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Float line of death - how to avoid?

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AshleyinBlue

Member
Aug 17, 2024
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Hello everyone,

Today I used my new xdive boey with a bright orange float line. After giving myself approximately 5m of free line,the rest tied into a bundle, I attached it to my belt.

At the start of my session me and the boey were on good terms. At the end, I wanted to chuck him in the bin.

HOW is it that the line can be completely fine and free one second and the next, tangled in my body, my guns mono line, my fins??
For my understanding the boey is there for safety, but I feel more safe without a line to get tangled up in.

At one point the wave swell dragged my boey dangerously close to spikey rocks, as of course I gave him 5m freedom from me.
Which gave me drag in a direction I was trying to avoid.

At another point I was hunting close to rocks and found couldn't go any further as Mr.B got stuck on a rock and I had to go back to untangle him.

Apart from not getting squished by a boat or jet ski ( if they cared enough for my boey)… there doesn't seem to be any advantages to the stupid thing.

I called the session quits after trying to restring the gun, Mr.B thought it would be great to come floating over and get involved (tangled) with both gun and my fins. And the current taking us into the rocks.

At the end of my session, I had a forced marriage Mr.B and my gun. A big jumble between mono line, rubbers, reel line.
Is there a trick to this death trap? I cannot imagine giving more freedom when I plan to dive deeper.

Any tips most grateful.

It's just not fun diving with a boey


Kind regards
 
Reactions: berta_c
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What kind of float line were you using? Generally a vinyl floatline has more rigidity, and more buoyancy, so it tends to tangle less and be less of a problem. If you are diving shallow and immediately adjacent to rocks, towing a buoy can be a problem.

In those conditions, it might make more sense to use a reel or possibly a very short floatline, or possibly a floatline with no float attached? It is hard to make generalizations when there are so many variables with wind, waves, current depth etc. If the rocks are very sharp and covered with barnacles, then a floatline shown below would not be a good choice, since the barnacles can puncture the floatline- a less expensive floating rope might be a better choice.

Spearfishing Floatline

This is one of the strongest float lines available! Flexible vinyl outer shell drastically reduces drag, tangles, and UV rotting.
makospearguns.com
 
Reactions: berta_c, Mr. X and Bill McIntyre
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Hello - thanks for the reply!

The xdive genius boey came with a 20m nylon rope.
Where I am in Crete is very versatile diving. 50 meters can be close to rocks or I'm out in the blue. Hence why I took the float.
 
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AshleyinBlue said:
Hello - thanks for the reply!

The xdive genius boey came with a 20m nylon rope.
Where I am in Crete is very versatile diving. 50 meters can be close to rocks or I'm out in the blue. Hence why I took the float.
Click to expand...
As Mako said, a vinyl covered line is going to be much more rigid and less likely to tangle. A nylon rope is a mess.
 
Reactions: AshleyinBlue
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AshleyinBlue said:
Hello - thanks for the reply!

The xdive genius boey came with a 20m nylon rope.
Where I am in Crete is very versatile diving. 50 meters can be close to rocks or I'm out in the blue. Hence why I took the float.
Click to expand...
Sounds like nylon paracord, which I believe does not float
I always use inexpensive thin polyester rope, some from RA. It floats and is stiff . Cheap and cheerful

I also hold my float near me, by holding the float line near the float when rocks or heavy seas are a problem. I always dive with a float, for more than 15 years, you become used to it. But I spear alone, which likely helps too - but potentially more dangerous but that depends...
 
Reactions: berta_c and Leander
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The nylon rope does float, but as you said it doesn't have much integrity and floats with the current and straight into me if I am stationary.
Which then just tangles in everything.
Where is the best place to attach the rope? I have been putting it on the right side of my weight belt. Should I put it on the back?

I have looked at vinyl line and they are extremely expensive, is there a mid range line that will reduce the tangled mess?

And I will look into a rope holder for the excess
All is new to me, as I usually dive with another person and their float.
 
Reactions: berta_c
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Hey Ashley,

Have a look at this post, with a video from Rob Allen. He shows a technique to shorten the float line using just the line itself. It works quite well. A line holder sure will work better, but this gets you back in the water in the mean time.

Link to Tob Allen's reply about how to manage the float line (@2m30s).

I agree that a float line feels like more danger posing than solving, but this is just in the beginning. With experience also comes the skill on how to behave around ropes in the water. I cursed my float to hell and back when I started spearing, same for the spear line. Now I just curse because my middle name is Captain Haddock.

Why the float? It's not just to signal to boaters or idiots on jetskis; it's also utility and a flotation aid.
- It helps your buddy to keep track of you if your buddy is the kind that floats off.
- If it's attached to you gun you can drop your gun without losing it.
- You can use it to string your fish to; fish on your belt causes a lot of drag and might get you to be the target of predators like in your area the smerna (moray eel). Fish on the belt could also be an entanglement risk when swimming or diving near rocks or caves.
- You can use the buoy to store water, a 2nd gun, a meshbag with food or scavenged shells, etc..
- If you get tired or get a cramp, you could hold on to your buoy to rest.
- If you would hook the buoy to the rocks/reef using a reef hook, you could use it for your dive prep as well; relaxation is easy if you have something floaty to hold on to.

Enough reasons to use one.

As for better float line than what comes standard with buoys... Yeah... I got the same question
 
Reactions: Mr. X, berta_c and AshleyinBlue
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AshleyinBlue said:
...
Where is the best place to attach the rope? I have been putting it on the right side of my weight belt. Should I put it on the back?

...
Click to expand...
I always attach my floatline to an large "orcas"/'longline" stainless steel clip which is attached to the bottom of my speargun's handle. This technique was shown to me by South Africa spearo Paul Maxwell.

My original South African Rob Allen Sparid Railgun had this clip fitted as standard. But I have added a similar clip to all my subsequent speargun's too, including my 2 favourite Omersub Italian spearguns and my 2 most recent Apnea Turkish spearguns.

The RA clip is bolted on. My clip additions are attached using strong, thin rock-climbing kernmantle accessory cord.

I have heard of others attaching their float line to the back of their weight-belt but have never tried it myself, and have heard little more than that, so would hesitate to recommend that. Perhaps recovery of a released weight belt (or missing diver ) is the supposed benefit? On the other hand, attaching it to your speargun, as I do, prevents loss of the speargun if you get your spear stuck (e.g. between rocks or in a bigger than expected fish ).

As for alternative floatline, polyester lines have much to recommend them: they float, are stiff, strong and cheap. Some sites refer to the popular green colour as "Thai green curry" or "olive". Rob Allen also offers an orange alternative (I use green but would probably opt for orange if buying now).
 
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Reactions: AshleyinBlue
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... Yes, I too attach my (excellent RA) fish stringer to the back of my float. It keeps speared fish cool and out of my way, and might attract other curious fish .

More recently I have worn a waist stringer too. I find having one or two fish attached to me tends to act as a fish attractor . And is quicker than returning to my float. But it could become an encumbrance. So my float still holds my main stringer.

I also usually keep a net bag, folded and attached to my float. Useful for spider crabs, brown crabs, scallops, oysters, and any other bounty you might find (although you might need something finer if you also collect sea fishing weights, as I sometimes do ).

A crab hook might also be useful. But I rarely carry mine. I also recovered somebody else's homemade crab hook from the sea bed but soon lost it again
 
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Thank you! Il try it on my next session
 
Reactions: Mr. X
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Good floatline would be one of those encased into tube. I never had them because of price, but I think that would be ultimate fix to entanglement issue. Also, I don't quite understand why float should be attached to weight belt or anywhere to me. I always attach it to spear gun, when I opt for the float at all, which is not very often. Like someone mentioned, float is good attractor to boaters, they love bright things on the surface and do not recognize dive flag. Unless I need float for logistic reason, I find it safer with no float
 
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