A twisted sense of fun: Wreck workshop class report

[KMD]

What little I have worked with a line made me realize that Line is Evil. It floats where you dont want to go, tangles up everything and is just waiting to grab you.

Sounds like it was a good workshop. Who ran it?

 

[TSandM]

It was run through Fifth Dimension, our local GUE shop.

 

[Jason B]

We started to do a touch contact exit, and quickly ran into about every problem you could imagine. I had my right hand on the line and couldn't clip my lighthead off with my left, so I had this lighthead getting in the way of everything I wanted to do.

Lynne, I would have given a "hold" touch contact signal, grabbed the line with the left hand, Stowed light with the right hand, followed by a go or forward command. Might have taken a minute of your time, but having the light stowed would probably allow a quicker egress.

Sounds like you had a nice workshop.

 

[TSandM]

Our instructor pointed out very kindly to me that he had covered precisely this situation in the dry runs -- hook the line with your elbow and use both hands if you need to. Of course, then you could be dependent on your buddies to have referenced the line so you are certain which direction to proceed, but that's what you have buddies for.

 

[andydiver06]

Can you specificaly post about the skills you had to perform in your wreck Penetration Class ? Keep on posting. We all learn a lot from your posts.

 

[TSandM]

The specifics:

Dive planning: Gas matching, dissimilar tanks, rule of thirds, rock bottom.

Equipment check: Making sure the needed tools and emergency equipment are with the team. Knowing where everything is stowed -- who has it and where.

Line laying: Holding and managing a reel. Selecting sites for primary and secondary ties, and proper technique for putting them in. Running line and putting in ties. Roles of leader (with reel) and second teammate (inspecting and approving ties, adjusting tension and repositioning the knot as required). Situational awareness for everybody: How many ties? What time were they put in? What depth were they at? Which side did we pass them? Keeping the team tight and in communication (passive most of the time, active when necessary). Light signals.

Lights-out exit: Deploying backup lights. Referencing the line. Team positioning and communication. Managing entanglements. Technique for passing ties.

We also discussed technique for handling OOA situations while doing lights-out exits, but we didn't actually practice those.