STUCK?

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Originally Posted by alanf

Yes, and I now i have a new rule. I remove only one tank going in so I have the option of removing two tanks going out. This means that I will never reach the ranks of the truly hardcore, but I am way more comfortable and can avoid anxiety. The other thing I highly recommend is immediately going back through a new tricky restriction, again to avoid anxiety, which has the nasty habit of inflating you like a puffer fish.

Something else I recently became aware of through dry caving is avoiding going downhill into a restriction headfirst. Always feet first. It makes a huge difference.

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Well stated.

Some minor stuff solo, just enough to get the adrenaline rush.

Team diving I alway's stick with the "fat guy first in-last out" rule. My instructor told me he started adhering to that rule when he realized he wouldn't have enough gas to carve the guy stuck in the exit out of his way with a Z-knife.

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Originally Posted by Jay

Team diving I alway's stick with the "fat guy first in-last out" rule. My instructor told me he started adhering to that rule when he realized he wouldn't have enough gas to carve the guy stuck in the exit out of his way with a Z-knife.

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:rollguy I too live by that rule.

I have gotten stuck a few times, but generally I made the situation worse than it needed to be. Saw the same thing happen to a few other guys, again they made the situation worse than it needed to be. It wasn't the restriction that got them, it was not paying attention to their gear.

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Originally Posted by Jay

Some minor stuff solo, just enough to get the adrenaline rush.

Team diving I alway's stick with the "fat guy first in-last out" rule. My instructor told me he started adhering to that rule when he realized he wouldn't have enough gas to carve the guy stuck in the exit out of his way with a Z-knife.

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As the "fat guy" on the team when I dive, I don't want to be carved out with a Z knife either. Or any other utensil as a matter of fact.

I was in part of the deep section once at Little River and a sidemount diver ahead of me went out on the line, but I saw him wiggling a bit to get through. As I was backmount, this concerned me a bit but after all we had just come through the same area a short time ago.
When I tried going through, and with now limited vis, I could not fit, and the vis quickly dropped to zero but my hand was on the line. I tried to find the extra space needed for me but did not want to let go of that line....
So, after a few minutes, I decided to take off my gear, which is something I often practice during deco.
I was then easily able to move ahead, and out of the silt just in time to see my buddy coming to check on me.
I got the gear back on and we headed out.

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Originally Posted by WEPIV

I was in part of the deep section once at Little River and a sidemount diver ahead of me went out on the line, but I saw him wiggling a bit to get through. As I was backmount, this concerned me a bit but after all we had just come through the same area a short time ago.
When I tried going through, and with now limited vis, I could not fit, and the vis quickly dropped to zero but my hand was on the line. I tried to find the extra space needed for me but did not want to let go of that line.....

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That's the other pulse generator part of the "stuck" or tight sidmounty spots in the cave equation.

I recall one instance where I was digging our way past a sand slide and when I checked, I could no longer find the line in the totally zero viz - but I was still in contact with Marci and she confirmed she still had trhe line. Assigning roles and responsibilites is important, as is having a great buddy who understands roles and responsibilties and can communicate effectively.

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Originally Posted by bullfrog

Maybe this should be in the sidemount forum, maybe not...

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I don't know why it should be on the sidemount forum. The worst I have been stuck was in backmount. The only time I though I wasn't going to get out, I was stuck with another diver blocking my way out. The only reason we all made it out, was another team came in behind us, and saw what had the guy stuck. It was his argon bottle. What he needed argon for in Cow, I'll never know :roll:

I once got myself stuck exploring a virgin (dry) cave where i was trying to get out, the cave was a bell shape, with a small soliution opening at the top the made a quick "S" bend .. there i was, my legs dangling over an 8m drop, my chest wedged in a restriction and my arms pointing skyward, with my mates giggling at me from the surface... 45 mins I wriggled, wormed and hauled to get my A## out.. I remember thinking at the time, the cave side section looked like one of the signs with the person caught in the machinery http://www.mysafetysign.com/Safety-S...KU-S-2673.aspx ... we named that cave "the wedge"
.. nowadays, I can get myself out in around 2 mins... its all about positioning...

Maybe off topic but this reminds me of a well know incident in England years ago

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Moss_%28caver%29

You people aren't making it easy for those of us who may have a non-cavediving girlfriend that reads this forum. GL has always been wonderful about my diving, even not griping about my solo scootering, but this thread is bothering her. Let me again state my philosophy: If I can't go through it with backmounted doubles, two stages, and a UV-26, I'm not interested.