Great scooter dive in JB again . .

[aw]

Met up with a buddy and dove JB Sunday. Our plan was to use a stage to help us get up to 3,500 ft. Before the dive, we did towing drills in the basin. We found that having a stage on the same side and towing caused us to roll to one side. So the buddy had the idea to switch handles from the one he normally used, when towing a diver with a stage. It planed us right out.

After the drill, we dropped O2 and headed into the cave breathing a stage bottle. I was feeling even more comfortable on my scooter this time. We dropped stage bottles around 1,300 ft and continued on backgas. We hit 3,500 ft marker at about 35 minutes run time.

As we penetrated, I realized I was gaining ground on my buddy who was in the lead. We started the dive out at the same pitch. So I ended up dialing down the pitch to match his speed by 3. I may have a tekna, but that SOB's got some speed.

On the way back, at about 3,000 ft, my primary light blew. Man, it gets dark back there in them there caves without a light. I switched to my backup light and continued scootering out. BIG difference in light between a primary and a backup. Of course, my buddy's light was a great help.

Anyway . . . We picked our stages back up and continued. We made it almost back to the cavern and had a backup light failure (or so I thought). So I switched to yet another backup light.

OK, let me make a confession. I had made a tow cord that week at home. This was the first dive I tried it out. It was slightly too long. So I double wrapped it around the handles to get a good length. Well, I learned a lesson. When you stop, you better make sure that cord stays on the top part of the handle. If not, it can slip off and hit the trigger. That happened to me. Not a big deal . . I was able to pull it off in 1 second. But I did learn what CAN happen. I'll have it shortened before my next dive, I assure you. PS - the backup light failure and scooter cutting on happened at the same time.

The tweaking I did this week trying to make the scooter absolutely neutral in the water was only marginally successful. I added cut wetsuit over the body of the scooter, in addition to what was already there. I also cut strips and superglued them in the grooves around the outside of the shroud. To no avail. That dang thing is still negative, even at the surface. I've no other ideas, but in any case, the scooter is manageable to dive. It's just a slight bit negative when you stop.

We were back in the cavern around 67 minutes. Did our 5 minutes of deco and was done.

It was really a great dive. I was relaxed and had lots of fun. I think a few more dives on the scooter and I'll be "right at home" with it. Just from reading/writing this, it sounds like a lot when wrong. But in reality, it was no big deal. From practical experience I learned a few more things about scootering quite quickly.

I found out too, the high pressure seat in my primary reg is beginning to weaken. Now I've got to send it off to get serviced.

Yeah, it gets dark back there, and it gets dark FAST when the light goes and there's nobody back there but you and AL!

[aainslie]

Sounds like a nice dive!

Yeah, it gets dark back there, and it gets dark FAST when the light goes and there's nobody back there but you and AL!

I wear a light on my mask now when I go solo for just that reason. The first time I had a lights out on my own my SAC tripled for a couple of minutes while I fumbled for a backup!!!

[Jay]

Sounds like a nice dive!

Yeah, it gets dark back there, and it gets dark FAST when the light goes and there's nobody back there but you and AL!

I wear a light on my mask now when I go solo for just that reason. The first time I had a lights out on my own my SAC tripled for a couple of minutes while I fumbled for a backup!!!

That is a good idea. I had an instance where my primary failed, my first back-up would not come on (and I had checked it before the dive) and I was halfway through a long visual jump in a shitty little tunnel. Fortunately I had put a third back-up in my pocket before the dive. I went for that before my second backup because of my postion. It was tiny but it was as bright as the sun as far as I was concerned.

[aainslie]

Yep, the Princeton Tec Impact is great for this. Super cheap, tiny, fits in a pocket.

[FW]

That is a good idea. I had an instance where my primary failed, my first back-up would not come on (and I had checked it before the dive) and I was halfway through a long visual jump in a shitty little tunnel. Fortunately I had put a third back-up in my pocket before the dive. I went for that before my second backup because of my postion. It was tiny but it was as bright as the sun as far as I was concerned.

He wasn't even solo, until he did the long visual jump, which his buddy refused to do

[Webmaster]

Having lights mounted ready-to-go on your helmet or mask/head strap are great. You could also mount it on a shoulder if you didn't want it on your head. In any case I would think you'd want your backup lights where you could instantly turn them on (one handed?), even if it then took you a few seconds to get it in your hand. You can do a lot with even a bit of indirect light.

It's certainly saved my butt a few times caving. There's nothing like being stretched out across some canyon, or hanging onto a mud handhold 50 ft up a climb and having your light go out. That's one of those moments that will wring an 'Aww s***.' from you for sure.

In some cases like that you can barely get one hand free, so I just got to where (especially with carbide as primary) I'll go ahead and have a backup on already.

[FW]

FWIW, Sheck Exley kept a backup light already on, so he would never be totally in the dark.

[Daedalus]

FWIW, Sheck Exley kept a backup light already on, so he would never be totally in the dark.

I think this is an interesting idea, maybe buying one of these and clipping it on a shoulder ring http://www.bookofjoe.com/2005/01/glow_ring_so_co.html would be an alternative to constantly replacing batteries. I wonder how well they would fare at depth?

[Jay]

Hey, my HID was dieing out and I thought the jump was shorter and I could make it, so I sped up. HID's do die out similar to Halogen's, only a lot faster, as I know now. It got pretty messy when I was digging for lights. You made the right decision as usual.

That is a good idea. I had an instance where my primary failed, my first back-up would not come on (and I had checked it before the dive) and I was halfway through a long visual jump in a shitty little tunnel. Fortunately I had put a third back-up in my pocket before the dive. I went for that before my second backup because of my postion. It was tiny but it was as bright as the sun as far as I was concerned.

He wasn't even solo, until he did the long visual jump, which his buddy refused to do