Hi Joe,
sounds very reasonable to me. Especially, for ascending. This is also
much better for the environment.
regards
Matthias

> We use a method similar to that described by Doug with a few minor changes.
> 
> The way we have been doing it here (So. Fla.) is to drop the team with two
> men tending the line.  We use a small grapple that is held by the first man
> in.  The 2nd man stays about 30 or so feet above him and gathers line to
> feed the man with the grapple so it is not taught when he ties in.  If the
> current takes the line fast we use the grapple to snag the wreck.
> Otherwise, we wrap the chain so the hook is easier to free at the end of the
> dive.  The rest of the team follows the lead of these two.
> 
> When the dive is over, two men free the hook after verifying everyone is on
> the line.  One man frees it and the other stands by to assist if necessary.
> As soon as the hook (or chain or whatever) is freed the man standing by
> ascends ahead of the man swimming or scootering the hook and goes about 100'
> off the bottom (or whatever depth is appropriate for the given dive) and
> ties a loop in the line.  The hook is then fowled in it.  This eliminates
> any chance of  it snagging something on the bottom.  The divers then deco
> following the float ball, current is no longer an issue and the boat can
> follow at a safe distance.
> 
> To pick up divers, the captain motors into the current, lines up with the
> diver and puts the boat in neutral, allowing the boat to drift into the
> diver.  If he misses, (rare) he continues to drift until he is clear and
> then motors up current to try again.
> 
> In my opinion, live boating is the only way to dive in a current and the
> preferred way to dive anywhere.  If you are not live boating, a chase boat
> is an absolute necessity.  Another caveat is that the divers must coordinate
> their schedules so they finish the dives at about the same time.  Otherwise
> accurate  "head" counts are next to impossible and the whole deco turns into
> a major *CF* with divers floating all over the place.
> 
> In my opinion, tying the boat into the wreck is the worst and most dangerous
> way to dive and should never be done unless you have no choice.  In that
> instance, a chase boat is a must.
> 
> To answer your questions, fowling the hook eliminates the problem of the
> line catching again.  All maneuvers are done in buddy teams.  Two men set
> the hook and two men free it.  The descending divers hold the hook and
> chain.  Trouble equalizing is not an issue.  You would pass the hook to your
> buddy and fall back to 2nd position.  If you still had trouble, another team
> member would take 2nd position and you would remain on the line until you
> could descend.
> 
> I hope this helps.
> 
> Regards.
> 
> Joe Citelli
> >
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