[Tim Ingmire]

Imported post

Right, after a bottle of damn good Merlot, this may not be altogether clear - please bear with me...

At my club recently we were discusssing shot line manners / good practice and came up with the term 'shot-etiquette'.

So, lets here all your stories / views on this.  I want to here the good and the bad of shot use and what YOU consider polite use of the shot line.

Lets here your  

,

,

 and  

stories.

tim

 

[Lou]

Imported post

My personal bugbear is people coming down the line not making way for those coming *up* the line.

Surely those coming up should get right of way - after all they are holding stops, trying to control ascent etc and a herd of divers barrelling down through them is not conducive to this in the slightest!  I always go out around those already on the shot whilst descending.

 

[MATTBIN]

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Thats a nice idea Lou but in really bad viz you run the risk of not only loosing your way to the wreck but also your buddy, unless you adopt really close visual/physical contact. What happens in a heavy current where you could be swept away from the wreck. Is this a subtle way of finding out how we handle the coming weekend when we have massed ranks. I assume, and I may be wrong here that we will descend the shot as a group, maybe as buddy teams of 2/4, but generally as one. We will then ascend as we run out of air/time and re-assemble on the boat to do the next site. I didnt think we would be having a second wave of divers descing into the first ascending group or am I wrong because of the numbers.
I appreciate that the ascending/descing diver situation can occurr when you have multiple boats using one line and it is difficult then as the divers probably dont know each other coupled with both groups being excited for different reasons and its a tense situation.
Dont worry about me I'll be caught up in the shot line 3m from the surface on my way down!

Matt

 

[Lou]

Imported post

Matt, the situation occurs on bouyed wrecks.  I have had it happen several times.

It is more a case of give way.....don't expect those coming up to give way to you if you are descending.  Make space, go around them, be gentle - don't just barrel on down, right through them as I have had happen to me.

Ok, there are currents and viz to consider, but you should be able to cope without losing your buddy.  If the viz is so bad you will lose the line full of divers you need to be damn close to your buddy anyway.

If you lose the shot on the way down, you can cope.  Either ascend and refind it, abandon the dive, or refind it at the bottom.  If you get barged off your stop on the way up it could be more serious.

We'll put a "If found please return to YD" tag on you on Sunday, Matt!!

Lou

 

[Paul Oliver]

Imported post

Hi

We as a club have potentially all the problems mentioned. Because of the Diving conditions etc we have a club policy of reeling off a distance line from the bottom of the shot to ensure that everyone comes back up it.

With the conditions we sometimes have its very easy to swim into a wreck withoit realising so it gives additional safety. Its also a big confidence booster for inexperienced divers in poor Vis as they can hold it, clip onto it or just follow it.

We also dive in waves as we don't have a dedicated Cox'n, we take turns. So our procedure from start to finnish is:-

1. Once shot is close to wreck and we have slack, first pair desend and tie shot line to wreck. They then send up the anchor, which is the signal for the rest to pile in.
2. First pair up take over the boat handling and Cox'n and buddy dive.
3. At bottom each pair reels off.
4. Last pair back undo the shot and drift with it on assent.

This works very well as our saftey record suggests. 2 years ago we had 1 Rib on a dive that had total power failure including engine, radio and pump. The Cox'n had to alert the Coastguard with flares as he drifted off down the Channel.

When the lifeboat got to him he gave them the marks for the wreck and told them he had 8 divers in the water. Imagine the lifeboats supprice when they found all 8 divers happily holding onto a large orange buoy, as they drifted down Channel.

Most had been on the surface for about 20min waiting.

The number of distance lines has not been a problem at all, and passing on the shotline is usually not a problem although i have been clouted with the odd side slung tank. I feel priority to the assending diver is a must. Afterall if the desending divers get seperated they can always assend and start again. Wheras someone with a tissue code has more of a problem.

Hope you all have a cracking weekend in Angelsey.

Regards

Paul

 

[Gimbo]

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<font color='#0000FF'>There is no clear cut answer on this altough that those who are coming up should have priority on those coming down. The shot etiquette also depends on the number of people involved.  If often find there is more of a jam with 4 or so people standing around the 3m mark doing their safety stop all at once! (all reading the dive computers more than their sorroundings)- A bundle of divers!
If there are inexperienced divers on the shot one should give them more space (other than a buddy) as they are more likely to feel uncomfortable with other people around ands also likely to kick around more.
I've had more 'diver rage'  

 

 on the shotline then anywhere else, a bit more consideration goes a long way with shot line etiquette.

 

[Paul Oliver]

Imported post

Hi


If you are anticipating a crowded shot then you can always deploy a trapeze to spread things out. To me the main congestion problems at the stops depth are if its crowded and the current is running which can get very stressfull.

Far better then with a trapeze that once you have everyone accounted for you can unclip and drift away on the current on.

I carry a length of rope that i can clip onto a shot for stops or the boat if waiting to get on-board and hang around on while waiting.

As its on large caribineers i need to put a bight into the shot line to attach it so i dont get pushed up with the current. Jack Ingle produces a very clever and basic one that will grip the shot and prevent this slipping - can't remember what he calls it (named after some yank who designed it).

Of course if its getting hazardus then you may have to let go and pop a DSMB. Often a problem with us as the Ferries cannot see anything within 1/4 mile.

Happy Stopping,

Paul