Tight or loose line when during wreck penetration?

Scubaroo · Feb 24, 2003

Just read a pissing match on another board regarding whether the wreck penetration line should be tight, or left with a little slack, between each tie-off point within the wreck. The argument given for leaving some slack between each tie-off was that wrecks are a dynamic environment, and some slack should be left because the wreck will move about in surge etc, and a tight line is prone to snapping. A loose line will have some play in it, and be less likely to snap.

In MechDiver's words, I thought "Horsepucky" - if the wreck's moving, you shouldn't be penetrating it, and an inch or two of slack isn't likely to make much difference to the line snapping if it's tied to two different moving pieces of wreck(!), and a slack line is likely to fall from a tie-off point.

So what's the general opinion of some wreck divers?

[edit] - typo fixed

chickdiver · Feb 24, 2003

tight, loose lines are a pita to follow.

WreckWriter · Feb 24, 2003

not "guitar string tight" but definitely more towards tight than loose. Maybe "snug" would be a proper word.

Loose lines float around too much with water movement and you are much more likely to get in "false exit" scenarios where the line gets caught in a crack or similar. I understand this can happen in caves also.

WW

Rick Murchison · Feb 24, 2003

Positive line placement requires a taught line. Nylon line has quite a bit of stretch between "no slack" and its breaking point. A loose line is trouble waiting to ensnare you.
Rick

Walter · Feb 24, 2003

I agree.

Bob3 · Feb 24, 2003

Snug is nice, don't need any more little floaty things doing macrame' work on my tank valves.
I also have this bad habit of using a flat braided poly line no smaller than 3/16". Never did trust that nylon kite string stuff.
Poly floats if snapped/cut, you can look for it on the overhead vs having to grope for a sunken nylon one.

Spectre · Feb 25, 2003

... 'll be guaranteed to find line traps. The last thing you want in a zero-vis problem is to follow a line that runs out of reach.

Also; I would think water movement was more of an issue than wreck movement. Water movement with a loose line has a much greater chance of getting it resting on a sharp piece of metal. one wrong tug and 'snip'.

Jonathan · Feb 25, 2003

seems we're pretty much all in agreement so far.....

Bob3 · Feb 25, 2003

Agreement's good, but don't use cave line in the Great Lakes, those zebra mussels can shred that stuff faster than you can say "oh s**t".

Scubaroo · Feb 25, 2003

Guess it really was just a pissing match - there's no argument.

Now for the floating line versus sinking line argument they had... :boom:

Tight or loose line when during wreck penetration?

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