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Scott, Just out of curiousity, why were you testing new gear and techniques in front of students on a trimix training dive? TB --- Trey <trey@ne*.co*> wrote: > Scott, wrong kind of spool. The real ones will not > break. Break one of > mine and I will SYD. > > > ScottBonis@ao*.co* wrote: > > > > Hi guys, > > > > I am always interested in finding out about safer > or better ways to dive. So > > I read this list and have learned a hell of a lot. > The personalities are > > "interesting", but the information contained and > the contacts available are > > simply outstanding. > > > > Several months ago I read about the recommendation > to use spools in lieu of > > reels when putting up lift bags. It seemed like a > hell of an idea. A friend > > had brought several black plastic (delron, I > think) spools down to Akumal a > > while ago and I had been using them as extra jump > reels in the caves here. > > They are the kind with six or eight holes in each > side of the reel through > > which we hook double ended brass snaps to hold the > reel. But I had never > > thought of using them with a lift bag. > > > > Now I have to say that I've been quite happy with > my Dive Rite reels both in > > the caves and when diving deep in open water. At > first I had the same > > problems with them as all beginners have had in > jamming and snarling. But I > > have not had any difficulty in putting up a lift > bag on my last say, 40 or 60 > > tries, so I guess I have learned how. [Yes, > grasshopper, when you can do it, > > you will have learned.] But the spools were being > recommended so strongly > > that I decided to try them. > > > > After figuring out how to hold the spool while the > bag went up, I decided to > > try it in some shallow water, Carwash cenote at 15 > feet deep. And it worked > > fine for the 10 or 12 times I practiced it. Next > were several practice > > trials in Akumal bay at around 30 feet and these > too went well. So I figured > > I was ready to use the spools in earnest. > > > > My very first try was during a trimix training > dive in Angelita cenote. The > > dive plan was for a maximum depth of 200 feet > (which in Angelita is pretty > > simple since it is only around 198 feet deep). On > the way up, we had > > inserted a 1 min. stop at 90 feet after we came up > through the hydrogen > > sulfide layer, to put away our lights and get > buoyancy control in the fresh > > water. Then the plan called for a 3 minute stop > at 60 feet to deploy lift > > bags and then deco at 40,30,20, and 10 feet. Of > course we had a 130 foot > > down line tied to a tree at the edge of the cenote > (with an oxygen bottle > > hanging at 20 feet), but the dive plan was to only > use it in case something > > went wrong. > > > > Now I had emphasized to my two students the > importance of being sure of your > > actions when deploying a bag and of LETTING GO if > something went wrong. The > > bag and reel may be worth more than a hundred > bucks, but your life is worth > > considerably more. > > > > I watched as each student put up his bag and it > went very well. No problems. > > Then, as I normally do during training dives, I > also practiced putting up a > > bag. This time with the spool instead of my > trusty Dive Rite reel. And I > > once again proved the validity of the age old > adage that "It is virtually > > impossible to make anything absolutely foolproof > because fools can be so > > inventive." > > > > I don't quite know how, but somehow in unclipping > the spool from my harness I > > must have broken the plastic between the hole in > the side of the spool and > > the rim of the spool. So the hole extended all > the way to the edge of the > > rim of the spool. And although I had checked all > my equipment (including the > > spool) before the dive, I didn't notice it had > broken while preparing to > > shoot the bag. And as Murphy's law would dictate, > after a few revolutions of > > the spool while putting up the lift bag, the line > caught in the broken hole. > > And I felt a feeling I have not felt for quite a > while as I was starting to > > be pulled upward by the ascending lift bag. So I > had to let go, much to the > > amusement and jibes coming from my students. Not > a good day. Fortunately I > > was using an OMS self sealing lift bag (with which > I am absolutely in love, > > by the way) so the bag together with my reel were > waiting on the surface > > after the dive. > > > > So this whole story just goes to prove that even > the best of ideas can turn > > to brown goo real fast if I don't know what I'm > doing. And it establishes > > once again the eternal truth of one of the > favorite sayings of my instructor > > trainer, Al Pertner, that there may be a > significant difference between what > > I know and what I think I know. (And in technical > diving, this difference > > can possibly be fatal.) > > > > Take care and safe diving, Scott > > > > -- > > 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'. > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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