Wrong or right gear

[Gary D.]

Lets get this one started as well.

There is no gear that will work for all teams under all situtations. What works well for one team will fail to work for another.

The important thing is that the user needs to know that gear better than the back of their hand. They should be able to deal with any problem that may arise with any part of that gear without thinking about it and while multi-tasking.

Being in this business you should not have to abort a dive because of a minor malfunction.

I feel that a "RESCUE" team should have all the same gear while a recovery team can have a mixture of brands and styles.

Gary D.

 

[indypddiver]

Gary D.,

I am am member of a team that is search & recovery first. However, when a rescue call comes out, we also respond and back up the fire department team as needed. After a set time frame, the scene becomes a recovery and we take over.

Even though as search & recovery divers we have the benefit of being able to take all of the time we need to plan, execute, and debrief a dive, I am strongly in favor of standardized equipment and standardized equipment placement. As I'm sure most almost all of us do, we dive in absolute zero vis about 99% of the time. Standardized equipment and training is crucial in mitigating an emergency situation. I always know what my teammates are wearing and where its located.

 

[Jawbone]

I agree with the above. It was the knowledge of my partner that made a Diving incident not grow into a major problem. On a recovery dive in 35' water and zero vis under a bridge I had an incident. That spring before the recovery dive a company had replaced the half mile long bridge. As per their contract they were to remove the old bridge. As we soon found out they did not. They old bridge was demolished and dumped into the lake. Anyways as we were doing are search which was broke into 2 diver teams I suddenly became impailed on something. I did not not know what was holding in position. I was unable to move and unable to find the problem. Signaling my partner that I had a problem he began feeling for the holdup. Due to low viz this took time. We also had notified the surface of the problem. The safety divers which are located above every team started their descent. My partner finally found the problem which I would not know till we surfaced. He stated he had found a piece of rebar from the previous bridge had some how went over my shoulder and slid between me and the BC. When this occured I never even felt it. I use a winged BC and this rebar went under the wing and trapped me some 15ft down the rebar. My partner knowing my equipment very well was able to guide and release me from the entrapment. This goes to show no matter what equipment is used your team must train on knowing the equipment and know how to release and fix any potential problem by hand touch only. We frequently train in pools with blacked out masks for such situations. It works well and when a situation occurs your training makes you remain calm and confident that your team will be able to handle the problem.

 

[Gary D.]

I agree with the above. It was the knowledge of my partner that made a Diving incident not grow into a major problem. On a recovery dive in 35' water and zero vis under a bridge I had an incident. That spring before the recovery dive a company had replaced the half mile long bridge. As per their contract they were to remove the old bridge. As we soon found out they did not. They old bridge was demolished and dumped into the lake. Anyways as we were doing are search which was broke into 2 diver teams I suddenly became impailed on something. I did not not know what was holding in position. I was unable to move and unable to find the problem. Signaling my partner that I had a problem he began feeling for the holdup. Due to low viz this took time. We also had notified the surface of the problem. The safety divers which are located above every team started their descent. My partner finally found the problem which I would not know till we surfaced. He stated he had found a piece of rebar from the previous bridge had some how went over my shoulder and slid between me and the BC. When this occured I never even felt it. I use a winged BC and this rebar went under the wing and trapped me some 15ft down the rebar. My partner knowing my equipment very well was able to guide and release me from the entrapment. This goes to show no matter what equipment is used your team must train on knowing the equipment and know how to release and fix any potential problem by hand touch only. We frequently train in pools with blacked out masks for such situations. It works well and when a situation occurs your training makes you remain calm and confident that your team will be able to handle the problem.

Good job Jawbone.

These situtations are not unusual at all. They are way to common and every PSD needs to react as you did.

We have several bridges in our area where the old bridge was just dumped. The one we dive on the most runs a fairly consistant 75' deep. Here is the link. http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=15&x=81&y=824&z=11&w=1 Look close to the dark area near the bottom and you can see where I-90 crosses Blue Creek Bay.

We have had everything from Billy Bobs common law wife's beer can weddin ring to a couple of bodies dumped there. Along with explosives and safe's. The explosives are another story my wife is still chipping away at me for.

The south or lake side of the bridge is fairly clear of debris while the north side is just a mess of rebar and concrete.

What we did to make it a little safer and keep our orientation to the bridge above we ran orange bailing twine (plastic) from shore to shore on the bottom. You might think about that in your area.

I hate to say it but there are a lot of people out there that just might have died being put in that same situtation.

Again you did good. Just keep it up.

Gary D.

 

[pipedope]

Generally there is no right or wrong gear but gear that is or is not so good for the job at hand.

I still say that in zero vis and especially with serious entanglement risk, it is better to use surface supplied gas with communication link. Have nearly unlimited time to solve the problem and the ability to call for help with requests for specific tools is a major help.

I am still very much in favor of having scuba gear available and in use for rescues. The fast response ability is priceless when there is a chance to save a life.

Standardization of gear is helpful in both cases especially when you are not diving every day. I also understand that not diving everyday is the norm in PSD.

 

[HardhatDivr]

Generally there is no right or wrong gear but gear that is or is not so good for the job at hand.

No wiser words have ever been spoken.

I remember at one time that the IADC was actually trying to stick there hands in any and every type of diving operation from Public Service to Golf Ball retrieval and get OSHA to implement standards that would require a minimum of a 5 man dive team (Dive Supervisor, Lead Diver, Lead Tender, Stby Diver and Stby Tender). Not sure whatever became of it.

Having done recoveries with both Surf Supplied Air and SCUBA, if given my choice in a Haz Environment, I would opt for Surf Supplied Air.

Dive gear is just like CQB weapons or Sniper Rifles in that the equipment you choose needs to fit the situation and theatre of operations...

Take care, this is an excellent forum and I hope to learn and communicate with you guys more....

Bruce

 

[Bob3]

Dope on a rope, hard to beat.
Using surface air doesn't have to be hard on the gear budget, running a hose off a couple 300 cu ft storage bottles is an inexpensive way to get rigged up. For that matter scuba tanks can even be used.
The use of floating umbilicals keeps the rebar mischief to a minimum.

 

[JCKCSYCMD]

Dope on a rope, hard to beat.
Using surface air doesn't have to be hard on the gear budget, running a hose off a couple 300 cu ft storage bottles is an inexpensive way to get rigged up. For that matter scuba tanks can even be used.
The use of floating umbilicals keeps the rebar mischief to a minimum.

What I see in this thread is a lot of calm experience. Good to see a thread that we all seem to agree on.

 

[Gary D.]

Dope on a rope, hard to beat.
Using surface air doesn't have to be hard on the gear budget, running a hose off a couple 300 cu ft storage bottles is an inexpensive way to get rigged up. For that matter scuba tanks can even be used.
The use of floating umbilicals keeps the rebar mischief to a minimum.

All our rescue trucks in the county are set up for us to hook right into if we need them. And they can fill 5000# bottles.

Gary D.