light cord management

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Permalink Reply by Richard on February 23, 2011 at 5:28pm

Traditionally it was routed "under" so the long hose was immediately available for donation with no futzing.

 

But the most likely time to go OOA is probably during stage switches.  When your buddy's long hose is often still clipped off.  If they failed to pass the lighthead under the hong hose when they stowed it to prepare for the switch it will be trapped.  They will donate from their mouth, go to their backup and then find the long hose less than smoothly deployable from the right chest d-ring.  So some instructors/agencies started teaching "over" like you do.

 

Routing the cord "over" negates the need to constantly pass the lighthead "under" when stowing.  Routing it "over" requires more futzing if you ever have to donate the long hose.  Routing it "under" risks entrapment when the lighthead is clipped off.

 

Discuss in person with your instructor and they can illustrate + explain the 2 different types of pitfalls.

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Permalink Reply by Mike van Splunteren on February 24, 2011 at 12:11am

Thanks Richard,

I am aware of both ways and the (dis)advantages of either way, but I never thought of  the effect of the "switch" when routed under and the longhose clipped off.

Personally, I think the "under" the LH routing is neater and quicker, I mean the most important, and one of the few things we really cant fix UW, is OOG and deploying the LH.

Regards

Mike

 

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Permalink Reply by Richard on February 24, 2011 at 8:17am

Most people I dive with rout the cord over since managing the lighthead while stationary in an air share or S-drill is pretty easy and can be done while the OOG diver is clipping off their long hose (for instance).  Personally I want to simplify my day to day actions where I'm clipping and unclipping the lighthead for switches (and stage drops) quite often.  Certainly more often than doing s-drills or air shares.  This just completely avoids the real risk of trapping the long hose during these common moments which are also the most common times for people to go "OOG" going to a dead or turned off reg etc.

 

I was taught "under" but after 3 years of diving that way I still never trusted that muscle memory to always with never a slip up pass it under when clipping off the lighthead.  So I gave up trying and "over" is fine.

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Permalink Reply by Andrew Georgitsis on February 24, 2011 at 1:47pm

Mike

I personally like to keep things consistent. So, I would train and build the muscle memory from now, to have the light cord to go under. Keep in mind, the light cord over, was chosen by some to make life easier for the "beginning" DIR diver. As Richard said, often the beginning diver forgets to pass the light cord under and so having the light cord over was a band-aid. However, later in your technical, cave, wreck, rebreather and scooter diving, the light cord over becomes a "Real" nightmare, especially when dealing with things like air-shares while scootering, or rebreathers or stage diving and so on and so on.

Taking Richard's comments of stage bottle switching or management, you will find that when dealing with the light cord in an airsharing situation from a stage bottle, it is much much simpler and cleaner when the light cord was run under the long to begin with. I would suggest that you go conduct an airshare while breathing form a stage bottle, then try it, first with the light cord over and see what an absolute CF it is to pass the light cord around. Then try it second, with the light under. You will find the light cord under to be far far superior.

If you prefer, try the airshare while scootering. You will need to grab and control the scooter with the left hand and donate with the right hand. Again, at that moment of high stress and confusion you will have to juggle the light cord around, releasing the scooter and making a mess. Then try with the light cord under. See how much easier and cleaner it is. Far superior. So, again instead of relying on what most others do, or a band aid. Rather, train and build the muscle memory correctly to make things smoother and easier and less mess, especially when in a high stress situation like Airsharing. You will always find the light cord under is far superior and building that muscle memory is easy. It is easy to remember to pass under and double check that you have, keep in mind that when you are passing it under you are under NO stress and so it will become second nature.

Good luck with your training.

AG

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Permalink Reply by Mike van Splunteren on February 24, 2011 at 2:07pm

Hi Andrew,

Thank you for your reply and explanation.

Yeps, I will have ago at it, both ways and experience it myself.

Regards

Mike

 

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Permalink Reply by Chew Poh Chang on April 11, 2011 at 10:03pm

Hi Mike,

 

I just completed a Essentials of Tech class in Philippines and both methods were discussed in the class and students were given a chance to practice both.   They were encouraged to practice both methods.  The light cord under were preferred as during an emergency the students found airsharing much quicker and simple even with a "scooter" introduced during dry practice.  They did forget to pass the light cord under while stowing at first but soon they build muscle memory with practice, they found that stowing light under non stress condition easier.  

 

PS might be a little late in my reply but just like to share.

 

Rdgs, PC

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Permalink Reply by Kristof Damen on April 12, 2011 at 7:11am

Conclusion: It s all about remembering where your cable is and managing it.  Imagine you having a light failure and clipping on a primary  (cannister) light, while having your light cable running under your long hose... and making a loop over again. Avoid CF, practice both, start thinking ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Leonardo Geissler Garcia on April 7, 2012 at 1:40pm

Hi,

is there any serious problem to clip the light head on the left chest d-ring? In this case the light cord can be "always" under the long hose, except when the light is temporarily switched to the right hand.

Regards.

 

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Permalink Reply by Dave Harris on April 9, 2012 at 4:51pm

The left D-ring can become quite busy once you add a couple of stage/deco bottles, a backup light and the wing inflator is right there, at certain points my primary reel or nav kit is going to be there also. I think putting the light on the left would be a bit messy and awkward during gas switches when there is a lot of stuff on that side.

I'd always keep it on the right, there's always space for it and it's always going to be easy to find. Once you're used to to it, you just put it under every time without thinking. A dangling light cord is a perfect hook to catch you on a stalagmite, you almost couldn't make a better one if you tried. I don't even know how many times i've seen that happen.

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