Dangers with kelp diving?

[slackercruster]

When diving in the kelp gardens such as Catalina's. Is there much of an entanglement danger with such diving?

 

[dlndavid]

If you do get tangled, don't panic. Stop, Breath, Think, Act.

 

[Atticus]

I've been diving in kelp for a fair time (since '98) and haven't ever managed to get "entangled". I've been slowed down a few times - usually this just involves reaching down and moving a piece of kelp a few inches and continuing on.

The worst situation that I have witnessed in kelp was a diver who got a long piece wrapped around her tank valve at depth. She kept swimming but was unaware that she was tethered and didn't make any progress. It seems like the kelp could have rolled her tank valve off if she'd been particularly unlucky (though it didn't happen). Situations like this are what buddies are for.

Like the previous poster said - as long as you get freak out about it's a non-event.

 

[rhlee]

Chuck has a good summary here:

http://www.garlic.com/~triblet/ba_diving/kelpdiving.html

The stuff really does snap easily in the worst case.

 

[Jake]

I've never had a problem of any severity. Every time I dive in kelp (which if you haven't done it, btw, is bloody awesome) I seem to get a little tangled. Just watch where you're going and make sure you're keeping an eye on your buddy and vice versa. I would definitely recommend not diving with a leg knife. They seem to attract entanglement. Long fin straps do this too.

That said, just be careful! Have fun!

 

[jmani]

The worst Kelp entanglement I have ever seen was...

Diving with my brother-in-law last year, swiming through the kelp bed me behind my buddy. he some how managed to wrap a kelp strand around his ankle/fin/strap. He carried the kelp, with a large rock attached to the bottom.(Does kelp have roots?) This went on for a good 50 feet before he noticed the hitchhiker. I had a good laugh. He reached down removed the kelp and the dive was completed.

John

 

[JacobK]

Nothing wrong with diving in kelp. The two places where most of the kelp will get caught will be the first stage and your fin strap. If you fell a tug, stop, and back up a bit. If you to get tangled, remain calm and just break the kelp off. If you do not have a knife, you can bite off the big pieces with your teeth.

When swimming with a buddy, you swim single file through the kelp. The first person looks back to make sure the second person comes through okay. The second person makes sure the the first person goes through okay.

 

[DandyDon]

.(Does kelp have roots?)

Yep

If you to get tangled, remain calm and just break the kelp off. If you do not have a knife, you can bite off the big pieces with your teeth.

I don't like to take the reg out of my mouth, but then - I never had a problem breaking the kelp just by bending it completly with my hands. The waves break the stalks all the time, it grows back.

 

[D_B]

Go slowly, carefully and if you feel something tugging on you, don't just whip around to see what it is , calmly look, see where it is, back up if you can, and just move it. A good buddy sometimes can get it off you easier than you can and remember, Kelp breaks very easily if bent at a sharp angle

It's great fun to "fly" between the "trees"

 

[www.scubamazing.com]

kelp biting?

sounds like a good sport.