Weighting,Stupid Question !!!!

[SunFishSarah]

Thanks Soggy. Going back to lurking on this thread now.

S

Getting tangled up is a very real situation that would be resolved by the team. Your buddy would give you the 'hold' command and you would wait patiently while the team fixed your problem and cut you free.

 

[Soggy]

Thanks Soggy. Going back to lurking on this thread now.

S

I should have probably done the same

 

[jonnythan]

DIR training prepares you to prepare yourself for dealing with all kinds of contingencies. Why ignore this very plausible one? As the old saying goes...S%^T Happens. At least be prepared for it.

Which very plausible contingency? You get totally separated from your buddies so.. you rocket to the surface? Detail for me a precise situation that can occur in DIR diving that would necessitate ditching weights at depth.

I'd love to hear one.

 

[NOVIZWHIZ]

You're in 35 ft of water, you're mid 50's with no history of medical problems, you suddenly feel very weak, dizzy, short of breath, severe ringing in your ears, sparkling lights begin to appear before your eyes and a crushing pain in your chest...within a matter of seconds you're barely able to function mentally or phsically, your arms feel like 100 lb weights...your last thought is you'd read on the board that dropping your weight belt (a mere flick of your hand at your waist) is NOT an option...you pass out and the regulator falls out of your mouth...you're now unconscious on the bottom and your last chance of resching the surface is gone.....

 

[jonnythan]

You're in 35 ft of water, you're mid 50's with no history of medical problems, you suddenly feel very weak, dizzy, short of breath, severe ringing in your ears, sparkling lights begin to appear before your eyes and a crushing pain in your chest...within a matter of seconds you're barely able to function mentally or phsically, your arms feel like 100 lb weights...your last thought is you'd read on the board that dropping your weight belt (a mere flick of your hand at your waist) is NOT an option...you pass out and the regulator falls out of your mouth...you're now unconscious on the bottom and your last chance of resching the surface is gone.....

I think your chances are way better in this situation of having your buddy use his rescue skills and ascend with you in a controlled manner than just hoping you can dump your weight before you're gone. (edit: and hoping you hit the surface and someone notices you... wow, that's quite a stretch. "I wear my weight belt on the outside in case I have a heart attack at 50 feet.")

Of course, if you're at 100 feet and the same thing happens.. or you're on a deco dive.. ditching weight is absolute suicide, period. Procedure is the same from 50 feet as it is from 150 feet. Your buddy gets on your back, ventilates you, and gets your butt up.

 

[NOVIZWHIZ]

One of my partners who I had been diving with for years suddenly, unexplainedly started having epilectic "episodes". He had his first one at work, no warning..said everything went black....his biggest fear was what if that had happened to him diving. Maybe, just maybe he would have had time for him to drop his belt..no time to warn his partner, barely had time to realize it was happening...He kept diving, but learned to recognize the signs and was prepared IF it happened uw.

 

[Soggy]

One of my partners who I had been diving with for years suddenly, unexplainedly started having epilectic "episodes". He had his first one at work, no warning..said everything went black....his biggest fear was what if that had happened to him diving. Maybe, just maybe he would have had time for him to drop his belt..no time to warn his partner, barely had time to realize it was happening...He kept diving, but learned to recognize the signs and was prepared IF it happened uw.

Epileptic seizures result in a closing of the airway also. Instant embolism from any depth.

 

[jonnythan]

One of my partners who I had been diving with for years suddenly, unexplainedly started having epilectic "episodes". He had his first one at work, no warning..said everything went black....his biggest fear was what if that had happened to him diving. Maybe, just maybe he would have had time for him to drop his belt..no time to warn his partner, barely had time to realize it was happening...He kept diving, but learned to recognize the signs and was prepared IF it happened uw.

Getting way off topic here. Anyone with uncontrollable epilepsy has no business driving a car, much less being your dive buddy.

Sometimes you have to hang up the fins. In any case, Soggy et al were correct - there should be no reason to ditch weights. If you have to ditch while doing a simple rec dive, you're doing something wrong.

 

[NOVIZWHIZ]

Better to try and make the surface (espec in relatively shallow water) than slump onto the bottom and hope your partner sees and understands what's happening....again, you are putting your life entirely in the hands of your partner..., CYOA is always the best policy. Why depend on someone or something else?

 

[NOVIZWHIZ]

Sometimes you have to hang up the fins. In any case, Soggy et al were correct - there should be no reason to ditch weights. If you have to ditch while doing a simple rec dive, you're doing something wrong.
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I agree....but NOONE is perfect - people (even DIR divers) make mistakes...this is about how to wear weights. IF you, in any eventuality need to ditch, weights under a crotch strap is not the correct configuration.