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[PSUBS-MAILIST] Caught in weeds...



Hi guys!

No, I'm not talking about police and drugs. I just want to share a small story of my own...

Last time I dived with BIG (it was the second time BIG touched water) I was just off the ramp at about 7 feet deep and moving to somewhere where I could get to about 30 feet when I had to go true alot of weed. The weeds were very thin and I was used to that kind of weed. I grew up living by a lake in that region. So I just drive into the weed with my "weed-edge" equiped minn-kotas. To be honest, I never though that those weeds could cause a problem. So at about half throttle I went into them when the boat began to slow down. So I put full throttle but it was still slowing down. Some seconds later, I was not able to move at all. I tried to turn on the spot, I flipper both engines vertical, nothing could make me move!

Fortunately for me I was diving with 7 divers. So in a couple of seconds one of my friend appear in the front window and he make a sigh telling me "don't touch the thrusters!" I replied to him ok. and waited. After like 2 or 3 minutes he came back and gave me the ok sigh. I was now able to move freely again and we continued the dive with-out anymore problems.

What I realised that day is that if I had no divers with me, I would have been in real trouble! I also realised that the total force of the sub is like 60 pounds (thrusters) + ballast lift (about 100pounds). I never ever though that those small weeds cough entangle me! I will have to be more carefull with those weeds. I also remembered that somebody said that entanglement was one of the most dangerous problem with a psub.

So, that's my 2 cents worth of sub diving experience :)

Pierre "weed-man" Poulin




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