What's your dive accessory pet peeve?

[divemonkey33]

I am not sure why you are arguing about this... you have something that works for you. Others have offered their perspective, which you always have the option of taking or leaving. There is no "one" way.

That has kind of been my whole point, but others seem to disagree. I'm not saying that what I use is best, and there is nothing that is 100%. To be honest I also had some questions about that shacklel (haven't had one in hand), but I liked the point that snaps like trigger, bolt, and suicide if put under a load you may not be able to get free from atleast without a knife.

 

[vladimir]

just a question but what is wrong with carabiners?

nevermind- i read the rest of the thread.

seams easy enough just to cut your bc if u can get the carabiner off.

I have some cheap alum. ones i was thinking on using. could easily bend them or even break them as they are a softer alum.

I think the idea is that in an entanglement situation, where you might find yourself awkwardly constrained and with your gas steadily dwindling, you don't want projects like cutting your bc off or bending aluminum to free yourself. We see people drown because they can't manage to drop their weightbelts—why would you give yourself tasks like that?

And what advantage do carabiners offer that makes them worth whatever small added risk they might present? Hopefully not that you had some lying around—that's not a good criterion for selecting dive gear.

 

[JamesK]

Dive monkey could you please post a picture of this nylon split ring snap arrangement you're using? I am having trouble picturing it with your descriptions.

 

[doctormike]

I think the idea is that in an entanglement situation, where you might find yourself awkwardly constrained and with your gas steadily dwindling, you don't want projects like cutting your bc off or bending aluminum to free yourself. We see people drown because they can't manage to drop their weightbelts—why would you give yourself tasks like that?

Exactly. This is just like the discussion that people have about the Air2. In an emergency situation, you want your plan B to be as simple and familiar as possible.

When things go bad, you simply shouldn't be relying on any sort of elaborate procedure to fix things, because panic is a killer, and it kills when it makes people forget how to do very simple tasks. Assume that in an emergency you will be operating on very limited cognitive facilities, and plan accordingly.

 

[DevonDiver]

Pretty much all of the equipment considerations that stem from technical/cave diving do so on the basis of accident or near-miss analysis. In that respect, they are 'heeded wisdom' and a community consensus supports those considerations in theory and practice.

It is wrong to assume that these equipment considerations should not apply to recreational level diving. Although the severity of risk may not be as great, the existence of risk factors is likely to persevere; albeit with less critical outcomes and/or less frequency of encounter.

As we know, people don't die regularly in recreational scuba diving. However, when accidents do happen they are often of an avoidable nature. Recreational dive accidents typically also show a 'chain of events' which lead to an ultimate conclusion. The ability to 'break that chain' is what protects people. Heeding wisdom on equipment consideration is another opportunity to 'break that chain' - thus an important safety factor for the diver.

The wisdom of including break-away or cut-away points within certain elements of the equipment configuration is a prime example of that sound wisdom. Likewise, the objection to devices which can entrap objects/lines without the divers' specific intention, is also well founded on accident/near-miss analysis and an acknowledged principle.

To ignore such principles, based on an objection to the perceived underlying risks is illogical. It's nothing more than willful stupidity to dismiss a risk purely because you, the individual, have not encountered it (yet).

If a diver chooses to use a configuration that opposes the 'community wisdom', then they should do so in the acceptance of risk, not through the dismissal of it. For some recreational divers, that acceptance of risk may be partially valid - as the risk is of a low order. That order of risk is entirely determined by the dives conducted. Nonetheless, a responsible and safety orientated diver would seek to mitigate all known risks - and there is very little obstruction to that, save some minor expense to make the necessary configuration adjustments.

 

[divemonkey33]

Dive monkey could you please post a picture of this nylon split ring snap arrangement you're using? I am having trouble picturing it with your descriptions.

I hope this works. This was the newest thing I was working on where there is also a quick disconnect but have now abandoned it all. I couldn't find the piece of nylon I use so I improvised with a tie strap where the nylon would be at the top. Now if any part of the gets caught the whole thing can be cut off at the tie strap at the top where your D-Ring would be (don't have loose one). If you reverse things and snap to your D-ring if it the snap that is caught and you can't undo it you have nothing you can cut. Not sure if it helps but it's the best I could do and putting it on my BC I don't think the picture would come out to well (to much black). I'm going to do almost the same thing but with these Brass Barrel Bolt - Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL I'm going to drink from some of their cool aid. When I get it all together I will post a pic of that as well 100% complete. Might be awhile depending on shipping.

 

[DevonDiver]

Divemonkey33... you're re-inventing the wheel. Perfectly functional solutions exist, that are safer, more streamlined and cheaper.

It's your prerogative whether to accept advice or not... but I can guarantee that your proposed (pictured) solution won't gain you much credibility when introduced to potential new dive buddies.

I, for one, would find your configuration sets 'alarm bells ringing' - and that'd influence my decision whether to dive with you, or not... and what dives I'd be prepared to undertake with you. I wouldn't, for example, consider taking a diver to a wreck dive, if their equipment configuration showed no evidence of understanding the risks inherent with that activity/environment.

Furthermore, I would acknowledge that very poor equipment configuration choices - demonstrating ignorance of accepted safety principles - indicated a significant weakness in experience and/or an inability heed warnings. Neither alternative would be an incentive to take you on dives that may expose you to any form of elevated risk, stress or task-loading.

 

[gcarter]

I hope this works. This was the newest thing I was working on where there is also a quick disconnect but have now abandoned it all. I couldn't find the piece of nylon I use so I improvised with a tie strap where the nylon would be at the top. Now if any part of the gets caught the whole thing can be cut off at the tie strap at the top where your D-Ring would be (don't have loose one). If you reverse things and snap to your D-ring if it the snap that is caught and you can't undo it you have nothing you can cut. Not sure if it helps but it's the best I could do and putting it on my BC I don't think the picture would come out to well (to much black). I'm going to do almost the same thing but with these Brass Barrel Bolt - Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL I'm going to drink from some of their cool aid. When I get it all together I will post a pic of that as well 100% complete. Might be awhile depending on shipping.

View attachment 137817

All other considerations aside, my first thought is that this configuration would dangle more than it needs to. Why do you want both a snap and a quick disconnect?

 

[Paulmal]

I agree that I would not take someone with sub-optimal gear set up on advanced dives, ie. cave, cavern, wreck penetration. Even if they are certified. Now on a pretty fish dive I will dive with anyone no matter their set up, as long as it works, once if they prove to be dangerous then never again, otherwise I will continue diving with them. And if they want to do the more advanced dives I will help them get to that point if they like.

 

[divemonkey33]

No this is what I have been reading about by others. Ok so I did it your way bolt snap tied to an accessory and snapped to a D-Ring (push pin). When the bolt snap gets wrapped around by something (simulated by white paper) and is puling you down. You can't unsnap it maybe because of a little things called tension or the snap is all wrapped up which ever. What are you going to do? Cut it off? Don't think so? Why does even one here not see this? Sure what I showed is less streamlined and it cost a little more. And there is a better way to streamline it (looking for / working on) and (I don't like the quick disconnect either, but I thought it was an adjuster, my bad). Or imagine if you will your all suited up ready to someone comes over to you and grabs you my the snap and pulls on it how can you get free, you can pull the snap open but you can't relieve the tension? I can get free buy cutting the wire tie. This is all in some wild extreme case, but hey you never know. Think about it for a minute before blindly just dismissing it because it is not what you do. It is logically safer. And just as a side note don't think it is wise to mix safer and cheaper in the same sentence. So come now tear me to shreds again I've done a lot to prove this point but all everyone says it that's not how I do it and doesn't back it up with why, other then that's what others do.