DSMB snagged at surface

[dave archer]

11th May 2008, dived the Kyarra from Swanage. Fair bit of current running throughout the dive, but enjoyable anyway.

When our bottom time was up we were near the shot, so we drifted over the shot tie in and off the bow some distance[1] before bagging off.

My buddy wasn't getting on too well with his new "drysuit hose inflate method" blob, so I sent up my auto-blob. Line went slack as it hit the surface, but then tightened again pretty much straight away. Some surface current I thought, and held the ratchet reel release while we started our ascent to first stop.

The line kept spinning of the reel at quite a rate. A serious surface current or caught in a boat prop I thought, signalled buddy, both stare in amazement at the reel as the line rips of it.

Up to the 6m stop we go, the line is now almost horizontal and the reel is still spinning - holding the thing and hoping it'll stop soon is not helping my stop holding or breathing rate.

I realise it's not going to stop [2]. I close the release to see if I can pull the damn blob back against the surface current. No chance, release again, getting low on line now.... I realise with a sick feeling I'm going to have to drop the reel* when it runs out of line, or be pulled to the surface with 20mins of stops left (no thanks!).

*a lovely stainless steel Kent Tooling ratchet reel with a 100m of pink line which cost me >£100 and I love more than any other bit of my kit

Reluctant to drop the reel I have a brainwave [3]... out comes my spool and I get the loop looped to the reel handle just in time, drop the reel which sinks downwards**, but Hurrah!, I have cheated fate as I have the spool so will be able to get it back when the boat or surface current dragging the blob stops soon, as it surely must!

** the reel sinking should have told me then what was going on. I was a bit surprised it don't fly off after my super fast blob, but then I switched focus to deco and my spool-based rescue plan....

Green line rips off the 30m spool, it's empty in no time Oh Deary Me I think (or words to that effect!) and finally give up and wave the whole lot goodbye [4]

The rest of the deco is a lot calmer, my buddy puts up his blob so the boat knows where we are, and I float in a sea of misery mourning my beloved reel and auto-blob. On the surface I am very sad to hear the boat have not got or even seen it

Later that day we see it - standing proud right next to the buoy on the Kyarra shotline! So we'd been racing away from the blob in the current, not the other way around, which is how it had felt underwater [5].

Happily some kind soul(s) rescued my blob but the reel is still down there about 130m off the Kyarra bow (towards Swanage, as it was flooding off low water slack).

Lessons learned:

[1] Go a long way from the bottom of the shotline before bagging off, doubly so if current is running, even if it is taking you away from the shot tie in. Go further than you think necessary, then go some more.

[2] If your reel keeps spinning and does not slow/stop, it's caught on something, it's not going to stop so cut the line (or drop the reel).

[3] Even when time is pressing THINK BEFORE you ACT. It was only later I realised cutting the line off the reel would have allowed me to keep the reel (and spool!).

[4] It is hard to ditch expensive gear, but it's a far better option then getting bent trying to keep it. Happily I did the right thing, but it was hard to let go of that reel (or maybe this is just the tight northerner in me )

[5] Movement underwater is hard to comprehend. It felt for all the world like we were drifting facing forward, with the blob doing the same but much faster (hence thoughts of boat prop or surface current). Actually we were drifting facing backward and the blob was stationary.

Ah well, live and learn!

Dave.

[nickb]

Get yourself one of these:

At less that £20 on eBay, you won't worry about having to ditch it.

[dave archer]

Originally Posted by nickb

Get yourself one of these:
At less that £20 on eBay, you won't worry about having to ditch it.

Yes but it's shit and I'll curse it on every dive

[nickb]

Originally Posted by dave archer

Yes but it's shit and I'll curse it on every dive

They're good. I've bust the spool part when I got it caught between the slats on a boat bench once but Beaver sent me a new one for free. They work great in the water and they don't weigh half a ton.

I only use it if we're deep and the skipper wants us to bag off from the bottom, otherwise I use a spool.

[dave archer]

Originally Posted by nickb

I've bust the spool part when I got it caught between the slats on a boat bench once

I'm sure they're fine, but this is why I like an SS one instead of plastic - unbreakable and reliable.

Also I use mine "left handed" (hold in right hand), so limits me to MGE or Scubapro - gonna stick with a KT one and try to keep hold of it this time

[tom]

Originally Posted by dave archer

I'm sure they're fine,

no you're right - they're shit.
the ratchets break, the handles break, line unspools itself randomly and gets caught down the side of the spool.
they are cheap enough to be practically disposable though.

[warmwaterdiver]

Originally Posted by dave archer

Fair bit of current running throughout the dive

why was it not slack on the dive?

[GCParris]

Dave you said, "and I love more than any other bit of my kit " well that's not strictly true is it? What about your torch?

Anyway sorry to hear about the reel, I know how it feels as you'll remember what happened to my KT Reel and blob some 10 months ago!

Glad you boys came up safely! And definitely one point to remember for any future diving episodes like that, is to cut the line!

Gareth.

[benpanter]

Originally Posted by dave archer

[4] It is hard to ditch expensive gear, but it's a far better option then getting bent trying to keep it. Happily I did the right thing, but it was hard to let go of that reel (or maybe this is just the tight northerner in me )

Glad you got out of it OK Dave. I would put your point [4] above your point [1] though - any time you're doing something like a blob deployment and things go pear shaped, the default choice has to be to ditch it. If your buddy has their snips out and is ready to go then fair enough, but it's not a good idea to hold it while s/he faffs about...

Ben

[Woz]

Originally Posted by tom

no you're right - they're shit.
the ratchets break, the handles break, line unspools itself randomly and gets caught down the side of the spool.
they are cheap enough to be practically disposable though.

See that little stainless line guide? That drops out too.

Shit shit shit shit shitty shit. You're much better off with one of these:
Narked at 60 - Technical Dive Products – Kit that keeps up!