Where is my knife!

[nemrod]

Well, it is an observation of mine that when diving with the vintage fellows we are diving if not solo then independent . So, I had thought to make a quick run down to the ledge at Wazee that sits about 100 feet. I had my stupid dive flag and away I went, down, down, a full 1/4 inch of vintage sharkskin being compressed---oh--it was cold--very cold. About 80 feet I decided there was nothing at 80 feet I wanted to see badly enough much less at 100 feet to freeze myself numb so I headed back up. Suddenly I felt a tug right about 40 feet and came to a solid stop. Well, see, I had looped out line on my flag and was in such a hurry to get back above the thermocline I was not rolling it in fast enough and it had somehow looped around behind my valve, around my SPG, around my leg, back around my tank and then somewhere back in the hellish cold murk an old tree.-----and no KNIFE--no KNIFE--oh where is my SeaHawk---back in the car-----ooohhhhh Da, da, dah, doooooooom. Hmmm, well, the water is full of divers, I guess I will just hang out here and wait for somebody to swim by and so I hung, and hung and hung and froze and froze and froze. I banged on my tank to no avail. OK, well, I tried to untangle but it only got worse. So, down I went to a tree around maybe 60 feet where my stupid line was wrapped all over the place. Oh if only I had my Hawk I would have sliced and diced the whole gizmo to bits but alas, no SeaHawk, no vintage buddy, no nothing . I finally wrestled it free of the tree and headed for the surface. I popped up and now on the surface I could rid myself of the line--all back under control I went back down and continued along the wall occasionally banging my tank to see if anyone would ever show up. Dave came by but I guess I did not see him, just a large crawfish peering from a hole at me. Moral of this story, a big sharp knife really is handy sometimes ;D


Nemrod

[luis]

Well, in white water kayaking we say that it is OK not to carry a knife, but if you don't carry a knife, you don't carry a rope.
When it comes to ropes, a knife large or small doesn't matter much, but it better be sharp.

[swimjim]

Well, I was, er, independant diving at Wazee. I didn't do a flag, one, because I didn't bring one and two, Sherwood forest eats flag ropes for breakfast. I would have helped you James had I heard you pounding on your tank. It would have been easy to get you out without the Bull Kelp. Yarrr.

Jim

[JES]

During Military water survival training we're taught not to cut our parachute shroud lines because the one line that you cut has now become two lines in which to become entangled.

With that said, if I were in your situation I would have cut that line in a heart-beat.

[duckbill]

James, I'm glad that the end turned out as it did. It could have been a pretty bad scene. Makes one wonder about those springs in FL with the "no knives" policy. What's that all about, anyway?!