Jon-Line use

[tinman]

Is there any value to using a Jon-line for safety stop hangs when in flag pole mode on a St Lawrence wreck?

I haven't used one before and it seems an easy piece of kit to make....

I can imagine that it makes it easier for divers to get by you on a busy line and you might even be able to help a diver that loses hold of the anchor line since you will be a little further downstream I suppose.

Does this place you in a poor position vis-a-vis a dive buddy? (i.e. if you make the line 5-6 feet long, are you going to have a mouthful of fins, and will a longer line make you more prone to changing your position in the water column and more difficult to return to the anchor line? For the Men in Black hanging around for hours in solitary darkness it makes good sense, but how about for a 3-5 minute safety stop.

More trouble than it's worth? Any downside to doing this?

 

[WreckWriter]

Lots of value for long hangs, but for a safety stop probably more hassle than it's worth.

WW

 

[divedude]

I agree with WW.
In the river if it's just a safety stop and the current's rippin, just hang on!

 

[tinman]

Tx Jim/WW, I figured you could give me the straight goods. I still think for A types there's an opportunity here. Glow in the dark books, waterproof DVD player - "I can't wait all minute" for this stop to be over, particularly since I'm not looking at pretty fish or anything...yeh, I suppose I can contemplate the meaning of life and keep my buddy's gear out of my face, OOA drills - now that would be interesting why flag poling on the St. Lawrence..

 

[Walter]

How many will be hanging off at once? I always have a line in my pocket. When diving off a crowded boat, I often use my line to get out of the crowd. It's definately worth the effort. I have an 8 ft line to keep me out of the fins. Buoyancy control will keep you at the right depth, not the length of the line.

 

[divedude]

tinman once bubbled...
"I can't wait all minute" for this stop to be over, particularly since I'm not looking at pretty fish or anything...yeh, I suppose I can contemplate the meaning of life and keep my buddy's gear out of my face, OOA drills - now that would be interesting why flag poling on the St. Lawrence..

If your not in a current, "practice practice practice" Alex {my son} & I do reg switches, buddy breath, bouyancy control. We always switch to our secondary reg's on stops.
Why: It make's it a habit, if for any reason someone comes in a ooa situation and grab's your reg, its habit to go for your second.
Another reason: I was playing around one day, free diving down to the "Aloha", One of my customers saw me and offered me her second. I figuered "what the heck" took it exhaled and took a breath, A mouth full of water, I purged took another breath, more water. Now I'm at 60' no air "SeeYa" I blasted to the surface.
Later we checked her second, the diafram was split wide open.
Her response:"I never use it, so I never check it"

I never allow Alex or myself to touch a line when accending or doing safety stops {when there's no current or slow current} and his bouyancy control is better that 99% of diver's I've met.

So make safety stops count! Practice!

 

[DivingGal]

Walter once bubbled...
How many will be hanging off at once? I always have a line in my pocket. When diving off a crowded boat, I often use my line to get out of the crowd. It's definately worth the effort. I have an 8 ft line to keep me out of the fins. Buoyancy control will keep you at the right depth, not the length of the line.

To give me a jon line when I visited the gang down in Florida. I also have the line in my pocket all the time. If there's only a couple of you on the desent line no problem, but as Walter says, when there's a crowd -- the line is very useful, in a current or without.

 

[Scubaroo]

So, question for the folks using a jon line, do you hang on to the end of the jon line, or clip the end of it off to a D-ring and relax?

Anyone using a jon line made from bungee to take some of the jerk of the anchor chain out in a swell?

I'm thinking of making one to throw in the pocket for boat dives - there's been occasions when I've wished I had one.

 

[Walter]

I use a buddy line because it is useful in so many different ways. I'm always discovering new uses for it. It's simple poly line 6 - 8 feet long with a loop on each end. I never clip it to my BC. I've never had any trouble with it jerking in swell.

 

[seahunter]

I wouldn't want to 'clip' or otherwise attach any kind of line to my person. A good loop in my hand or at the most a large loop with my arm through it is the most attachment I'd want.

Many times when diving with a small group we'd put a bar down instead of a hang line. It's quite common in some areas of the south. In stiff current it's particularly useful since it tends to hang straight even with several divers on it. It stays at the same depth while lines tend to get shallower in stiff currents. The bar I'm most used to is very heavy (usually 1 1/4" black steel pipe) and hung along the side of the boat (parallel to the keel). It's easy to hold onto, you can separate yourself from each other but still stay in contact, you can hang other lines, tanks or gear from it. We often would attach our cameras or diver tows to it and pull them up with the bar later.
Would that idea suit your purposes?