SeaJay
Contributor
I couldn't find a place where this had been discussed before, and if it's obvious to all of you cavers out there, please bear with me... I'd never seen it before and so I thought I'd share.
Recently I went diving at Ginnie Springs, and in the cavern at the main spring someone had tied off a cave line and ran it across the cavern. Obviously, they were doing some simple training ("How to run a line properly?") and left it there overnight. There was a little slate attached that said something to the effect of, "Please do not remove... Training." Since I could see both ends of the line (and no foreign divers) I could kinda see what was going on there. Despite the fact that there was a very expensive reel attached to the line, I left it in place, as requested.
Anyway, to do a little skill set of my own, I tied a spool line off to the same point where they'd tied theirs off to... A Ginnie Spring "permanent" cable. For those of you unfamiliar, the standard isn't to actually "tie" anything... Our lines have a largish (6"-8") loop tied (and then heated with a match to ensure the knot doesn't come undone) to the end of the line, and we simply loop the spool/reel through it and close the loop around whatever, lasso style. Pulling it taught produces a secure connection that can't be undone without the reel/spool in hand, save for cutting the line. This prevents what would otherwise be a catastrophe... Losing the "tie off" point.
Anyway, I went and practiced running the spool out (I prefer them to reels in open water) and then followed my trail back without losing buoyancy or losing control of my light. When I got back to the tie off point, though, I found that I'd pulled the loop pretty tight... And since my tie off point didn't have a large diameter, I found myself having to use my nails underwater to losen what had become a knot.
Looking for a simple solution to this waste of time and dive, I later retied my "loop" with a little "baby loop" coming off of it.
Here's a rough sketch:
http://www.bftwave.net/lcscuba/knot.jpg
I use the loop as per normal, but when I get back to it, the "baby loop" is sticking up (it's about an inch long) and I can hook a finger in it and a gentle tug is all that's required to get it to release.
Simple... Effective... Free. Only the main knot of the "adult loop" has been touched with a match to get it to stay. The "baby loop" isn't something to worry about coming undone, although it's nice-n-tight and I shouldn't have a problem with it.
Thoughts from the cavers? Howcome I've never seen this before? Seems like a good idea.
(Yeah, I know... I made a big deal over a stupid knot... Whoopee.)
Recently I went diving at Ginnie Springs, and in the cavern at the main spring someone had tied off a cave line and ran it across the cavern. Obviously, they were doing some simple training ("How to run a line properly?") and left it there overnight. There was a little slate attached that said something to the effect of, "Please do not remove... Training." Since I could see both ends of the line (and no foreign divers) I could kinda see what was going on there. Despite the fact that there was a very expensive reel attached to the line, I left it in place, as requested.
Anyway, to do a little skill set of my own, I tied a spool line off to the same point where they'd tied theirs off to... A Ginnie Spring "permanent" cable. For those of you unfamiliar, the standard isn't to actually "tie" anything... Our lines have a largish (6"-8") loop tied (and then heated with a match to ensure the knot doesn't come undone) to the end of the line, and we simply loop the spool/reel through it and close the loop around whatever, lasso style. Pulling it taught produces a secure connection that can't be undone without the reel/spool in hand, save for cutting the line. This prevents what would otherwise be a catastrophe... Losing the "tie off" point.
Anyway, I went and practiced running the spool out (I prefer them to reels in open water) and then followed my trail back without losing buoyancy or losing control of my light. When I got back to the tie off point, though, I found that I'd pulled the loop pretty tight... And since my tie off point didn't have a large diameter, I found myself having to use my nails underwater to losen what had become a knot.
Looking for a simple solution to this waste of time and dive, I later retied my "loop" with a little "baby loop" coming off of it.
Here's a rough sketch:
http://www.bftwave.net/lcscuba/knot.jpg
I use the loop as per normal, but when I get back to it, the "baby loop" is sticking up (it's about an inch long) and I can hook a finger in it and a gentle tug is all that's required to get it to release.
Simple... Effective... Free. Only the main knot of the "adult loop" has been touched with a match to get it to stay. The "baby loop" isn't something to worry about coming undone, although it's nice-n-tight and I shouldn't have a problem with it.
Thoughts from the cavers? Howcome I've never seen this before? Seems like a good idea.
(Yeah, I know... I made a big deal over a stupid knot... Whoopee.)