How do I set up a deployable ascent line?

[Wreck(ed)Diver]

Hello all!

Earlier this year at boston sea rovers I was talking to some expirenced wreck divers about skills I should practice. One in particular (Tom Packer) suggested I start getting use to the procedued for decompression and shooting a bag at depth. My goal would be to go to my local pond, dive down to a sunken rowboat at 60ft and deploy an asscent line to practice hovering along. What kind of bag and line should I use? Do I just use a normal lift bag and if so what capacity? I assume I'd need slightly thicker line as well.

Thanks!!

 

[Boarderguy]

DSMB appropriately sized for the conditions you'll be diving and normal line on a 100-150ft spool. You'll need to account for bag drift (scope) due to currents and wind so at 50% of depth to the line needed. Shooting at 60, have 100ft spool. Shooting at 100, 150ft spool or reel.

 

[Wreck(ed)Diver]

DSMB appropriately sized for the conditions you'll be diving and normal line on a 100-150ft spool. You'll need to account for bag drift (scope) due to currents and wind so at 50% of depth to the line needed. Shooting at 60, have 100ft spool. Shooting at 100, 150ft spool or reel.

ok perfect! thanks!

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Hello all!

Earlier this year at boston sea rovers I was talking to some expirenced wreck divers about skills I should practice. One in particular (Tom Packer) suggested I start getting use to the procedued for decompression and shooting a bag at depth. My goal would be to go to my local pond, dive down to a sunken rowboat at 60ft and deploy an asscent line to practice hovering along. What kind of bag and line should I use? Do I just use a normal lift bag and if so what capacity? I assume I'd need slightly thicker line as well.

Thanks!!

You should ask what they use locally. In NJ a lift bag means you're fine, but lost the anchor line. SMB means you're in trouble. Should get used to shooting and ascending on whatever is used where you'll be diving.

In tech class we shot an smb and just kept our fingers around it for reference to practice open ascents.

Also, you don't really need 60'. Get good at shooting from 30' or even 20' and 60'will be a piece of cake.

Good luck!

 

[acxc]

In the northeast, if you lose the anchorline you're typically going to send up a bag from depth and tie off to the wreck. The boat is anchored to the wreck and not going to be able to leave and come get you if you are drifting away from the anchorline. If it's the boat's fault and it ends up no longer anchored to the wreck, it's a lot easier for them to come back to the wreck and find you tied off then if both are drifting. The exception might be high current / offshore wrecks, but at that point there's a plan for that and usually a chase boat ready if someone ends up off the wreck.

Most will carry an upline reel/bag in some sort of package ready to be deployed. Usually a wreck/primary reel with #36 line or parachord on it (slightly more comfortable to hang on), and a 50-100lb bag is fine. Reels are going to be easier to reploy with thick gloves and from depth than spools, and as others have said you need enough line to account for scope, usually depth + 50%. This package should be separate from your wreck reel and saved for emergency situations- usually clipped out of the way but accessible on a butt plate. As Rob said, on the boats we dive on an SMB is used to signal an emergency where you need assistsance (gas); a lost anchorline typically wouldn't be an emergency and you're unnecessarily (hopefully) putting a crew member in the water by using one.

The point of practicing is that you want to be able to do this skill efficiently when it's actually needed (hopefully never). Typically you're not going to need to use it until the very end of your dive when you come to find that you can't find the anchorline, or that it's no longer there. At that point the extra time needed to deploy and tie off your ascent line is going to put you into or add to your deco, so longer it takes the less fun the growing time you have to spend hanging on it is going to be.

Note that this is all for Northeast / NJ wreck diving; local practices may vary. Listen to the briefing.

 

[rx7diver]

@Wreck(ed)Diver,

I've sent up my DSMB from a wreck, run the line under something permanent and sturdy, and ascended up the other side with the reel in my hand. Primary cave reel with wreck line (so, a lot of line). Don't lose track of the other side of the line. Some people will capture the other side of the line with the reel's bolt snap.

Won't work very well if there is much current.

rx7diver

 

[Wreck(ed)Diver]

You should ask what they use locally. In NJ a lift bag means you're fine, but lost the anchor line. SMB means you're in trouble. Should get used to shooting and ascending on whatever is used where you'll be diving.

In tech class we shot an smb and just kept our fingers around it for reference to practice open ascents.

Also, you don't really need 60'. Get good at shooting from 30' or even 20' and 60'will be a piece of cake.

Good luck!

Ok that’s good to know! I dive a lot in the Gloucester are but I’d like to do more dives around NJ

 

[Wreck(ed)Diver]

In the northeast, if you lose the anchorline you're typically going to send up a bag from depth and tie off to the wreck. The boat is anchored to the wreck and not going to be able to leave and come get you if you are drifting away from the anchorline. If it's the boat's fault and it ends up no longer anchored to the wreck, it's a lot easier for them to come back to the wreck and find you tied off then if both are drifting. The exception might be high current / offshore wrecks, but at that point there's a plan for that and usually a chase boat ready if someone ends up off the wreck.

Most will carry an upline reel/bag in some sort of package ready to be deployed. Usually a wreck/primary reel with #36 line or parachord on it (slightly more comfortable to hang on), and a 50-100lb bag is fine. Reels are going to be easier to reploy with thick gloves and from depth than spools, and as others have said you need enough line to account for scope, usually depth + 50%. This package should be separate from your wreck reel and saved for emergency situations- usually clipped out of the way but accessible on a butt plate. As Rob said, on the boats we dive on an SMB is used to signal an emergency where you need assistsance (gas); a lost anchorline typically wouldn't be an emergency and you're unnecessarily (hopefully) putting a crew member in the water by using one.

The point of practicing is that you want to be able to do this skill efficiently when it's actually needed (hopefully never). Typically you're not going to need to use it until the very end of your dive when you come to find that you can't find the anchorline, or that it's no longer there. At that point the extra time needed to deploy and tie off your ascent line is going to put you into or add to your deco, so longer it takes the less fun the growing time you have to spend hanging on it is going to be.

Note that this is all for Northeast / NJ wreck diving; local practices may vary. Listen to the briefing.

Ok awesome, this is super informative! How different would it be from deploying a DSMB? Would you recommend I get the proper gear and practice with that or is a DSMB sufficient for now?

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Ok awesome, this is super informative! How different would it be from deploying a DSMB? Would you recommend I get the proper gear and practice with that or is a DSMB sufficient for now?

Each bag, smb, dsmb, pocket rocket, thingamabobber will be slightly different. How it inflates, how you open it, how it deflates, etc. Best to find what you'll need where you'll do your most diving and practice with that.

Some will tie knots to mark depth.. all up to you.

Hey man at least you're thinking about it, that's a huge chunk of the battle!

 

[Doc Harry]

Reels are prone to tangling and falling apart. Spools are foolproof.