Wing and rescue scenario

[ShinyD]

The club I belong to mandates that all members complete both a swimming fitness test and a rescue scenario in the pool over the winter, which I did last week.

It's the first time I've tried a rescue scenario using the wing and found it a right sod to get out of as I was removing my gear at the pool side (deep end).

The wing is adjusted to be comfortable (not too tight, but not too loose either) in the drysuit and I still struggled, nearly dislocating my right shoulder in the process of getting my arm out. I was wearing a 2mm wetsuit, and so would find it even harder in a drysuit.

I'm one of only 2 members in the club with wings and take a load of grief from one older member in particular who views them as potential death traps, turning unconscious divers face down in the water. I've pointed out that a correctly weighted and trimmed diver with a wing will - should - remain near vertical in the water if unconscious and that all BCDs carry a warning that they are not lifesaving devices and should not be relied on as such.

Needless to say fate took a hand and it was this guy that was supervising the rescue. He took great delight in pointing out the difficulties I had in getting out of the wing.

I passed the scenario with a very sore shoulder afterwards, but wondered if there was some technique for removing a wing equipped with a one-piece harness in deep water with more grace!

[yazzyfooty]

In an emergency scenario you would be cut out your harness! Tell the old farts that.

[alistairb]

hey now yazz......thats not a nice way to talk........lol

safe diving
alistair

[ShinyD]

Thanks Yazzy. I did, and I carry a pair of trauma shears for that very purpose on my harness. It cut no ice with this particular guy though. Mind you though, this is a guy that has said he doesn't believe in finning and pulls himself along the bottom using rocks, kelp, etc, so despite his many dives I'm not worrying too much about his opinions. I haven't dived with him (and won't be now!).

I was just concerned at how hard it was to shed the wing whilst trying to deal with a casualty too, although I guess if it were for real I'd be cutting it off myself anyway!

[Leg Of Salmon]

I spent Easter weekend diving off a rhib in a slight swell. I was the only diver with a wing and was able to get in and out of my one piece harness faster than anyone in a stab. I found using the d-rings i have on each shoulder strap useful as "levers".

The only thing that was a pain was the auto dump catching on the webbing.

I have a knife/shears pouch from Bowstone on my waist belt, in a real emergency...

[TerryH]

What you have to remember is that while you will learn better ways of
getting out of your wing, its one of these old blokes in the club that might
be doing the rescuing.

Unless you can change there stance or impart any knowledge gained, then
you might have a real problem when the poo starts flying.

I'd follow yazzys advice and make damn sure that they know if things get
tight they can cut you out. That also means you'll have to make sure they
know where the snips are and can use them.

He is not going to like you.

[ShinyD]

Cheers Terry I did point out that I'd expect to be cut out should it be required, and pointed out there are usually (not in the pool though) trauma shears attached to the webbing for just that purpose.

Fortunately for me the other wing user is the Training Officer, so I dont get too much serious abuse, but every time we meet there's a dig of some sort or another!

Oh well...at least I can hover and fin for movement

[johnkendall]

Originally Posted by ShinyD

I passed the scenario with a very sore shoulder afterwards, but wondered if there was some technique for removing a wing equipped with a one-piece harness in deep water with more grace!

The big tip is to make sure you dump some gas out of the wing. What I do is remove my backup reg necklace and disconect my drysuit feed. Then clip off my long hose. I dump some gas out of the wing, then use the long hose while clipped off to pull the right shoulder off my shoulder and turn out of the harness, then re-inflate the wing.

HTH

John

[stevechesh]

make life easy and put a break in one of your shoulder straps. Why make life difficult when it doesn't have to be......

[ShinyD]

Originally Posted by johnkendall

The big tip is to make sure you dump some gas out of the wing. What I do is remove my backup reg necklace and disconect my drysuit feed. Then clip off my long hose. I dump some gas out of the wing, then use the long hose while clipped off to pull the right shoulder off my shoulder and turn out of the harness, then re-inflate the wing.

HTH

John

Thanks John, and that's where I made the mistake. The wing was fully inflated. I did wonder afterwards if it would have been easier with some air dumped, but we'd run out of pool time by then.

I'm intending to do the Rescue Diver course later this year using the wing with an instructor that's well used to them himself, so I expect to get some good practice in then

Originally Posted by stevechesh

make life easy and put a break in one of your shoulder straps. Why make life difficult when it doesn't have to be......

I appreciate what you're saying Steve I've been in the unfortunate position, however, of having 2 shoulder clips give way - one a complete disintegration - on BCDs not long after I started diving, so I kinda like the no break approach.