dropping weights could save life

[MikeFerrara]

After you are in a Deep in a strong down current, with a fully inflated BC, finning as strongly as you can, unable to navigate out of the current, and still going down you will see why ditchable weight is a must.

I have to admit that I haven't been in such a down welling. Aren't they usually along a wall? If they are wouldn't you use the wall? What about your bc and/or swim perpendicular to the current to get out of it?

If none of that works and you're correctly weighted, I wonder how effective droping a few more pounds would be.

How many times have you had to drop weights in a down welling?

Plus, any statement that is labled "professional" is suspect when it goes counter to the standards of accepted certifying agencies like NAUI, SSI and PADI.

Which standards specifically are you refering to? I have the PADI training standards and the IANTD standards right here at my fingertips so we can discuss those in detail.

Hopefully, folks reading this thread will stick with the standards they were taught and continue safe, fun diving.

Hopefully, folks reading this will realize how important it is not to be too heavy and to be practiced in basic skills so they can handle simple problems without dumping weights and blowing for the surface.

Most of the divers that I've seen hurt did it to themself by blasting for the surface becaused of a percieved problem or lack of control while trying to manage a problem.

 

[String]

If none of that works and you're correctly weighted, I wonder how effective droping a few more pounds would be.

Thats an issue a lot of people seem to miss, if you are weighted properly, ditching whatever you have to go positive wont make THAT much difference at all, certainly nowhere near the difference that fully inflating a BC, drysuit and maybe lift bag would do.

Going in seriously overweighted and then ditching them simply returns you to the positive buoyancy i mentioned in the above paragraph - the amount of change from negative to positive is larger but the overall buoyancy doesnt change at all.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Let me offer a little more perspective here...
I deal with and dive with lots of open water students and occasional (once-a-year-on-vacation) divers. Many of these divers have a fairly narrow border between comfortable competence and "oh-my-God-it's-turned-to-worms-and-I'm-gonna-die." I like to have ditchable weights on these folks. It is important in the extreme that these divers are not overweighted and are trained to keep an open airway on ascent and control a buoyant ascent - no big deal given proper weighting.

I also deal with and dive with folks in caves. These folks are very different animals indeed; there we want no ditchable weight. In the vastness of the in-between, there's lots of room for different weight configurations and lots of good reasons for them. My preferences may not match yours for a particular dive.
The only time overweighting is justified is when the overweight is in your tanks and you're carrying no lead. (redundant buoyancy required)
Rick

 

[String]

Agree with the above post.

There are some times you are going to be overweight through no fault of your own AND with no belt either when carrying twinsets and/or stages etc.

For my own diving which is single cylinder, no staged deco, BC/Drysuit i have no need to be chronically overweighted although i admit to being 2-3kg overweight diving with my 15l tank purely because i dont want the inconvenience of changing my belt inbetween dive 1 and dive 2 of the day (my other tank is a 12l so i have to weight for that to stay down). I can still swim up against that weight however so i dont find that an issue.

 

[Sideband]

Agree with the above post.

There are some times you are going to be overweight through no fault of your own AND with no belt either when carrying twinsets and/or stages etc.

For my own diving which is single cylinder, no staged deco, BC/Drysuit i have no need to be chronically overweighted although i admit to being 2-3kg overweight diving with my 15l tank purely because i dont want the inconvenience of changing my belt inbetween dive 1 and dive 2 of the day (my other tank is a 12l so i have to weight for that to stay down). I can still swim up against that weight however so i dont find that an issue.

Here's an idea you might like. Maybe not...
Take the weight off the belt and add it to the light tank using an ankle weight or similar. Your belt is then always correct and you only have to loop a weight around the neck of your light bottle when you hook it up. Just an idea. You aren't badly overweighted anyway..

Joe

 

[Curt Bowen]

After you are in a Deep in a strong down current, with a fully inflated BC, finning as strongly as you can, unable to navigate out of the current, and still going down you will see why ditchable weight is a must.

Plus, any statement that is labled "professional" is suspect when it goes counter to the standards of accepted certifying agencies like NAUI, SSI and PADI.

Hopefully, folks reading this thread will stick with the standards they were taught and continue safe, fun diving.

I have never seen a current like this and I have been in many Blue holes in the Bahamas that could almost suck your boat from the surface. These hole pull so much water they can pull a vortex in 40 feet of water.

Properly weighted I have at least 35 pounds of additional lift, if this does not bring me up then I guess it was my time to go.

Standards, Standards are many times made from people who don't know their ass from a hole in the ground setting behind some desk in the AC. I know I work for the government. Most I would not take diving with me. Call the training agencies and ask for the peoples qualifications and dive logs that set the standards, i am sure you will be surprized.

 

[Rick Murchison]

These hole pull so much water they can pull a vortex in 40 feet of water.

Tarnation Curt!
That's scary and I'm a fearless man!
Rick

 

[Curt Bowen]

Tarnation Curt!
That's scary and I'm a fearless man!
Rick

Yes, they are extremely scary. You approach them on the ocean bottom from a long distance and pay very close attention to the currents. If they start getting to strong, turn and swim away.

Many of them the only time they can be dove is 1/2 hour before and after tide change.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Yes, they are extremely scary. You approach them on the ocean bottom from a long distance and pay very close attention to the currents. If they start getting to strong, turn and swim away.

Many of them the only time they can be dove is 1/2 hour before and after tide change.

I wonder what agency standards say about the correct way to get into (and out of) a strong siphon.

 

[Rick Murchison]

I wonder what agency standards say about the correct way to get into (and out of) a strong siphon.

Rick's personal agency (KISS diving) sez "we don't do strong siphons." In fact I don't like any siphon.
After I've explored all the springs I'll start thinking about siphons...
Rick