Laneyard and safety

[Gwaihir]

I just wanna say my story here to maybe prevent this thing from happening to someone else.

I have started diving constant weight down a line ca a year ago,and in time we have started using lanyards and gotten a good rope from a boat,we even got a blinker for the bottom,to se more and get more confortable down in the dark and murky waters of Norway.
The other day we were diving and it happende !! I glided down to 21m (novice ) and it felt good, but then ! on the return and beginning up i got STUCK !! my lanyard was stuck,,, thankfully I remained calm and got the thing hooked of my wrist,and started my acend... My buddy was seconds away from releasing the counterweight, but he culd hear me coming up along the line, and I surfaced a good 15 seconds later than usually.. It all went well ,and I feel it was a good learning ,and Im happy with myself that I didnt panic..

What happend ??
Well ist kinda stupid( as it usually is) let me xplain the line..

-surface
-20 meters of rope
-tennis ball
-knot
-blinker attached to rope
-weight.

can u guess ? yes the lanyard got hooked under the blinker !!
So now I really know why I must have a bottom plate.. big enough to not allow the lanyard to travel beneath and get entangled..

Sorry for bad spelling.. hope the story helps

Martin H.

[rbsub]

Sorry, but don't you have a quick release at your lanyard?

[Kimmo]

Hi,

I suggest you to get rid of least a tennis ball and build a proper little bottom plate. Leave also couple of meters between bottom weight and your plate. I have done that stuck thing with a tennis ball couple of times but a little deeper


- kimmo

ps. there may be a picture of bottom plate solution in Aida 2008 Education materials