Lessons Learned Gear Configuration

[RebreatherPro.com]

Lessons from my worst cave dive continue here, but I wanted to post one of them, lesson eight, below:

Lesson Eight: This lesson is specific to a particular gear modification. I’m not one to tell anyone how to wear their equipment. I believe there are many solutions for many different people in different diving scenarios. I’m not DIR. I’m a total DIC. Do It Clean. Streamlining is important and an open mind is critical. Question everything. Why am I doing it this way? How can it get me into trouble? What can I learn from others?
So, here is my particular beef... Recently, some people have chosen to route the inflator on their side mount wing from the bottom up. They reason that it is more streamlined. If the diver needs to dump gas they can use a shoulder pull dump or the inflator dump that comes up from the bottom. Now, here is the rub. Literally. My buddy was stuck in a restriction with too much gas in the wing, supporting her negative bottles. In her body position the shoulder dump would not release the gas. The inflator dump did not either. That left me behind her, seeing a full wing lodged in the ceiling with no way to assist. There was no outlet at the bottom of the wing. No pull dump. In the slightly butt up position there was no getting gas out of that thing. I was preparing to cut it when I managed to squeeze my hand on top and force the air forward, leaving me with a few cuts on the back of my hand where it had been pressed against the rocky ceiling. Not fun. How did that routing benefit her?
Things above the nipple line are much easier to control and reach and rarely snag. You might not be able to reach things lower down, but your buddy can help.
Again, don’t mistake this for a black and white statement. I just can’t see one dive in my history where that configuration would have helped me and I do see one dive where it might have cost us big.

Jill Heinerth

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I don't think streamlining is the reason people swap the dump. I think its because of the wear the hoses get when they are routed over the shoulder in tight cave.

[AB8CD]

Thanks Jill. I use an Armadillo with the hose routed from the bottom for the very reason you describe... a clean back. Which does include a concern for the valve being exposed to wear... as was pointed out. But there are compromises that are made in doing so... I suppose there is a perfect rig for body type, dive environment, etc. but I have not found it yet. Maybe it is more like finding the fewest negatives to arrive at the most positive. I will reassess my routing.

Dan

[FW]

..... I’m a total DIC. Do It Clean....

Jill Heinerth

So, it was your initials in Cow?

[RN]

It's not what I consider a recent modification, but that's dependent on perspective. I know it's been a pretty common thing for at least 2-3 years. I didn't realize people were using streamlining as a reason for the swap. It's not the common reason I hear out there or the reason I do it. While I see your concern and issue with this modification, it's only a concern for diving small passage with a buddy. I've been in situations where a butt dump would have been useless to me because there was no way I could reach it. And I don't dive small passage with buddies very often, if at all. I know one of the manufacturers is including a butt dump on the opposite side in addition to running the inflator hose from the bottom. Maybe the other manufacturers will take away from this that it may be helpful to run a butt dump on both sides of the wing.

[JillHeinerth]

My inflator comes over my left shoulder. It is a pretty short hose and routes across to the right d ring where it is clipped off. I can operate it with my chin if needed and easily orally inflate too. I do not need to unclip to dump vertically. It is super clean and seems to allow for dumping from any angle without any snag points. Again, I'm definitely not a person who believes there is only one way to do things. I some clips that some people would hate - choosing to use them because they don't jam with silt and I can operate them in freezing water.
So I guess my lesson is "look at everything in your kit - does it serve you? What are pros and cons?" Look at all your own diving environments and conditions and find an answer that works well for you.
Jill

[Squirrel Girl]

..... I’m a total DIC. Do It Clean....

Jill Heinerth

So, it was your initials in Cow?

Ohhhhhh, that was evil! Funny, but evilllllllllllllllllllllllllll

[caves4me]

My inflator comes over my left shoulder. It is a pretty short hose and routes across to the right d ring where it is clipped off. I can operate it with my chin if needed and easily orally inflate too. I do not need to unclip to dump vertically. It is super clean and seems to allow for dumping from any angle without any snag points. Again, I'm definitely not a person who believes there is only one way to do things. I some clips that some people would hate - choosing to use them because they don't jam with silt and I can operate them in freezing water.
So I guess my lesson is "look at everything in your kit - does it serve you? What are pros and cons?" Look at all your own diving environments and conditions and find an answer that works well for you.
Jill

Thanks Jill!

[JahJahwarrior]

Putting the dump on the bottom helped me fit through the Sandwhich restriction at Jug Hole better...but I agree that only having one dump presents problems.

[fno]

Thanks for the insight, Jill. Your input is well recieved I am sure.

Frank.