Art,

The mere idea that you guys typically do your deco hanging on a fixed line,
indicates pretty well you dive in very light currents by the standard of
S.Fl Tech dives.

When you have a "real current", like a Gulf Stream current blowing at 5.5
mph, not too many NE wreck divers would enjoy "hanging, clipping , or
whine-ing on the line for an hour or more of deco.  When you do have one of
these "real currents", it would be stupid to set your self up as a human
trolling rig, flailing in the current, and causing serious muscle
contractions as you attempt to stabilize yourself in this precarious
position.

The solution, as George has already told you, is having dive groups dive
reasonable profiles, and to limit the number of divers in the water at any
one time, to a number easily managed by the main dive boat or chase boat
combo.

As to the issue of diving in a shipping channel where ships will ignore even
your dive boat, your idea of "clipping off to your big line sounds like a
great way for you guys to omit deco obligations and  go water skiing behind
one of these container ships <g>.

I'd  use a high speed torpedo float, which is pulled by a light line, and
which causes very small drag down on the shipwreck when we hook up to it.
This would be for a two or three man team.  While we don't normally dive
this way, you could probably put two teams down on a big wreck at the same
time, but much more would start increasing the stroke factor in dive
planning. .  When we finish ( each team), we unhook and drift free for
ascent. The boat on top follows. The divers are relaxed and muscle
contractions are a non-issue.
The divers will have a safety diver jumping in at 24 minutes into the dive
 or pre-arranged time) to check on the teams, and in your shipping channel
scenario, to alert them to any big ships about to go through. A good safety
diver could certainly deal with the ship about to be overhead issue, even if
it required cutting or deflating the float line, and then deploying another
after the ship has passed.

Dan Volker




-----Original Message-----
From: Paltz, Art [mailto:Art.Paltz@R2*.CO*]
Sent: Friday, August 27, 1999 11:18 AM
To: Mailing Tech Diver List (E-mail)
Subject: RE: Jersey Up Line

I think you guys are missing the point.  Drift diving with or without a buoy
is very dangerous.  Heck, leaving the other divers on a ball is dangerous
when you are chasing the other divers.  If you had a chase boat maybe this
is an option but I don't see how you're going to drag the drifting divers
back to the main boat?  Having them drifting in a major shipping lane with
or without a chase boat is very dangerous.  It's much safer to have the
divers use proper equipment and a strong enough up-line to tie off to the
wreck and support the divers.  Like I said before, if a container ship can
run into a light tower siting up 150 feet, you think they are going to see
and steer around a float ball, lift bag or little chase boat?  Your best
option is to stay close to the boat.  Maybe the ship will see the dive boat
or can be called on the radio.  By the time an 800 foot container traveling
at 18 knots saw a float ball it would be too late to turn the ship.  I
really don't think the container ships sit there and scan the water with
binoculars miles in front of themselves looking for a float ball.  They rely
on their radar and if they are looking at it will steer to avoid a moored
dive boat.

A chase boat is a wonderful thing but I don't understand how you tow them
back to the dive boat?  If you were doing a drift dive and the boat was
following all the float balls, this is a very different situation.  I have
done this and although I don't like it, it's very effective for this type of
diving.  I don't think it works well in a 2 knot current with a moored dive
boat.  Being dragged at 2 knots against a 2 knot current back to the dive
boat is not my idea of an enjoyable deco hang.

Art.


                -----Original Message-----
                From:   kirvine@sa*.ne* [mailto:kirvine@sa*.ne*]
                Sent:   Friday, August 27, 1999 8:56 AM
                To:     Scaleworks@ao*.co*
                Cc:     ststev@un*.co*; Paltz, Art;
techdiver@aquanaut.com
                Subject:        Re: Jersey Up Line

                Release and put a buoy on the drifters, go back and stand by
the main
                line. Those on the main line should have already been
checked for
                problems. If you could get these guys to coordinate,
everyone could
                drift when the current is moving, and everyone could sit
when it is not.


                Scaleworks@ao*.co* wrote:
                >
                > In a message dated 99-08-27 06:18:21 EDT,
kirvine@sa*.ne* writes:
                >
                > << The main boat needs to be free
                >  from the wreck line, or releasable with a pelican, like
the tuna
                >  fishermen use when they get a big one on chumming.>>
                >
                > Standard on the boat I frequent most, Captain Janet can be
off the mooring in
                > seconds. Should the dive boat chase down drifting divers
and leave anyone on
                > the line or bottom with no support? The point that was
made here, was that
                > there is no reason to tie off to a wreck in any situation
to do an emergency
                > ascent, that drifting deco in an open ocean is
prefferable.
                >
                >  <<The Jersey up reel is one more accomodation to farm
animal stupidity -
                >  another peice of garbage used to compensate for doing it
wrong to start
                >  with. Another clusterfuck waiting to happen, like bondage
wings. >>
                >
                > But why? What is this clusterfuck scenario you are
implying is waiting to
                > happen with a jersey upline?  If you are on a deep wreck
in a team of 3, and
                > are relying on your reel as an upline, are you going to
fit enough line on a
                > reel to account for scope in the line from the current,
and that is strong
                > enough to withstand possible chafing on the bottom, and
hold 3 divers in a
                > current?
                > What is the procedure you reccomend.?
                >
                > Kevin
--
Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.

--
Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.

Navigate by Author: [Previous] [Next] [Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject: [Previous] [Next] [Subject Search Index]

[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]

[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]