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Lanyard rules!!

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.

ADR

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2004
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Hi DBers,

I'm looking for some clarity on lanyard rules. I've downloaded the rules from the AIDA site and have also been through the AIDA vote from December. I thought I was clear on the rules until I read a post from Samdive on the issues the UK team had at the last world titles. It seemed that the rules required a quick release at the wrist (not velcro) which I can't find any reference for in the documents from AIDA.....can someone set me straight here before I build mine?

Here are the AIDA rules (....Indv comps)
4.2.6.1 A safety lanyard anchor is mandatory for all depth events.
4.2.6.2 The safety lanyard binds the freediver to the warm-up line or to the official line. It is made up of:
A. A karabiner without screws in which the opening (minimum15mm)is big enough to allow a karabiner to be placed and hooked to the cord without difficulty. The "finger" of the karabiner must function normally, in other words, opening with little pressure and closing automatically.
B. A semi-elastic or no semi-elastic link betwen30cmand100cm in length, made up of a material designed to not make knots (i.e.,a cord, or a cord sheathed with plastic).
C.A wristband which cannot be removed inadvertently, which includes a ring having an interior diameter of a minimum of 26mm for athletes wearing the lanyard on the wrist, OR a belt other than the weight belt, which cannot be removed inadvertently for those wearing the lanyard on the waist, the belt holding the lanyard must be situated
Higher then the weight belt. In this last case, the freediver will still wear a wristband, which cannot be removed
inadvertently, including a lanyard ring of an interior diameter of a minimum of 26mm.
4.2.6.3The lanyard will be systematically checked by the jury and must not be removed by the competitor during the performance, unless necessary, or he/she will be penalized.
4.2.6.4The monitoring depth gauge must be worn on the wrist opposite to that carrying the lanyard, if the lanyard is being held to the wrist.
4.2.6.5 The organizer will ensure that the safety divers are equipped with the necessary materials in order to implement a rapid resurfacing system of the freediver with the aforementioned wristband, without having to resurface alongside the athlete experiencing difficulty.
 
It's nice to know that a velcro will do but based on the rules what basis is there for that requirement at all?
 
The rules above do not require any release mechanism at the diver end of the lanyard and in actual fact are very strict about that end (" wristband which cannot be removed inadvertently")........on a thread from Samdive she said

"AIDA now ask that ALL lanyards have a quick release both at the wrist/waist and at the rope. They do not think that a velcro strap, slip knot or pinch clip on the wrist/waist is sufficiently easy to release."

This possible conflict in messages from AIDA is what I'm trying to understand.
 
OK,

The rules say that the lanyard can not be removed inadvertently. This means "by mistake".

Also, the rules DO NOT ASK for a quick release system on the diver's side of the lanyard, at least the rules that are in effect now and those that are comming up soon (the new version).

Of course as a diver, YOU WANT a system that CAN be released, in case you get caught at depth etc, just to be more safe. A velcro strap is the best choice. We have been to several official competitions and our lanyards have always been approved by the jury. You can open the strap if you want, but it won't open by accident.

I hope this helps a bit.
 
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what they said to us in Canada was that a scuba diver with 5ml gloves on had to be able to undo the quick release easily - pinch clips and velcro did not achieve this (unless the velcro had a big piece of tape or something on it). We all used snap shackles on the wrist and carabiners on the line in the end and that was ok
 
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Hi Sam,

In Canada, we used velcro and they didn't say anything to us :)

You should have protested ;)
 
Thanks....now we are at the root of my question. It seems to me that while the requirement that they had of Sam and friends may be argued as very reasonable it was a requirement beyond what the rules require and a protest would have been valid.

Sam - can you point me to who actually stipulated this so that i can ask them about it?

thanks

Andy
 
Tanya Streeter and Sebastien Nagel - I took them all our lanyards to check and they condemned all but one
 
Panos Lianos said:
Tanya and Seb !! :) The lanyards would then be ok!


Ha! Ha!!!! The dangerous life a freediving judge....

HEADLINE April 21, 2005

Another two AIDA judges were burned to death in Dahab yesterday. During Lotta Ericsson's record event, three of the freedivers competing became enraged when the two AIDA judges on location dissallowed equipment the divers were using. The three divers, with the help of four other divers, immediately grabbed the two judges and burned them to death. At last report AIDA was sending two more judges to Dahab to replaced the burned judges. Apparently these two replacement judges are expected to be more 'liberal' in their enforcement of the rules. Despite that, AIDA apparently required that the two replacement judges write their 'last will and testament' before leaving for Dahab.
 
mmm.. better do mine before Nice just in case.... and don't think that staying wet will help you stay alive and not burn... they just douse you in alcohol first...
 
hmm....

We will check the lanyards in Nice, and velcro will be ok if it's done in a smart way. (and not be removed by mistake!!)

...and in case there is a problem I'm going to be gunned :martial

regards,
Bill Stromberg
 
Here are a couple of pics of my recently created lanyard....I'd be keen to hear peoples comments on it generally and also relating to the rules.

thanks

Andy
 

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I can't tell from the pictures so:

Is the hand strap adjustable so that it can be tight around the wrist? Is it a velcro strap? It should also have an extra D-ring as described in the rules (26mm internal diameter). I can't see that in the picture.

The clip on the hand side of the line is not really needed, unless there is a specific reason. For example to use the lanyard (in some cases) on a waist belt and not on the wrist.

Personaly I don't like the fact that you have drilled a hole in the carabiner. How sure can you be that it is still strong?

Last thing, make sure the whole line (including the clips on the hand side of the line and the carabiner side) is 1m max.
 
Thanks for the feedback

The hand strap is a double velcro system (like a surfing leg rope) and can be adjusted to be tight.

The clip on the hand side is there based on the comments from samdive and can be removed if not required.

The hole in the carabiner I dont see as a problem as I have hung from it and jumped up and down without issue. Any of the other parts would fail before this part would give way......but I'm keen to know if you think it would break any rules and if so which ones? Relating to this, what would stop someone turning up with a cotten thread lanyard (apart from common sense) as the rules don't seem to describe the strength of the materials cords or clips?

"measure twice cut once" :) 98cm with the extra clip!!

I have the ring but have left it off as i was told that many comps give you another wrist strap with a ring to wear so that it is independant of the lanyard and identical on every diver.

thanks for your comments
 
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