Have you ever lost the line? And if so how many minutes did it take to find it?

[tomhauburn]

Just wondering if you have ever lost the line and if so how long it took to find it?

[FW]

You don't have enough choices. I have been off line several times in the past 43 years of cave diving. Sometimes it only took a minute to find it, the worst was over ten, but I didn't quit diving

This is a report about the worst one: http://www.cavediver.net/forum/showt...5518-Lost-line

I got off line in the Dominican Republic last year, in very clear water, then bubbles from my buddy in front of me caused a massive percolation (landslide) in front of me. I didn't want to go into that mess without a line, so I doubled back and found it in a couple minutes. By then he missed me, and came back through the silt shower to look for me.

[Kelly Jessop]

You don't have enough choices. I have been off line several times in the past 43 years of cave diving. Sometimes it only took a minute to find it, the worst was over ten, but I didn't quit diving

This is a report about the worst one: http://www.cavediver.net/forum/showt...5518-Lost-line

I got off line in the Dominican Republic last year, in very clear water, then bubbles from my buddy in front of me caused a massive percolation (landslide) in front of me. I didn't want to go into that mess without a line, so I doubled back and found it in a couple minutes. By then he missed me, and came back through the silt shower to look for me.

plus,the people who were lost over 10 minutes and quit diving probably aren't on this forum. When the adrenalin starts pumping time sure can get skewed.

[BabyDuck]

yeah, not the best-structured poll.

i've lost the line several times for less than 30 sec - like it was high and on the right and went up into a fissure and i missed that for a kick and went 'duh' and went up to follow it. or i'm busy navigating something like the half-hitch or not my fault and take a sec to get reoriented and see just where that line went since it was here a minute ago. but i don't remember ever losing it for longer than that.

[Jay]

It happens. Just remember your training. I have had to tie off to my scooter and go looking for the damn thing in a silt out.
You use what ever tools/knowledge you have available.

[RN]

Yes, a few times. The worse one was when it popped out of my hand in zero visibility. I knew it was still under me and, even without it, I was not going to get lost since there was limestone touching me on all sides, but it was still a little disconcerting. It was also the first time.

[Jaydubya]

I've never lost the line for more than a few seconds but I've only made 32 dives past the cavern zone.


(Now I've lost the anchor line more times than I want to admit but have always been able to find it before I was out of time except that one time when the anchor was off in a debris field with about 15 ft vis- I surfaced 20 ft in front of the dive boat)

[LiteHedded]

i've lost it a few times in siltouts. never for very long.

[Squirrel Girl]

Yes, a few times. The worse one was when it popped out of my hand in zero visibility. I knew it was still under me and, even without it, I was not going to get lost since there was limestone touching me on all sides, but it was still a little disconcerting. It was also the first time.

That's the thing that worries me more, losing the line when there ISN'T limestone touching me on all sides, but bigger passage where you can go around groping for way too long. Though, most of the time you wouldn't have zero vis such that you couldn't see anything in big passage. But that scenario has intimidated me such that I have slowly worked up to being happy in zero vis.

I could just keep practicing by following you in Dos Coronas!

[tomhauburn]

Forest what choices would you add? And I have to agree the last one will not be seen by anyone here. It might take me a bit to add them but will do so tonight when I get home.