Entanglement??

[MalteseMonster]

Alright, I frequently dive solo not by choice but rather lack there of... Now the biggest problem I've encountered is entanglement... lets hear some tactics for untangling yourself... Me


STAY CALM you can't regulate your breathing (or anything else for that matter) properly if your panicking..

1. My first option would be my knife I've got one on the left side of my BC for my right hand. and the other on my left ankle for my left hand..

2. Now normally, my good ole blade will cut me out of anything. But what about wreck diving or cave diving where the entanglement is not always cuttable?? like cables or wires maybe even confined space. now this question here has been haunting me for a while now, But I finally got it (I think).. What about removing your BC?? For example like today I was swimming through an old cabin cruiser that has a hole cut in the deck approximately 2'-3' maybe... Their is no way your going through there with your air tank on, It would be a squeeze naked:11:... I was going for it, Now the first time I almost LOST MY TANK !!!! WARNING< your tank is 'pretty boyant'>END WARNING.. After recovering from a spell of stupid, I put one weight of my belt in my BC pocket and made it slightly negative buoyant... Add a little air to my BC and it's perfectly neutral.. I now removed my BC passed my pack through the hole and squeezed through just slightly trailing my gear...And It is very very easy to put back on when it's neutral Compared to fighting to keep it from surfacing without you.....

Every time I myself have been entangled It was my air tank that always offered the challenge, there is something about waving the knife around your back with all your air hoses that freaks me out... Now un-a$$ the tank, turn around chop chop chop (try not to cut the black hoses ) gear back up and go...

Another Warning< If you remove your bc and keep your weight belt on your heading for the bottom<END WARNING> Solution, I adjusted my weight on my belt to make me slightly negative And I think it was like two pounds or so to make my pack the same.. If all the air is out of my BC we wont go opposite directions should we separate.. This works for me...but what are some of the ways you deal with entanglement without an extra set of hands?? Let's hear it.....

 

[Diver Dennis]

I won't do an entry like that solo. I stay away from possible entanglement situations whenever I solo dive. Not worth tempting fate like that in my opinion..

 

[potablewater]

 

[captain]

I won't do an entry like that solo. I stay away from possible entanglement situations whenever I solo dive. Not worth tempting fate like that in my opinion..

I agree, I would not put myself in that type of situation. The best way to manage entanglement is to not get entangled in the first place and that means not attemping to deliberately put yourself into a situation where a high proability of entanglement exists.

 

[MalteseMonster]

Ok so I put myself in that situation but, That was in as closed environment with great viz and shallow water...It was 17' to the bottom of the boat... To me the ideal place to PRACTICE for the worst case scenario.. I didn't feel I was pushing it rarely at all, At most I demonstrated some basic skills by donning and doffing my gear under water..IMO I would rather practice for the "worst in the best environment", So that I can better handle the worst in the "worst environments" If that makes since?? I dis-agree with the idea of the best way to avoid entanglement is to avoid the situation.. At the lake I live on viz is on a good day would be 2 feet, should I avoid this lake?? What if someone was drowning?? Should I still "avoid" it?? Hook a rope to my A$$ and I'm going in.. I will rely on my training, to bring me back up not my ability to "Avoid" things... Again these are just my opinions..<<<<<Thanks All>>>>>>>>

 

[Diver Dennis]

Well, poor vis is a lot different from possible entanglement. I would never go into a space that required me to take my tank off when diving solo. You can drown just easy in 17' of water as 5' of water if you get entangled, can't get out and run out of air. I guess my point is that practicing these types of situations is good but I would only practice that with a buddy in case things went horribly wrong...

 

[texdiveguy]

Ok so I put myself in that situation but, That was in as closed environment with great viz and shallow water...It was 17' to the bottom of the boat... To me the ideal place to PRACTICE for the worst case scenario.. I didn't feel I was pushing it rarely at all, At most I demonstrated some basic skills by donning and doffing my gear under water..IMO I would rather practice for the "worst in the best environment", So that I can better handle the worst in the "worst environments" If that makes since?? I dis-agree with the idea of the best way to avoid entanglement is to avoid the situation.. At the lake I live on viz is on a good day would be 2 feet, should I avoid this lake?? What if someone was drowning?? Should I still "avoid" it?? Hook a rope to my A$$ and I'm going in.. I will rely on my training, to bring me back up not my ability to "Avoid" things... Again these are just my opinions..<<<<<Thanks All>>>>>>>>

Crazy!!!!

 

[Nemrod]

I would not do that solo either. If I have to take my tank off to get into something then that is somthing that I don't need to get into -- solo. Did you mentally speak to yourself, "hey, self, watch this!" ?

There are old solo divers and bold solo divers but there are darn few old and bold solo divers.

N

 

[vladimir]

For example like today I was swimming through an old cabin cruiser that has a hole cut in the deck approximately 2'-3' maybe... Their is no way your going through there with your air tank on, It would be a squeeze naked:11:... I was going for it, Now the first time I almost LOST MY TANK !!!! WARNING< your tank is 'pretty boyant'>END WARNING.. After recovering from a spell of stupid

Are you sure you fully recovered?

 

[drbill]

We rarely have a problem with entanglement other than kelp and the occasional fishing line. I always carry my shears with me for the fishing line since they can be held more securely in my hand than a knife. I usually see the line before I get entangled, but I have had a few minor snags that were easily remedied with the shears.