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I'm looking for training exercises that teams have used (and found valuable) for dealing with entanglement. Both in the pool and open water practice routines would be appreciated.
Entanglement Training
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We do in pool training,with BIG nets and lines.
Let members swimm thru with binded masks and then free themselfs.
Cutting lines,with knives,shears and line cutters.
freeing them selfs from the netting,by taking sets off and untangeling and redonning.
Lots of fun
Let members swimm thru with binded masks and then free themselfs.
Cutting lines,with knives,shears and line cutters.
freeing them selfs from the netting,by taking sets off and untangeling and redonning.
Lots of fun
Practice deploying your knife/cutting tools and using them to cut various materials. You may also want to practice cutting with both hands.
fisheater
Contributor
Or, you can simply dive on the Sonoma Coast this summer and fall.
We get LOTS of entanglement practice every dive.
We get LOTS of entanglement practice every dive.
vablackwater
Contributor
We also do a cut box for pool training. Pretty simple to set up, grab a milk crate and thread it with assorted wires, lines, fishing line, steel leaders and anything else you tie to it. Use a weight to keep it on the bottom.
The box will let team members try different cutting devices and let them see what works for them on different materials. Divers should also try one handed versus two handed cutting (what happens when one of your hands or arms is hung up ). I don't just carry one type of device, and personally i carry a set of trauma sheers, a zknife like cutter, a pair of wire cutters, and a small knife. The divers should have them on their harnesses and usual stow locations where they are accessible.
Blackout masks also complement the drill. To keep it realistic, divers should have the hand protection on that they usually dive with to see the loss of dexterity.
As far as the pieces that are cut... you can have divers work on their knots and such have them hand them to their tender. Basic stuff like a bowline, square knot, and a bend.
The box will let team members try different cutting devices and let them see what works for them on different materials. Divers should also try one handed versus two handed cutting (what happens when one of your hands or arms is hung up ). I don't just carry one type of device, and personally i carry a set of trauma sheers, a zknife like cutter, a pair of wire cutters, and a small knife. The divers should have them on their harnesses and usual stow locations where they are accessible.
Blackout masks also complement the drill. To keep it realistic, divers should have the hand protection on that they usually dive with to see the loss of dexterity.
As far as the pieces that are cut... you can have divers work on their knots and such have them hand them to their tender. Basic stuff like a bowline, square knot, and a bend.
Gilldiver
Contributor
In the "Old Days" we would have a swim in the pool with most of the lights off and have some fun.
We used all types of things like a casting nets or have a "safety" diver hook a line that was tied off to a cement block into a teams valve and give it a good yank. This was with one member without a mask and one with a blacked out mask all the while buddy breathing.
We would also have one or two guys with fishing poles cast heavy weight mono with a 6oz sinker over a pair to try to hook them.
I like the idea of the cut box, put all types of lines in it including high test leaders of 60 Lb or higher, some stainless steel leaders, and 1/4 or 3/8th inch poly lines like are used for lobster pots.
The worst entanglement I ever had was a mono ball with a number of hooks in it. When I cam out of the water I had a number of hooks and an umbrella rig set into my wet suit (at least I did not have a dry suit on).
What you should find is that most knifes will cut mono, even the high test stuff, but do not do a thing on stainless leader and have a hard time on the lobster pot lines.
We used all types of things like a casting nets or have a "safety" diver hook a line that was tied off to a cement block into a teams valve and give it a good yank. This was with one member without a mask and one with a blacked out mask all the while buddy breathing.
We would also have one or two guys with fishing poles cast heavy weight mono with a 6oz sinker over a pair to try to hook them.
I like the idea of the cut box, put all types of lines in it including high test leaders of 60 Lb or higher, some stainless steel leaders, and 1/4 or 3/8th inch poly lines like are used for lobster pots.
The worst entanglement I ever had was a mono ball with a number of hooks in it. When I cam out of the water I had a number of hooks and an umbrella rig set into my wet suit (at least I did not have a dry suit on).
What you should find is that most knifes will cut mono, even the high test stuff, but do not do a thing on stainless leader and have a hard time on the lobster pot lines.
We use a pvc box in the pool about 4' x 4' and 10' long. Have them go through blacked out. Just tie all kinds of line, nets, string, etc all over it and have them work their way through.
As mentioned above- must have gloves on to really experience it as it will be IRL.
As mentioned above- must have gloves on to really experience it as it will be IRL.
RescueDiver2407
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I run our teams training and every January we run a "confidence course" in the pool. We black out our masks, gear up, and follow a line. I use cheap tarps, snow fencing, a 55-gallon plastic drum with the ends cut out, a cut box, and a lift bag station. I've also thrown in a "Men of Honor" drill sometimes where we have to open a mesh bag and build a PVC manifold complete with flanges, nuts, and bolts toward the end of the course.
The cut box will really make you question using a knife (it did us), and since then we've gone to 2-3 pairs of shears with a knife back-up. One thing I did add to the box is a piece of 1/4-inch fuel line to mimic an air line. Just tell your people to not cut anything "important" and let them figure it out. About half our team cut it the first time, but no one has cut it since.
The last station for us is usually the lift bag or "Men of Honor" drill and it is a good time to shut down their air and have them switch to their redundant.
Be creative, be nasty... it might just save their lives one day.
The cut box will really make you question using a knife (it did us), and since then we've gone to 2-3 pairs of shears with a knife back-up. One thing I did add to the box is a piece of 1/4-inch fuel line to mimic an air line. Just tell your people to not cut anything "important" and let them figure it out. About half our team cut it the first time, but no one has cut it since.
The last station for us is usually the lift bag or "Men of Honor" drill and it is a good time to shut down their air and have them switch to their redundant.
Be creative, be nasty... it might just save their lives one day.
CCTX50
Contributor
My team is going to be put through entanglement drills in March. I have been collecting gill nets from the local game wardens. I have also collected quit a few soccer goal nets. All training will be done in a controlled enviroment (Pool). We will also video all training so that the divers can see what they did right or wrong after the fact. (They will be blacked out during the actual excercise) Having them run a predetermined course that will take them through various challenges to include going through a 55 gallon can, doffing and donning their gear, and swimming through a mess of entanglements. I personally carry 5 cutting tools. Shears, two knives and two line cutters. Wire cutters would be a good idea also. All tools are placed in the golden triangle. I hope this helps others out.
Our full cave instructor routinely ties his students up as part of the course. The expectation is to cut yourself out in the dark while ensuring you hold the exit side of the line and then ideally splice it before exiting so that you leave a continuous line for any following teams.
In my personal experience with commerical and low viz diving, the best thing to do is maintain your awareness and notice an entanglement as oon as it forst begns to pull on you - then just stop and freeze. More often than not, any tension from the entanglement in monofilament, etc will pull you back slightly and release you. If not, then slowly and carefully identify where you are tangled and either release yourself or cut yourself free. Minimal movement and no rolling or major pitch change is the order of the day. It is truly a case where less is usually more.
In my personal experience with commerical and low viz diving, the best thing to do is maintain your awareness and notice an entanglement as oon as it forst begns to pull on you - then just stop and freeze. More often than not, any tension from the entanglement in monofilament, etc will pull you back slightly and release you. If not, then slowly and carefully identify where you are tangled and either release yourself or cut yourself free. Minimal movement and no rolling or major pitch change is the order of the day. It is truly a case where less is usually more.
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