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I agree with Hobby’s point on complacency. I was working on a fish farm and diving virtually everyday for either work or fun. It usually wasn’t too hard going and the conditions often ok. One summer we had a very unusual algal bloom that killed off the majority of the salmon. The original idea was to net the dead and dying out the cages before they rotted but there were simply too many – dunno maybe 50 tonnes or so. The decision was taken to cut the net cages and let this festering lot drop to the bottom in some 45 m of water. Out of sight and mind. This loch at that time was not used for anything and had virtually no inhabitants – wasn’t my shout anyway.
The cages had multiple layers of netting in the shape of the cage and a large mesh tangle net some 4m long hanging round the perimeter to deter/trap seals – nice company eh?
Plan A was to drop down the outside to about 6m swim up under the tangle nets and cut the nets of the cage letting it all go.
So in I went, solo as ever, ( co diver was finishing ***/tea whatever) viz was crap due to the algae, the light was a weird dark grey green and below 50 cm there was sod all of that. Anyway I got it wrong and proved that a tangle net really does work. Luckily ? most was wrapped around valves and first stages with bits of body caught as well. So I closed my eyes (always seems to improve sense of touch) and started to unwrap myself. I couldn't reach my leg knife and didn't usually carry a chest spare. Progress was slow and of the two forward one back variety. Not time to panic but a degree of concern was creeping in. I had plenty of air but it was going a bit quicker than normal. Anyway Allan, bless him, noticed that my bubbles were stationary and came and cut me loose. Unfortunately he was using a scalpel so bits of suit were never quite the same again.
We decided to go for plan B which was to do it from the inside of the cage. That worked but was truly surreal; it was diving in 4 tonnes of fish no water was apparent being bitten by dying salmon.
So the cycle of apprehension as we learn followed by complacency as we surely know it all then the respect and though that experience brings was complete.
(I wonder what the HSE would say to all this today – this was back in the early eighties when life was easy )
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I agree with Hobby’s point on complacency. I was working on a fish farm and diving virtually everyday for either work or fun. It usually wasn’t too hard going and the conditions often ok. One summer we had a very unusual algal bloom that killed off the majority of the salmon. The original idea was to net the dead and dying out the cages before they rotted but there were simply too many – dunno maybe 50 tonnes or so. The decision was taken to cut the net cages and let this festering lot drop to the bottom in some 45 m of water. Out of sight and mind. This loch at that time was not used for anything and had virtually no inhabitants – wasn’t my shout anyway.
The cages had multiple layers of netting in the shape of the cage and a large mesh tangle net some 4m long hanging round the perimeter to deter/trap seals – nice company eh?
Plan A was to drop down the outside to about 6m swim up under the tangle nets and cut the nets of the cage letting it all go.
So in I went, solo as ever, ( co diver was finishing ***/tea whatever) viz was crap due to the algae, the light was a weird dark grey green and below 50 cm there was sod all of that. Anyway I got it wrong and proved that a tangle net really does work. Luckily ? most was wrapped around valves and first stages with bits of body caught as well. So I closed my eyes (always seems to improve sense of touch) and started to unwrap myself. I couldn't reach my leg knife and didn't usually carry a chest spare. Progress was slow and of the two forward one back variety. Not time to panic but a degree of concern was creeping in. I had plenty of air but it was going a bit quicker than normal. Anyway Allan, bless him, noticed that my bubbles were stationary and came and cut me loose. Unfortunately he was using a scalpel so bits of suit were never quite the same again.
We decided to go for plan B which was to do it from the inside of the cage. That worked but was truly surreal; it was diving in 4 tonnes of fish no water was apparent being bitten by dying salmon.
So the cycle of apprehension as we learn followed by complacency as we surely know it all then the respect and though that experience brings was complete.
(I wonder what the HSE would say to all this today – this was back in the early eighties when life was easy )
