Using DSMB as an anchor

[Diver0001]

If you read the link he provided, they are talking about the diver floating on the surface waiting for the boat to come & pick the diver up. I imagine that the diver taking off the weight belt (so he’s becoming more positively buoyant at the surface) and looping the weight belt around the DSMB string, letting the weight belt slide down to the bottom, holding the string & reel as anchor line once the weight belt hits the bottom with DSMB fully inflated.

Most of us saw through this. What would be the purpose of doing that? Not a theoretical purpose, a PRACTICAL purpose during a real world dive?

To my way of thinking if you do something so you stay where you were (where the search would begin) anchoring yourself to the bottom isn't a bad idea. However, if you're drifting then either drift with your gear or don't. This kind of fence-sitting idea seems like a really bad starting point to me because it's

(a) not going to keep you anchored
and
(b) not going to help you remain more buoyant on the surface

It's a solution looking for a problem. To me, you either need to be anchored or you need to be floating and buoyant. Anything else you do is a waste of time and energy.

R..

 

[Dan]

If you have arrested your drift be aware that the people looking for you are using a climatic and tidal model to predict where you are (at least in the US and the U.K.). It’s quite likely that a search would start on your predicted position and then proceed back along your predicted line of advance.

I’d suggest that rather than trying to anchor yourself, where it might be infeasible, if you’re going to be a while you want to use something as a sea anchor to turn your face away from the wind and waves and reduce your risk of water inhalation.

Ideally you’d probably want an EPIRB (only a few hundred quid) or if in coastal waters in the US or Europe an AIS SART/PLB more than you want an anchor (there have been a few high profile rescues of sailors recently with AIS PLBs, their limitation is they are VHF Radio).

You hit the nail right on the head

I always carry these signaling devices with me when I go diving:
PLB1
DSMB
Flashlight
Nautilus Marine Rescue GPS
Dive Alert
Strobe, etc.

I posted this thread few months back:
Best signaling devices from the searcher’s point of view - update

 

[Bob DBF]

Sounds like a theoretical exercise that someone believes will work. Anchoring anything in a current can be, shall we say interesting,

Assuming the belt snags on the bottom, you will drift to the end of your line. We postulated would reach the bottom to snag, when in reality it would depend on length of line and depth of water. The force of the drift would then tend to force you underwater once you ran out of line.

To anchor a boat properly to stay in place you need a line three to eight times the depth, depending on the length of line and force of the drift, wind, and waves. If the line is too short for conditions, the anchor will drag, if not the line could snap or the boat can be dragged under. and that is working with more buoyancy and less drag than a diver.


Bob

 

[Compressor]

Very interesting discussion indeed.
Theoretically you can arrest your position by dropping your weights on a line to the bottom (If there is a bottom). Reality: It's not going to work because with even a small current you and the weight will be dragged off. Only way you will stay put is if you tied to a solid object.

If I was in an emergency situation with risk of drowning myself, I would ditch my weights to become positively buoyant. I use soft mesh weights so I will have no way of anchoring myself down with the idea given by the OP friend. I would cling to that SMB and reel and not let go until I'm hopefully rescued.

 

[Compressor]

I always carry these signaling devices with me when I go diving:
PLB1
DSMB
Flashlight
Nautilus Marine Rescue GPS
Dive Alert
Strobe, etc.

Dan_T: Where do you put all these when diving?

 

[Dan]

Dan_T: Where do you put all these when diving?

They fit in my BCD pockets.

 

[Firebar]

I always carry these signaling devices with me when I go diving:
PLB1
DSMB
Flashlight
Nautilus Marine Rescue GPS
Dive Alert
Strobe, etc.

A potentially useful addition to that list is a DSC (Digital Selective Calling) VHF Radio, internationally you get voice comms, but where people are set up for it you can trigger an audible alarm over the radio which sends them your gps position. If the recipient has their radio wired into a computer it’ll even plot you on a chart.

I’ve also seen some “laser flares” in yachting magazines too. Small and handy for night dives maybe, the only thing is don’t shine them at rescue aircraft, they hate that.

 

[Dan]

A potentially useful addition to that list is a DSC (Digital Selective Calling) VHF Radio, internationally you get voice comms, but where people are set up for it you can trigger an audible alarm over the radio which sends them your gps position. If the recipient has their radio wired into a computer it’ll even plot you on a chart.

I’ve also seen some “laser flares” in yachting magazines too. Small and handy for night dives maybe, the only thing is don’t shine them at rescue aircraft, they hate that.

That’s what Nautilus Marine Rescue GPS Nautilus Marine Rescue GPS - Free to use, Diver Rated to 425 ft. | Nautilus LifeLine does. Once you press the red button, it’ll send out DSC & AIS with GPS coordinates where you are. However, VHF signal is limited. That’s why I also carry PLB1 http://oceansignal.com/products/plb1/ that would send the 406 MHz distress straight up to the LEOSAR & GEOSAR satellites, monitored by NOAA.

 

[johndiver999]

Very interesting discussion indeed.
Theoretically you can arrest your position by dropping your weights on a line to the bottom (If there is a bottom). Reality: It's not going to work because with even a small current you and the weight will be dragged off. Only way you will stay put is if you tied to a solid object.

If I was in an emergency situation with risk of drowning myself, I would ditch my weights to become positively buoyant. I use soft mesh weights so I will have no way of anchoring myself down with the idea given by the OP friend. I would cling to that SMB and reel and not let go until I'm hopefully rescued.

The OP was asking if this would work in a strong current. The answer, is "no". The current will cause a weight belt to drag. If it were to snag on the bottom, then the diver and smb would almost certainly just get sucked underwater from the drag of the current.

It might work in "shallow" water with "light" current, but that was not the scenario explained at the start.

Also, one of the very good reasons not to ditch your lead, is that if you are floating on the surface and a ship or very large vessels comes at you and does see your little smab, you may need to re-descend to escape being run over.

 

[Landlocked123]

Another reason to carry a large primary reel on all wreck dives I do. If this ever happened, which is highly unlikely I would go back down to the wreck and attach myself by way of #60 + line. Clip the other end to chest D ring and you can float at the surface indefinitely still exactly attached to the wreck. Given dives in the 60-70 ish range you could easily pop back down there and have no deco issues and perform this. This alows you to preserve your energy and focus on signaling from the surface (SMB etc). My only concern would be. If and when folks notice you are missing would they not assume the prevailing tides have taken you with them? in this case, would they not be searching down current from where you actually are? That is why I never ever allow myself to get blown off of a rec. If the current is that strong I am simply going to pass up on the dive.