Learning from experience

[mello-yellow]

On shore dives I normally hang my light (if I bring one at all) from a D-ring on my chest; when I actually need the light, I unclip it, put the lanyard over my left wrist and tighten it.

A week ago I was doing a shore dive which required a very long surface swim, so I brought a scooter. As I was passing very close to a rock, there was a loud CLANG, and the scooter abruptly stopped. My first thought was that I banged the scooter into the rock, and had a major $$ loss. Then I looked carefully, and saw that the flashlight's lanyard wormed its way into protective cage around the propeller, and one blade caught on it. Took me a while shoving my fingers into the cage, but I managed to free the propeller blade, and the scooter switched back on with no problems.

I moved the flashlight to my crotch D-ring, and now know not to hang anything loose and flexible where it might get into propeller cage!

 

[Bubblesong]

So now you have a flashlight dangling from your crotch strap. Um. Does it get in the way? What if the lanyard, (by some unlikely series of events) gets stuck in the scooter again? How will you get it off this time?

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

A week ago I was doing a shore dive which required a very long surface swim, so I brought a scooter.

So I have a question - if you have a very long surface swim - do you take the scooter under water or do you use the scooter on the surface? I ask because I have a scooter on order and would like to know are you under air on the way out or do you get to your destination and then dive? I have been looking at some of the islands and possible dive spots off Cape Ann and was curious. It may not matter but I dive both single and doubles...
Thanks

 

[ft.lauderdale diver]

without a doubt you need to be under water. Diving with a scooter on the surface is horrible! don't forget your compass!

 

[mello-yellow]

So I have a question - if you have a very long surface swim - do you take the scooter under water or do you use the scooter on the surface?

I do use it on the surface, face down and breathing through a snorkel. When I descend, I leave the scooter on the surface, clipped to the flag.

At least that's the usual procedure -- I had used the scooter at the bottom, but very rarely.

 

[mello-yellow]

So now you have a flashlight dangling from your crotch strap. Um. Does it get in the way?

No

What if the lanyard, (by some unlikely series of events) gets stuck in the scooter again? How will you get it off this time?

Same way I got it off my chest D-ring -- by unclipping it. Or are you asking how I would get the lanyard off the blade? No guarantee that I can do that, in which case I would have a long swim back.

Here is the light in question. The clip is for attaching it to D-ring. The lanyard goes on my wrist when in use.