Why jump in the water and then float around?

[Walter]

Ethics? Truth? Understanding the use quotes? You sir, are very uptight. Go relax and just ignore my posts. Happy diving to you.

I am relaxed. Since you have no regard for ethics or truth, please do not quote me in the future.

 

[AbyssalPlains]

On a recent dive on the Oriskany I told my new buddy that I would Roll and Go, I went from the right and he went from the left. We were the third pair in the water, the first two pairs, bobbing on the surface and it was quite rough that day and a very strong current were already on the tag line getting most of the attention of the crew. I had instructed my buddy that I would not be on the surface and that we would meet at the line that the DM had set 10 feet down to the anchor line. I rolled in, did a half twist, Jets went into action and I was down. I turn around, no buddy, yep he was on the surface, already queasy from the trip out he was up there snorting seawater, then he followed the wrong guy (everybody in black of course--like a Harley convention) who went the wrong way and then went back to the surface were they inhaled more seawater. I was watching the mass mayhem from 10 feet down, the entire boat load of divers now hanging on the tag line. I had just about decided to go get him when I guess he must have remembeed me telling him I would NEVER be on the surface and finally down he went, saw me and away we went. Problem is he had consumed a lot of his air on an already deep dive that required every bit of air we had. Oh well, new divers and new buddies, gotta train them, cannot get mad. After that he understood the error of his and their ways.

Your not going to hit your head if you clear your entry point, if the sonar says 220 feet to sand, Roll and then GO.

Equipment, the exact configuration yiou will be diving, should have been checked in a previous dive or in the POOL before your trip--not--hanging on the surface on your trip. Just because everybody does something stupid does not make it right.

N

???

You must be a drill instructor or somethin' - ex Navy, I guess, or maybe Navy-wanna-be?
Why is it "stupid" to hold on to a tag line and make a safe, relaxed descent? That would avoid getting confused (everyone's wearing black), getting nervous (inhaling seawater) and getting separated (one from the left, the other from the right). What's wrong with being able to making a controlled descent using a tag line like everybody else? It's not because of the tag line that folks were breathing seawater, it's because they couldn't keep the reg in their mouth.

 

[AbyssalPlains]

Haha! This thread cracks me up! A lot of this reads like boys who have seen Top Gun too many times!! Everybody relax, this is diving, not Iraq...

 

[Walter]

Haha! This thread cracks me up! A lot of this reads like boys who have seen Top Gun too many times!! Everybody relax, this is diving, not Iraq...

Don't sweat it. No one is going to force you to improve your skills. Chill out and don't try to learn, we won't care.

 

[DeepSeaDan]

Let me clarify something here. If divers are skilled and know what they're doing on a dead calm day, go ahead and schmooze on the surface all you want if there's no current.
There were too many times where I had to jump in and swim down numbskulls who messed around on the surface forever with their gear, couldn't grasp the concept of grabbing the drift line, and wound up too far for them to swim back to the anchor line. Since I couldn't untie the boat, I'd have to swim them down and drag them back to the boat.
On a crowded dive boat, you go messing around on the surface and sooner or later, you're going to have another diver roll on you.
It never happened on any of my boats, but as a civilian on other commercial ops, I have seen it, and it ain't purty.

...have a bag w/ about 200' of poly 1/2" line ( more, if you like ), with a useable size eye in the end & a large carabiner attatched, stowed close at hand at the stern. If you have to swim for someone, & you have sufficient personnel on board to pull you back, then grab the eye & go.

Free ride back for the both of you.

You can rig the haul system any way you like. Personally, I'd hook the carabiner on my left upper d-ring; I'd carry a short jump line, with eyes & carabiners, that I'd hook into the same d-ring on mine, then over their right shoulder to theirs ( or their next best location if one wasn't available there ). With my back to the dive boat, I'd position the haul line over my right shoulder; I'd position the cargo in-line with me. While not the most comfortable position for towing, it allows ease of access to the couplings should I need to detatch quickly.

With a pre-arranged signal ( usually a quick circular rotation of an extended arm ), you both get a nantucket sliegh ride back to the boat!

Sweet.

Regards,
DSD

 

[Nemrod]

pteradon, whatever, the tag line ran behind the boat about 100 feet. The guide line the DM had rigged to the underwater bouy to which the boat was tied (ANCHORED) was about 15 feet down--maybe 20--that is right--the anchor bouy is not on the surface--but about 20 feet down and the DM had rigged a guide line from the boat to the underwater anchor bouy. There was NO SURFACE tag line to the anchor--just a tag line running back behind the boat. This is quite common practice in some areas. I, like Walter, you don't have to improve your skills. The divers who I mentioned washed away on the tag line were washed by a significant current back BEHIND the boat and spent much of their gas fighting the surface current just to get back to the boat's stern from which a direct downward descent would take them to the underwater--20 feet down--guide line to the anchor.

Per the instructions I gave my buddy, we were to meet below the boat on the tag line to the anchor at about 20 feet, regroup, bubble check and proceed. The HURRY you may call it was that the Oriskany sits in 220 feet of water and it is 140 feet to the flight deck, barely sufficient gas to make the dive as it was which is why several who floundered on the surface--did not.

N

 

[Rockhound76]

I've never seen a "surface" tag line. I thought they always hooked off about 20' down on the anchor line or the mooring. On a few dives off Florida, I've been the last up and it was my "job" (volunteered) to release it.)

I like the "sleigh ride' idea. When I first started diving, I got disoriented on a dive and "somehow" ended up downcurrent of the boat. It was a long swim, made long by the fact they kept pulling the trailing line just out of my reach. When I FINALLY got within 50' of the boat, they pulled anchor and moved up a 100yds.

I'm glad they don't do those sorts of crazy things anymore. But, I'll admit I learned my lesson very well.

Get in the water ready to dive, then do the dive. Keep up with where you are and make sure you can find your way back to the boat. Stay upcurrent so if you do get lost or have a problem, you'll have an easier swim of it.

Btw, I don't think of diving as a macho, militaristic or "angry" sport. But, I do think it advisible to have a complete set of skills. If a diveboat wants me at the surface until the DM splashes or the rest of the group puts all their gear on properly (while in the water?), I'll politely wait with my head bobbing up. But, I'll be darned if I'll inflate my BC unless I have to or unless their is a compelling reason to do so (like I'm carrying the anchor to the boat.)

 

[Nemrod]

Rockhound, I like you--welcome. N

 

[captain]

???

You must be a drill instructor or somethin' - ex Navy, I guess, or maybe Navy-wanna-be?
Why is it "stupid" to hold on to a tag line and make a safe, relaxed descent? That would avoid getting confused (everyone's wearing black), getting nervous (inhaling seawater) and getting separated (one from the left, the other from the right). What's wrong with being able to making a controlled descent using a tag line like everybody else? It's not because of the tag line that folks were breathing seawater, it's because they couldn't keep the reg in their mouth.

And they couldn't keep their reg in their mouth because? Not comfortable in the water maybe? Getting nervous, not comfortable in the water maybe. Getting seperated, is this a low vis issue or seperated in 30' vis. If people were prepared before they get in the water and comfortable in the water than a tag line wouldn't even be needed unless there was suggnificant current but even then it is still no reason just to hang on, Get to the down line and go. Sorry in 40+ years of diving I have never had my regulator come out of my mouth for any reason other than I took it out.

 

[AbyssalPlains]

I dont want to belittle ANYONE - sorry if it may sound that way. Thats why I use those handy little smileys after all...

It just sounded to me like folks who use taglines are idiots and I dont agree with that.
Thats all.

Happy diving everyone, Oriskany or elsewhere!

:blinking: