LANYARDS
hi everyone, as you know you will all need to supply your own lanyard for the competition. Alun, as safety officer of the BFA has asked me to share his thoughts on lanyards with you - here it is..
Hi all,
I've asked Sam Kirby if I could forward an important message to you all regarding safety. I'm doing this in my capacity as the Safety Officer of the BFA and as one of the competition judges.
Current AIDA rules state that a lanyard must have a karabiner around the rope. Unfortunately AIDA does not require lanyards to have a quick release mechanism. In my opinion, this is inadequate and I speak from experience! I would like to ask you all to consider modifying your lanyards to include a quick release mechanism that is located near the wrist. Rather than releasing the lanyard from the rope, you should aim to release yourself from the lanyard. Before I go on, I must stress that this modification is not compulsory, but is highly recommended.
Although lanyards are a great idea, they drastically increase the risk of entanglement, especially near the bottom of the rope. It's vital that you are able to release yourself from the lanyard if necessary. You should be able to release yourself using just one hand (the one the lanyard is attached to). Furthermore, you should be able to release it within 1-2secs and without having to look to see what you're doing. This is a drill that should be practiced on shallow dives on a regular basis.
The problem with having to release the lanyard from the rope is that it means you have to reach/swim down to grab the karabiner. Opening the gate and removing the karabiner requires dexerity, which could be very difficult in cold and dark water, especially when panicking. It is also likely to be a two-handed task and you will need to see what you're doing. Furthermore, the karabiner is likely to be at the point of entanglement, making it even more difficult or even impossible to release the lanyard.
I'm not suggesting that you do away with the karabiner - only because the lanyards must still satisfy AIDA guidelines. I've attached a photo of the lanyard that I use myself. It shows the type of quick release clip I recommend, combined with a chunky plastic toggle. The lanyard is designed such that the toggle permanently sits in the palm of the hand making it easily accessible at all times. (As you'll see I choose to use a steel ring around the rope, rather than a karabiner. This is not an option for you as competitors. The lanyard itself is made from thick strimmer wire crimped onto the steel rings. This is all attached to a heavy duty velcro wrist strap.) These steel quick release clips can be found at most chandlers/yatching shops.
Another option for quick release clips are those plastic clips often found on rucksacks that can be squeezed (I forget what they're called). These are ok providing the clip is of very high quality and made from very tough plastic. The clip should be used in such a way that it can be released by the hand to which is attached, and that the clip can be accessed easily. In other words, it shouldn't positioned next to a surface (like your wetsuit). These requirements of course limit the ways in which they can be best used effectively. Overall I would recommend the steel clip rather than the plastic clips, simply because the steel clips have a true quick release action and they offer the quickest and easiest way of releasing your lanyard.
There should be some spare lanyards which have quick release clips available at the competition. However, I would recommend that you make your own. As I said earlier, be sure to practice using it on shallow dives and check the lanyard over for any defects at regular intervals.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, then please email myself (alun_george@hotmail.com) and Sam.
cheers
Alun
There is a picture of such a lanyard higher up on this forum. I made one and used it this weekend and it was great. You can find more info on lanyards in the Rules for the championships which are posted on
www.saltfreeopen.com
Judges will be around to check lanyards at registration
Sam
