mono nets, gill nets, entanglement risks / locations

[Apneaddict]

There have been a number of entanglement incidents leading to tragic deaths recently.

I will carry 2 knives and always use a buddy... however - the best sol'n is to try not to get tangled in the first place... or understand that there is an increased possibility.

Can ppl report where these nets are frequently used?
Where are they legal and / or have been sighted???

What location / country / dive-sites, etc...

I've heard about Dubai, Egypt, etc.

What common areas do ppl need to be EXTRA vigilant and prepare for this potentiality with their buddy in?

Let's hope that these incidents are reduced as close to zero as possible.

 

[JennyWren]

Ugh, I've gotten nastily snagged in monofilament before, not fun. I can get out of it but have to seriously YANK till it breaks. Next time I dive there (Ogden Point in Victoria) I'm bringing a knife.

 

[cdavis]

This thread opens the general subject of entanglement with nets or mono and carrying a knife to cut oneself free. I always wondered about this subject. Jenny is about the only diver that I can remember who has gotten entangled. In over 50 years of diving, I've never seen a situation where mono, or nets was a problem. Am I just in the "wrong" area? How common is this? is there a certain set of characteristics that are associated with entanglement?

As new divers, we were all advised to buy those huge dive knives to deal with mono, dangerous marine critters, etc. It did not take us long to realize they were good hammers and pry bars, but useless, and utterly unnecessary, as knives. Today, I see some nifty little, very sharp daggers some divers carry. Useful for braining fish, but do they get used for mono?

What's your experience??

Connor

 

[robdigital]

Never been tangled but the thought of it gives me the creeps - even with a sharp knife!

 

[ReefTroll]

Wow, I'm with robdigital, how scary!!

I've never come across nets that you can get tangled up in at all.

I can't speak for nets, but in general my rule with knives (during my military time, and my years as a field technician) is that they need not be large, a small blade is usually easier to cart etc, but you must buy quality and you must keep it sharp.

 

[Magpie]

Here people are allowed to set long gill nets from the shore or boat. They are generally about 50-100m long and sit on the bottom rising up 6-10ft via floats. They are left one tide and usually picked up the next.

In some popular bays their use is restricted during the summer months, but they can be used outside those bays all year round.

They are a total menace, as by design they are very hard to see. You generally see the top and bottom lines, not the net itself. I know someone who swum into one but fortunately managed to get out before he drowned. They're especially dangerous when night diving.

Any attempt to campaign against them is just met with "we've done it for years" and "it's a tradition".

As well as the threat to humans they are indescriminate fish killers, when you find them they are often festooned with all sorts of dead fish which will be discarded as only a few species are taken for eating or sale.

 

[pinoycatfish]

i once got hooked in a pier while spearfishing. i did not see the mono with hook in it and it`s wrapped around on a post the hook caught the garter of my cycling shorts,worst i don`t have a knife with me because(before) i thought i will never need one(what am i thinking) and even a decent knife here is out of my price range. i panicked a little because i`m almost at the end of my breathhold. what i did is i grabbed the mono and rubbed it on the post like hell... it worked the mono broke. now i never touch water without a knife (diy). mono gillnet is hard to see in the water and found almost anywhere in the world. as magpie stated gillnets is an indiscriminate killer and a dive knife is a must in every dive even if you are not spearo. be careful out there

 

[neurodoc]

I live near a large man-made lake (Greers Ferry Lake) and many areas of the lake have trees that are underwater. Apparently they do not rot as quickly underwater, as the lake was filled in 1963. I have run into and gotten lightly tangled in monofilament that runs between the trees and their branches. The lake is a popular fishing destination, and there are lots of pieces of monofilament, hooks, lures, etc on the trees. Most people that swim in the lake never seem to consider that risk, unfortunately. It is very hard to see monofilament underwater.

 

[ItWasntMe]

I got caught up in some monofilament fishing line while diving off the CA coast. Learned fast that my big ol' dive knife wasn't worth f-all when it didn't want to cut me loose. Thankfully I was scuba diving so running out of time wasn't much of a worry. Flipped the knife over and used the serrates on the spine. After that I made doubly sure I had a SHARP knife with me.

When it comes to diving fishing line and nets (never saw a net) are the only thing that concerns me. For years I refused to dive lakes because of the fishing line. It's easier to see once it's been there awhile and collected some algae but fresh or in dirty water? No way.

A smaller quality sharp knife is the best solution in my eyes. Some folks carry those paramedic's shears. You know the ones that'll cut through a penny. I've actually been eyeballing the wifes kitchen shears out of the knife drawer. I think they're available at Target for less than $5 but they seem to cut well, especially with serrated blades inset into the plastic frame.

Fishing line is a danger for sure. That'll never go away though. Fishing Licenses are too much revenue in many states and there's more "Sportsmen" (bleh said with a crappy taste in my mouth) than there are divers or folks that actually hunt and fish or dive for food as well as enjoyment.

For free diving here in WI, I've considered buying a "Spare-Air" just to give me a little extra comfort in the water.

I've also had kelp get caught up in my fins, usually at the buckles. Generally not a big deal, just jerk and it comes loose. The few times that didn't work the stuff snaps easily when bent. Eal grass has been a bigger pain in the rear in the ocean. Used to get into that to find the abalone hiding amongst it.

Biggest thing is if you get caught in something, stay CALM. DON'T panic. If you stay calm your 'air' will last longer and you'll be able to free yourself quicker. Look for the problem. Assess the situation. Make sure your actions to free yourself will not entangle you worse. Proceed from there.
If you get desperate for air, once free cut your weight belt loose and kick for the surface. Weight belts are cheap, and you can likely recover it once you catch your breath and relax again.

I simply will NOT dive without a knife. If need be I'll take the knife out of my pocket and slide it under the leg of my wetsuit with the pocket clip outside the suit.