Weights and Entanglement

[hhjames]

I read another thread about weights on a belt and distribution between that and bc. So i am thinking about my set up with all the weight on the wing. The only downside to having all your weight integrated into your bc/wing is that you are positively buoyant should you have to ditch the wing while diving.

I am thinking of an entanglement situation where you may have to remove the wing to take care of the problem and your buddy is not able to free you. Does anyone have experience or insight to share? How would you prevent yourself from becomming a cork in a drysuit?


Henry James


Henry James

 

[boulderjohn]

Let me see if I understand the problem. You are suggesting a situation in which you are with a buddy and your wing has become so horribly entangled that you cannot get it loose with your buddy's help, but you can get out of the wing. Is that correct? Further, you have the potential for an uncontrolled ascent to the surface should you get out of the wing, because all your weight is in the wing. Is that correct?

My initial reaction is that this is quite an improbable scenario. It is always possible to imagine a scenario from which there is no possible escape, but I don't plan for such a scenario. If I did, the only solution would be to stop diving. Still, I will give it a shot.

If I can get out of the BCD, I assume I can continue to breathe from the regulator and then hold onto the BCD as I do. OW students who are trained in integrated BCDs do this in their pool training--it isn't hard. I should then be able to assist my buddy in freeing my BCD. I can also remove the weights from the BCD and hold onto them. I can put them in my pockets. (I have pockets on my dry suit, and I have pocket shorts I normally wear with a wet suit.) If I am so badly entangled that I have to surface without the BCD, I can share air with my buddy while ascending.

In the worst case scenario, with the imagination running wild to create a situation where none of those options were available to me and I have somehow become so entangled without being inside a wreck, then I would have to do a buoyant ascent, exhaling on the way up and flaring to slow the ascent, as divers are taught to do in the OW class.

 

[Storker]

How would you prevent yourself from becomming a cork in a drysuit?

IME, that'd be pretty freakin' difficult. With a DS and fairly thick undergarments, having a neutral rig and all your weight on the belt would be very uncomfortable. The rig will be negative and you will be positive. That's one of the reasons I always dive with a buddy and make sure s/he has at least one cutting device: to make sure I'll have some help if I manage to get entangled.

If the fit really hits the shan and I have to ditch it at depth , I'll just have to cope with clinging on to my rig...

--
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[Akimbo]

With or without a buddy you can doff your rig and untangle it unless you are at the very end of your gas supply when the entanglement occurs. It is much easier to doff your rig with some weight on a belt though.

I do believe in being able to quickly ditch weight. The only consideration is to wear your belt on top of a crotch strap, if you use one at all. Another alternative is to use a weight harness, which works well with drysuits anyway. They basically have weight release systems similar to integrated BCs so the harness can be donned before your BC/cylinder(s).

Another advantage of keeping weight separate from your BC is just the logistics of moving gear. An integrated system can get pretty heavy with enough lead for a drysuit.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I read another thread about weights on a belt and distribution between that and bc. So i am thinking about my set up with all the weight on the wing. The only downside to having all your weight integrated into your bc/wing is that you are positively buoyant should you have to ditch the wing while diving.

I am thinking of an entanglement situation where you may have to remove the wing to take care of the problem and your buddy is not able to free you. Does anyone have experience or insight to share? How would you prevent yourself from becomming a cork in a drysuit?


Henry James


Henry James

If you ever contemplate diving solo or contemplate a situation where you might be separated from your buddy, then this is a major concern. Based on many years of solo diving, I have found myself tangled many times. Quite often, it is easier for me to just remove the bc/scuba unit, fix the tangle and then continue diving. Knowing that i can do this, makes the whole event much less stressful.

i think this ability is very important - even if you normally dive with a buddy. If you do not have your ballast distributed between your body (i.e., a weight belt) and your scuba unit, then it can be very difficult to remove the scuba unit and work on a problem.

if you wear a thin wetsuit and very little lead, this is not an issue, but with thick bouyant suits, I think it is important to be able to "work" underwater with the BC off. if you are 10 lbs buoyant, you can probably kick down and hold onto the tank while you extricate yourself, but this might tie up one hand when it could be better used to pull on a line or work a knife and a rope etc.

PRACTICE removal of the scuba unit. If removal of it underwater puts you into an entirely unstable condition, then consider re-allocating weights between a belt and somewhere on the scuba harness/plate etc.

If you do get tangled and fear that when you remove the scuba unit, you may float off it and get stuck hanging by an inflater hose of the dry suit, you will be less likely to remove the scuba unit and I would think your stress level would go through the roof.

 

[Michael Guerrero]

Don't forget two things. 1) DD is pretty much a manic, and does things that make other people crap their pants just reading about them. 2) wetsuits compress at depth, so the buoyancy shift is less dramatic than you might think.

That said, having some weight on you if you think my might need to come out of the rig is not a bad idea. If you're in a drysuit dump the gas, unclip from the inflator hose, and you should be OK.

 

[Steve_C]

I wear integreted weights. I practiced don and duff but it was a pain since body wanted to be above BCD. Now for most "real dives" I wear a pair of dive shorts. Have found they work great for don and duff. The items in the pockets are all hooked onto lines. So in 5 seconds I can empty the pockets. My weight pockets fit into the shorts and it is all much easier now.

 

[hhjames]

Thanks fof the insight. I will be taking a break from diving for a bit due to two new titanium discs in my neck. But i can still research and ponder about while recovering.

 

[diver 85]

OP-I usually go half & half.........about 4 or 5 on a belt & 4 in my BC(Depending on my exact setup for that day)........EDIT.ooops, just read the part about a dry suit, mine is for non dry suits...

 

[decompression]

This addresses several issues, weight distribution and compression of exposure suit.

In this scenario, if removal of the rig is a must and all neg weight is on it, as mentioned in a DS dump air.
If in a thick wetsuit and deep, suit will be compressed and not offer much lift.
If in thin wetsuit regardless of depth (to a point), simply remove unit and remain in contact if slightly buoyant.
If in thick wetsuit and shallow, remain in positive contact with unit when removing, this is challenging and I get my students to practice this in the pool. In this case it is advantageous to have some weight on the wetsuit to offset some of the positive buoyancy.