kinds of excuses to justify its use.