What Would You Do?

[Captain Caveman]

Well this is started from my post from(were your you diving this weekend)
this is how the day went and the incedent that followed.


I took the wife down to haigh Q for a nice day of diving, we went to see the rock crusher and had a great dive. on your survice interveral we meet up with Steve(reefraf) had a good talk and steve and I were going to go for a deep dive along the wall. Since my weight bags for my set up are on back order ive been using a weight belt for now. so we geared up and got into the water at 5-52pm went down to 47feet and went south travel about 16min about that time sice the water was 64degF I used about 1500psi and i wanted to turn around so we headed back. about 2 min later my weight belt slid to my left side so i fixed it on the swim and tightend it down. about 30s lator it fell off. i was about 3 feet from steve and i started to rise very fast. i swam down just enough to grab steve and deflate, when he notice that i lost my weights he deflated but about that time we were at the top of the water. on my dive computer it sayes. 40f-0ft in less that 2sec. to fast for the computer to read. what im glad is that i didnt panic. i new that i should slow the rise and not do a emergency ascent.

do you think i should of went straight to the top doing a emergency ascent with out grabing steve?
or did i do the right thing?

also do you think i handle it the right way.

im getting difrent weight bags this week. and canceling my order.

[Captain Caveman]

?bump?111.

[juls64]

You are here and you are both alright. That is a very good thing. You probably handled it OK.

I think the big thing now is for you to look at the weight belt/equipment you are using. Did the weight belt you were using have a stainless or plastic buckle? I personally prefer the stainless ones myself. The plastic ones don't seem to hold in place as firmly, IMO.

As for the "weight bags" you have on order, I'm confused what you are talking about. Are they simply the soft weights or they weight pockets for a weight-integreted BCD? What BCD are you using now? A little more info on this please.

Julie

[nitroxbabe]

OK, you're diving, you lose your weights, your first and correct thought is "I've got to stop my ascent!".

Now keep in mind that I don't know what I'd really do if this happened to me, but I think grabbing another person is a bad choice unless that person has a grip on a stationary object. You could endanger them as well as yourself.

From the depth and the time you were down you were probably not in much danger as long as you kept your airway open as you ascended. But the deeper/longer you'd been down, the worse.

If possible, grabbing onto an inanimate object would be the best choice. Then you've at least got some time to assess your choices and/or hope someone sees your predicament.

But of course that's a big "IF" and you don't usually have time to think things through when the unforseen happens - you just react.

Worst case scenario, vent air, open your throat and keep your fingers crossed.

I don't like weightbelts - I've seen LOTS of people lose 'em.

[Mverick]

If you're wearing a Backplate and Wing with crotch strap. Put the strap over your weight belt. So if it drops you don't loose it... You have to undo the whole belt to loose it.

Weight yourself so you only have around 4-6lbs ditchable weight. Loose 20lbs, no matter what you're going up and you're buddy ain't gonna keep you down. Because if he's 20lbs overweighted. He's a stone. And would have had trouble diving anyway. Need more non-ditchable weight. Get a weighted Single Tank Adapter. I dive steels. So, I usually only need 6lbs of weight. If that. And if I dive my duals. I need nothing.

I don't like the halcyon ACB or the dive rite set up. I have both.... I like the weight belt. Don't like integrated anything.

Doing an ascent from 40ft to surface in 2 seconds. You did a emergency ascent.

Taking my buddy for the ride. I don't think I'd of done. I'd hate for him to get hurt because of me.


My own goof...

Diving a 121lp I thought I dove the day before. I dove a 112lb the day before. So I was weighted for the 112lp. About 6lbs light on the dive. Got about 3 min deco. Came up to the 15ft hang bar. Kept floating even though I grabbed the 4lb weighted bar. Bounced off the bottom of the boat. Swam back down. Got the air out of my BC and drysuit. And made my deco obligation plus a couple minutes. Even with my tank getting lighter on the Deco I could easily stay down. I was right on the borderline of the weight I needed. Had to MT my whole BC. Sucked it out to make sure it was MT..

I grabbed the line on the bar and pulled it up with me. It had a 4lb weight to keep it down. I still pulled it up slow. About 6 feet of line. I didn't grab a buddy to hold me down. I don't want to hurt him for my mistake.

My fix. Make sure I put the weight on for the tank I'm diving... Duh on my part...

Magictwnger saw me bounce off the bottom of the boat. As did Netmage. Stupid mistake.

Am I pretty hard on myself about it. Yep. I don't like being a problem. And definately don't want to be a statistic. I did get it under control. But, It should have never happened...

I had plenty of air for Deco. Of even me and someone else..

Be safe and learn from your mistakes.

[DeepDiverBob]

If you're wearing a Backplate and Wing with crotch strap. Put the strap over your weight belt. So if it drops you don't loose it... You have to undo the whole belt to loose it.


Not always a good idea. What happens if in the unlikely event of an emergency, you have to ditch the weights? Then it is more of a hassle. This battle could go back and forth with opinions, but I just wanted to throw out the other side of the coin here.

[Mverick]

Not always a good idea. What happens if in the unlikely event of an emergency, you have to ditch the weights? Then it is more of a hassle. This battle could go back and forth with opinions, but I just wanted to throw out the other side of the coin here.

Yep, 2 different thoughts on it.

My thought. Is there isn't ever a time I want to dump my weights. If I'm out of air. I would buddy breathe... Or swim up...

I just can't think of any time I would want to dump my weights. I know they teach it. But, there isn't a time I can think of.

I don't want ANY ditchable weight. But I also don't want to be Heavy. So, no matter what I can swim my rig up. I use ditchable weight because I have a lot of different tanks. Some tanks I use no weight. Others I have to add some... When I add. I use the weight belt...

Accidentally dropping the weight belt and doing a poseidan happens a lot. Drownings because you can't get your weight belt off? Never heard of one. Have heard of people drowning with air in there tanks and weight belt on though...

I've had my weight belt slide off in the River before. 80lbs worth. Didn't go to the surface because I had my harness through it. Got it back on and continued the dive... And I've dumped it also. But, that was for testing... LOL River diving and Real diving is a little different though... LOL

[Captain Caveman]

i put the weight belt under my crotch strap but the way i was turned when it fell it went right throgh. w/ stainless steel buckel
right now i just got this set up with a new farmer john 7mm suit.
here my weight i was useing 25lbs.

i weigh- 175-180lb

45lb lift diverite venture wing.

al back plate.

famer john henderson 7mm suit.

thigh pocket with lift bag exe.

i tryed 15lb and i floted so i tryed 25 and it seemed to be good. i should of tryed 20.
but i could get my boyency right way on the dive and keep it. some times im just a touch heavy so i add air but most of the time i dont have any air in my wing.
im going to get the intergrated pockets today and im going to get some pool time to see what weight would be good im going to try 15-20.

[nitroxbabe]

i put the weight belt under my crotch strap but the way i was turned when it fell it went right throgh. w/ stainless steel buckel
right now i just got this set up with a new farmer john 7mm suit.
here my weight i was useing 25lbs.

i weigh- 175-180lb

45lb lift diverite venture wing.

al back plate.

famer john henderson 7mm suit.

thigh pocket with lift bag exe.

i tryed 15lb and i floted so i tryed 25 and it seemed to be good. i should of tryed 20.
but i could get my boyency right way on the dive and keep it. some times im just a touch heavy so i add air but most of the time i dont have any air in my wing.
im going to get the intergrated pockets today and im going to get some pool time to see what weight would be good im going to try 15-20.

Aha! There's your problem - super-buoyant thick wetsuit. Go dry young man, go dry!

My first wet suit was a 7 mm farmer john - not only did I feel like a sausage, but I had to wear so much friggin' weight it was ridiculous. Then as you go deeper & the suit compresses you sink like a stone. Hated it.

Next went to a 7-6-5 wetsuit - better, but just plain not warm enough for the Great Lakes.

LOVE my Diving Concepts 3mm crushed neoprene.... love it love it love it.

[Captain Caveman]

right now after buying all of my gear thats the only suit o can afford to get. and i bought it used.. not a lot of money since i got all the gear i needed.
so i have to deal with what i got of now. so im right 20-25lbs.

[Mverick]

I meant to put the Weight Belt through the crotch strap. So, if it drops. It's still wrapped through the crotch strap. To drop it. You have to Pull it apart.. Otherwise it's through the Crotch strap. If it just drops. It makes a figure eight with the Crotch strap.

And, I dive drysuits too...

[DeepDiverBob]

I just can't think of any time I would want to dump my weights. I know they teach it. But, there isn't a time I can think of.


I read in Divers Alert magazine a few months ago where a diver jumped off the boat in the caribbean, and was going to do a wall dive. His BC malfunctioned, and wouldnt hold the air he was puting in it, and continued to drop faster and faster. The descent got out of control, and he wound up not coming back from this dive. They said if he would have ditched his weights, he most likely could have avoided the out of control descent. I think it might have added that when the body was recovered, it looked like he was trying to ditch his weights, but it was too little too late at that point.

[Mverick]

I read in Divers Alert magazine a few months ago where a diver jumped off the boat in the caribbean, and was going to do a wall dive. His BC malfunctioned, and wouldnt hold the air he was puting in it, and continued to drop faster and faster. The descent got out of control, and he wound up not coming back from this dive. They said if he would have ditched his weights, he most likely could have avoided the out of control descent. I think it might have added that when the body was recovered, it looked like he was trying to ditch his weights, but it was too little too late at that point.

Do you know if he had a weight belt? Or integrated weights? Or if there was a problem with the weight belt being trapped by his crotch strap?

But, I always fill my BC full before I get off the boat..

Just Wondering. And, It also sounds like he was way overweighted if he sunk that fast.

[nauifins73]

LOVE my Diving Concepts 3mm crushed neoprene.... love it love it love it.

Please tell me more about your dry suit. None of the lds (that I know of) carry any dry suits and I am looking for a crushed neoprene one.

[DeepDiverBob]

Do you know if he had a weight belt? Or integrated weights? Or if there was a problem with the weight belt being trapped by his crotch strap?

But, I always fill my BC full before I get off the boat..

Just Wondering. And, It also sounds like he was way overweighted if he sunk that fast.

I want to say integrated, but I dont recall for 100% sure.

Even perfectly weighted, you will pick up speed as you descend. But I dont want to go back and forth about integrated vs weight belt. I just wanted to throw out there are times when you ditching weights is needed.

[Mverick]

I want to say integrated, but I dont recall for 100% sure.

Even perfectly weighted, you will pick up speed as you descend. But I dont want to go back and forth about integrated vs weight belt. I just wanted to throw out there are times when you ditching weights is needed.

I've actually dove where I had to swim down. With a Steel HP100 faber. I wouldn't just sink. But after being on the bottom a while and getting the extra air out of BC and Drysuit. I had no problem at my stop with around 1000psi in my tank. Till 50ft I had to swim down. At 50 it got to where I'd sink.

Maybe with wetsuits. But, to be honest. I dove a 7mm farmer john 3 to 5 times. Then, I bought a drysuit.

But I will say. 20lbs ditchable is definately not the way to go. I can see having 6 to 8 lbs. But 20 and you're a missile..

[theskull]

. . . But I will say. 20lbs ditchable is definately not the way to go. I can see having 6 to 8 lbs. But 20 and you're a missile..

I completely agree! After one recent incident--I was present, but not involved--a couple of my buddies and I have decided we will refuse to dive with a diver who is wearing TOTALLY ditchable weights.

In this instance the diver and his unfortunate buddy also ended up with headaches to show for their rapid ascent, but no other lingering problems.

theskull

[Captain Caveman]

well i got my weight pockets in, and i got my backpad and my shoulder pads in so i should get them but thurs-fri./ no more weight belts.

if anything happens like this again im going to try to alert my buddy and try to slow my ascent and let my buddy come up on his own pase so i dont put him in danger.
that way ifthere is somthing wrong with my he will be fine and can take messures to help me if nessesary.
what you all think?

[M&P+4]

if anything happens like this again im going to try to alert my buddy and try to slow my ascent and let my buddy come up on his own pase so i dont put him in danger.
that way ifthere is somthing wrong with my he will be fine and can take messures to help me if nessesary.
what you all think?

Terrific conclusion!! I agree completly.

[nitroxbabe]

well i got my weight pockets in, and i got my backpad and my shoulder pads in so i should get them but thurs-fri./ no more weight belts.

if anything happens like this again im going to try to alert my buddy and try to slow my ascent and let my buddy come up on his own pase so i dont put him in danger.
that way ifthere is somthing wrong with my he will be fine and can take messures to help me if nessesary.
what you all think?

I like it - don't create 2 victims when there is a problem.

[MgicTwnger]

I like it - don't create 2 victims when there is a problem.
Best advice I've heard in a long time.

[nitroxbabe]

Best advice I've heard in a long time.

Yeah, no kidding, huh Ken. Jeez.