Boltsnap breakaways

[TSandM]

Unfortunately all my SM gear is in High Springs and I'm in Orlando, so I can't take one​

Well, you'll just have to get yourself back up to High Springs to dive with Kate, won't you?

 

[ucfdiver]

Well, you'll just have to get yourself back up to High Springs to dive with Kate, won't you?

I think I'm going to head to Boston tomorrow morning, I'm in the mood for lobster, just have to convince the girlfriend to come once I get home

 

[JamesK]

I think I'm going to head to Boston tomorrow morning, I'm in the mood for lobster, just have to convince the girlfriend to come once I get home

Man I miss the days of doing that working for Delta. Hey, let's have lunch in Cincy. Hey, let's hit San Fran for the night. Hey, there's a party in Milwaukee we should go to. Damn.

 

[flots am]

What about a magnetic keeper for primary reg (when not in use) and SPG?

It might make your compass unhappy . . .

flots.

 

[GROBIOG]

Sounds to me some people argue in favor of a fast break away to be undone in case of an out of air diver needs a reg that is clipped off and the clip is stuck.

Imagine...

Out of air diver approach buddy, gives out of air signal, buddy tries to unclip reg, can't do it, out of air diver tries too, still can't get it unclipped, "oh wait", they think, "I can cut it out, well, let me see what kind of connection you have so I can choose the right cutting tool", so let's say the donor decides it's best to cut it, after all he is the one who should be more calm and collected (yes, we are assuming the out of air diver hasn't ripped the reg out of his mouth along with a few teeths yet), since he made the connection, he would know what tool is best for the job, he starts cutting away, "s..t, it's on a weird angle, here... I got it... just a second... if you...I got it... just...will you move your hands out of the way, I can't see... here, just hold the hose out for me so I can cut it" he yells to the out of air diver, which by now is completely blinded by his light.

lol, sorry, I can't go no further

 

[DevonDiver]

Sounds to me some people argue in favor of a fast break away to be undone in case of an out of air diver needs a reg that is clipped off and the clip is stuck.

Imagine...

Out of air diver approach buddy, gives out of air signal, buddy tries to unclip reg, can't do it, out of air diver tries too, still can't get it unclipped, "oh wait", they think, "I can cut it out, well, let me see what kind of connection you have so I can choose the right cutting tool", so let's say the donor decides it's best to cut it, after all he is the one who should be more calm and collected (yes, we are assuming the out of air diver hasn't ripped the reg out of his mouth along with a few teeths yet), since he made the connection, he would know what tool is best for the job, he starts cutting away, "s..t, it's on a weird angle, here... I got it... just a second... if you...I got it... just...will you move your hands out of the way, I can't see... here, just hold the hose out for me so I can cut it" he yells to the out of air diver, which by now is completely blinded by his light.

lol, sorry, I can't go no further

If so... probably shouldn't be diving in the rig in the first place. Good equipment and good skills have to go together - one without the other is always prone to Murphy.

 

[flots am]

Sounds to me some people argue in favor of a fast break away to be undone in case of an out of air diver needs a reg that is clipped off and the clip is stuck.

I'm pretty happy with surgical tubing.

It's never let go unexpectedly, but I know that a good pull will leave me with a reg in my hand. And if it manages to come undone by itself someday, I'll retrieve it and re-stow it. It's on a hose, so it's not like it's going anywhere.

The "cut the cave line" thing sounds good in theory, but if I discover that I can't manipulate the boltsnap because of cold or drygloves or arthritis or whatever, I don't want to be OOA or donating and then have to screw around looking for a tool and then try to find and cut the line before donating or breathing. This might work well in warm water (don't know), but towards the end of some of my dives, my hands are so cold that I'm lucky if I can flip the buckle on the weight harness.

I'll take a reg that can be freed with a good tug any day of the week.

flots.

 

[DevonDiver]

The "cut the cave line" thing sounds good in theory, but if I discover that I can't manipulate the boltsnap because of cold or drygloves or arthritis or whatever, I don't want to be OOA or donating and then have to screw around looking for a tool and then try to find and cut the line before donating or breathing. This might work well in warm water (don't know), but towards the end of some of my dives, my hands are so cold that I'm lucky if I can flip the buckle on the weight harness.

In which case, the question should be asked why you'd opt for a long hose, given the risk/benefit balance?

If you're diving long hose for tech/wreck/cave... then you should have the skillset to overcome a jammed snap/make a rapid cut to free it. Deploying a cutter, could be seen as a critical skill for practice/refinement - given cold hands/thick gloves.

This is something that can be solved with skill, not equipment modification. Choosing, and locating, an effective cutting device is also an important criteria. Stick an Eezy-cutter onto your wrist...that simplifies the quick removal of a tied-snap into a 2-second task...

If you're diving a long hose for 'rec' open water....and don't have the refined skillset... then perhaps long-hose isn't the optimum configuration, if it poses significant drawbacks which impact safety.

Besides which... when is the hose really going to be clipped off? For deco... or if you're diving sidemount. It's not an issue for 'rec' open-water divers who opt for a long-hose... as they'll never have to clip it off (other than to secure the reg from damage on the boat).

For backmounted, bottom phase of a tech dive... the long hose is in use. It won't be clipped off anyway.

For deco... I don't clip off the long-hose until after the gas switch is completed by the whole team. This retains the hose for instant deployment, should an issue arise during the team switch.

For sidemount... the hose is on-and-off throughout the dive... there's a reasonable expectation that the snap won't jam because of that. It's also, very much, a muscle memory skill.

 

[GROBIOG]

Isn't the law here in florida on gun permit, I don't know much about it, but I thought it was something like 3 steps from shooting, the gun has to be 3 steps from ready to fire, is that correct?

 

[flots am]

In which case, the question should be asked why you'd opt for a long hose, given the risk/benefit balance?

The flip side of that is "Why would I opt for an attachment method that could require tools to overcome in an emergency, when there's another method that works just as well and has no possibility of failing in an "inaccessible" mode?"

flots.