From: sdodd@OES.ORST.EDU (Stephen M Dodd)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
Subject: Weight belt oops at 50'
Date: 12 Oct 92 15:41:16 GMT
Article-I.D.: news.Bw0M9E.A8L
Organization: Oregon Extension Service, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Or.

Hi,

Some weeks ago there was discussion in this group about the bouyancy
control, dry suits, and weight.  I thought it might be interesting to
relate an experience I had this last weekend.

We left Newport Oregon for the Reef.  The Reef stands in about 100' of
water and rises to within 35 feet of the surface.  It is several miles
out to sea.  It runs parallel to the shore and is thus a location for
quite a bit of surge as the waves above pass over it.

I was diving a dry suit and had left the surface somewhere in the middle
of a group of six divers.  We were descending down the anchor line.  The
line was well stretched out in a modest current.  Aas I approached the
top of the reef, I had to pause for divers already there to disperse.  I
hung head down along the anchor line for a few minutes, holding it
beneath my chest.  Just as everyone in front cleared away from the line
I released the line too and began to follow them.  But the surge pushed
me back and as I relaxed to let it pass I swept over the anchor line
again and felt it catch and release my weight belt.  

My first thought was that I would be catapulting up in a rush.  I
reached for the anchor line but couldn't easily catch it.  My thoughts
raced.  What should never happen had happened.  For an instant I
considered what to do.  Their was temptation to abandon hope and allow the
free ascent to seize me and take my me to my fate.  However, I chose to
push hard for the bottom to see if I could control by position at all.
To my surprise I didn't explode to the surface.  I did start to rise
but kicked violently towards the anchor line till I got hold of it.
Then I scrambled down the line and got hold of the anchor which was
wedged in a hole.  

Having bought a bit of time I rotated head up and cleared my BC and
drysuit till the squeeze hurt.  While slightly winded by the effort I
decided to limit my breathing to as shallow as possible.  The surge was
creating problems as I banged back and forth on the reef.  I located
a crack and seized it as well as the anchor line.  My buddies had all
disappeared and as I hung there I considered my situation.  

Basically there were only a few choices.  My friends could return
and find the belt.  I could rise to the surface kicking down all the
way.  I could ascend the anchor line ... but it was so stretched out
that I feared that it would give me little downward control.  I could
also grab the anchor and ascend holding it.  It wasn't as heavy as the
belt I had lost but it would help.  But that would set the boat adrift
without the knowlege of my buddies.  None of these ideas seemed a clear
choice.  I was stuck without enough clear information to make a choice.

I fought back a rising sense of hopelessness.  After all I had lost my
weight belt and deserved to die.  But I resolved to hang on till I ran
out of air or escaped somehow.  I looked for rocks to put in my BC.
After about ten miunutes of hell my buddies Dave and Melvin appeared on
the scene.  I pointed out my vacant waist where the belt had been.  Dave
droped down the side of the reef and Melvin stayed by my side.  We
banged back and forth in the surge for another few minutes until Dave
rose with my belt in hand.  I grabbed it and pulled it back on while
floating free of the reef.  After droping about twenty feet I adjusted
the BC and drysuit and came back into control.

We went on with our dive and returned to the surface in comfort.  But I
now have a much more sophisticated view of diving problem management.
Things can go wrong without clear reasons.  There may still be good and
bad choices to make if you can keep your head clear.  But simply loosing
your weight belt doesn't mean you have to give up and die.  Indeed there
are a lot of ways to manage the situation.  It might have been better to
have considered them all a little better before having it happen.

Steve

-- 
- Stephen M. Dodd, System Analyst, Oregon Extension Service
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
sdodd@oes.orst.edu          Internet          Oregon State University
503-737-3550                                  Corvallis, OR 97331