How often do you wrap?

MASS-Diver · Sep 16, 2002

Hi guys,

I've heard the two extreme for how often you should wrap (tieoff) your wreck reel line inside a wreck. On school of thought is that in an emergency wraps can really slow down your exit, increase the risk of theh line snapping, and should be done only when the direction of travel changes. The other side is that you tie off all the time, espcially if vis is bad.

Thoughts? Anyone have the most up-to-date thinking on this matter?

JamieZ · Sep 17, 2002

I tie off when I enter the wreck and then again 4ft in. Then I make wraps every time I make a turn or descend down a stairs or up. Having wraps become a non issue in an emergency situation where you need to get out fast because you would leave the reel or cut it and just follow your line out with out unwrapping anything.

WreckWriter · Sep 17, 2002

scubanarc once bubbled...
I tie off when I enter the wreck and then again 4ft in. Then I make wraps every time I make a turn or descend down a stairs or up. Having wraps become a non issue in an emergency situation where you need to get out fast because you would leave the reel or cut it and just follow your line out with out unwrapping anything.

This is the basically way I do it also. In an emergency, ditch the reel.

I make my first tie 5 or so feet inside usually, then a second at 10-15 feet depending on diver traffic at the site. You don't want a gomer following you in!

Tom

MikeFerrara · Sep 17, 2002

IMO, in wreck diving just as in cave diving good line placement is important. You also want to minimize the effort, complexity and therefore time required to run or retrieve the line. So...beyond your primary and secondary tie offs you put them where they are needed to avhieve good and secure placement. The time it takes to run or retrieve the line is a consideration for efficiency and ease of following the line. In an emergency we simply follow the line to open water leaving the reel.

DocRCH · Sep 17, 2002

It is a good idea to wrap the line if it could become an entanglement hazard on the way back. Swimming through a floating maze of line is not something that makes sense.

Robert

WreckWriter · Sep 17, 2002

DocRCH once bubbled...
It is a good idea to wrap the line if it could become an entanglement hazard on the way back. Swimming through a floating maze of line is not something that makes sense.

Robert

The line MUST be kept snug if not tight, floating slack is never ok.

Tom

MASS-Diver · Sep 17, 2002

Thanks Guys!

Rob Meddes · Oct 15, 2002

The line should be tied off outside the wreck so if your following the line in bad viz you know that if you follow it to the end then your out of the wreck. You tie off around corners, stairs, pipes & obstructions in a way that means your always in contact with the line. The reel is about £40. Your life is worth a little bit more so leave the reel.
Good diving
Rob

How often do you wrap?

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