down line system

Coastal Scuba’s Down Line System

Many different methods for entries and exits from a dive boat exist, and we have distilled techniques that have proven useful in a variety of environmental conditions into the down line system we employ on our vessel. This system makes entry and exit from the water simple, reduces diver stress in less than optimum conditions, and provides a simple means for a slow controlled ascent, simple safety stops, and stage decompression (if necessary).

The system consists of four parallel ropes, two hung amidships and two hung aft, that descend vertically to two more ropes strung horizontally. These two horizontal ropes are in turn attached to a sliding ring that is around the anchor line. The vertical ropes are weighted to keep them submerged and are suspended at about fifteen feet below the surface. The horizontal ropes converge at the anchor line at about thirty feet.

Entries usually begin with the diver making a giant stride into the water. He or she will sink to a depth of approximately 15 FSW and grasp the horizontal line. This is a good time to make a quick assessment with the diver’s buddy and adjust buoyancy. Going underwater immediately removes the diver from the scene of most stress and dive-related accidents- the surface adjacent to the boat. Once stabilized underwater, the diver can pull himself along the horizontal line forward to the anchor line and make a controlled descent.

A normal ascent is made up the anchor line at the conclusion of the dive. The diver follows the horizontal lines to the stern of the boat, which are at 15’ and help stabilize the diver at his safety stop. Once the diver is ready to board the boat, he grasps the tag/current line running from the stern of the boat, removes his fins and straps them around his wrists, pulls himself to the ladder and climbs aboard.

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