What would you do? (line safety situation)

[IowaCaveDiver]

You can check my dive report for Rock Bluff on the reports page, but essentially this is the situation I found myself in:

upon exit following the main line I found the line had been broken and I was NOT on the exit side. I deployed safety spool and began to swim in the direction I believed was the exit based on the water/particulate flow direction and markings from divers on rocks and restrictions. As my spool emptied out I found the mainline with just feet of line left on my reel, tied off to the mainline and made a safe exit.

So... what would you do if...

-your spool was empty and you had no other reserve spool/reel to continue your search?
- would you leave your spool and free swim in the direction you feel the flow and passage continues?
-Would you recover your spool, then free swim in case you needed it further down the passage?
-When you did find the mainline, would you have spent the time necessary to re-spool the old line onto your now empty spool in case you needed a safety line yet again before you reached your exit?

I felt foolish that I didn't have additional spools with me, as I rarely ever dive with less than 4 (primary for entry, two in my pockets and one on my butt). I accept the opinions of those who do not condone solo diving and perhaps that is my error that since I chose to do this dive solo I therefore choose to either add the extra level of redundancy or accept the consequences. What I hope to gain from this post is merely, what would you do if in this situation? I've learned my lesson on what gear needs to be standard for me... how about you?

[FW]

There are a lot of "ifs", but I would go back and get some of the old cave line, and use it to search for the line on the exit side. One of the "ifs" would be *if* I had enough gas to double back.

[skip]

I would not enter a cave solo or with a buddy or two with just one spool or reel. Two, each 150feet, is the minimum (not including primary to enter). Most often a third one (75ft) tucked in a pocket.

IF I'd been in there before and was pretty sure I knew my way around, I'd just go on with no guideline unless I had plenty of gas and was unsure about the way out. I would also mark my trail (see next paragraph).

IF gas is plentiful, then I'd mark the cave (yes deface) where I was, rewind the line, and then go back to the end of the line mark I left, essentially returning to the scene of my crime and begin again at that point tying off and continuing my search for the line. I may even deface at various intervals along my route. The nicest defacement is to stack or arrange rocks, if any (most people would not even notice, and besides they could be easily strewn about again).

I suppose you could drop pieces of gear along the way...spare mask, wetnotes, extra zip knife, a battery from a backup light.... like breadcrumbs.

-skip

[aainslie]

it IS sobering isn't it?

Spools IMHO are like lights - given how small they are, there's no good reason not to slap a couple extra in a pocket above those carried for the 'rules".

Plus what if you find new cave? Gotta have a reel for that!!!

And to answer your question - I'd drop a lit light on the end of my reel, and start following a wall with the flow. If it doesn't take you out, go back and follow the next wall. keep going until you find the other end.

[WJH]

Have never entered a cave without at least a safety reel AND a backup spool. Since buddy will have at least an additional spool (unless things really went bad and I had to exit solo) and probably 2, this is probably not an issue I need to consider. Some things are too obscure to plan for unless you dive ill-equipped.

WJH

[LCF]

I had an experience where I was short a spool. I always dive with one more than I think I am going to need, now.

The only solution I can come up with for your situation would be to tie off, backtrack, retrieve the line (winding it around my hand, or whatever I could come up with) and then spool the line out again from the tie off. Sounds like a potentially very frightening situation, depending on gas.

[BabyDuck]

ooh, i like lynne's idea.

i'm shamelessly stealing it, so that's what i would do, too!

[IowaCaveDiver]

I like FW's idea... if I have interpreted it correctly... go back and gather additional mainline to extend your search... if gas didn't permit, the "bread crumbs" or "cave markings" would be my next choice.

*again, I admit my mistake of being ill equipped... yet this is not what we are discussing

[Sludge]

the "bread crumbs" would be my next choice.

Bad plan. I tried it once. The catfish ate them.

[LiteHedded]

Bad plan. I tried it once. The catfish ate them.

a trail of dead catfish might work