Practice, Practice, Practice and when you think you have it down, more Practice.dtdiver:how did you get in the water so quickly?
do you keep it arranged in a particular fashion?
dry suit/ tanks/ etc/ etc just to get suited up takes me longer than it took you to drive to the scene and complete the recovery.
dt
I posted some pics of my car set up on Diverlink but I cant find them right now.
All my Rescue gear sits on my back seat directly behind me and the cage. Additional Recovery gear is in the trunk.
Its packed just so-so and if anything gets out of place it screws everything up and can add a minute or more to suiting up. Its first in last out.
We get undressed as traffic allows while enroute. When I open the LR door on my patrol car there is a hanger with jackets and rain gear. It gets tossed onto the trunk. That exposes my dry suit that is accordion folded with 2 white rings. I grab those rings, spin 180 degrees and step into the suit, secure the ankles, slip into the top, secure the crotch strap and zip the Inner zipper only.
Grab my gear bag and toss it onto the trunk. Put on my weight belt, which sits on the floor next to the door.
Release the seat belt and valve restraint on the tank, turn on the air, pull it out, spin 180 degrees and set it down. Open the BC straps and throw it over my head. As soon as it drops hook up the inflator hose and only the belly BC strap. Secure my computer hose.
Then into the already open gear bag for the hood and put it on. Then dry gloves and fins get carried to the water.
That all happens while we are getting briefed on the dive. It isnt unusual for us to be in the water in less than three minutes from the time we arrive.
Swift water and Ice at least double our suit up time because of the added gear and hazards involved.
For Rescue we normally dont bother with putting on the underwear. If we are on duty, In the winter we have Long Johns and long sleeve shirts on to start with. In the summer we are in short sleeve shirts so that can get cold.
Our duty belt stays on the drivers seat; boots stay on the floor or right outside the car. If I remember, I slip my vest off from under my shirt but my back-up weapon has been on better than a hundred dives. You never know when you might need it.
Practice, Practice and more Practice.
This is what I mean about knowing your gear very well.
Only got up twice last night so everything's getting back to normal.
Gary D.