Dive Leader Lesson DO4 - Shot Recovery by Simple Lift


Equipment required:

  • Shot weight- 10-15kg.
  • Safety weight 4-5kg on 1m line, with karabiner to attach it to the shot weight.
  1. Lifting Bag attachment and Partial inflation (with safety weight attached)
    • lifting bag attached securely to shot weight (using karabiner)
    • bag neck held open
    • AS mouthpiece introduced between straps to project into opening, making sure to keep it clear from entanglement.
    • Initial inflation to straighten bag, further inflation to tension straps
    • Vent bag completely and repeat
  2. Lifting Bag controlled Inflation (with safety weight attached)
    • Inflate lifting bag until straps are tensioned
    • Grasp shot weight at point at which lifting bag is attached and try to lift it
    • Add further air to the bag, and repeat until shot can be easily lifted in one hand, by introducing smaller and smaller amounts of air
    • Vent bag and repeat
  3. Reposition shot weight
    • Repeat of previous exercise, but without safety weight
    • Once the shot weight is just negatively buoyant , the combination should be moved 5-10m along the bottom, and settled again at the bottom
    • Deflate the bag
  4. Recover shot weight
    • Re-attach safety weight.
    • Repeat the controlled inflation exercise until the shot weight is just lifted from the ground and is restrained by the safety weight
    • Deflate the lifting bag
    • Fasten the safety weight directly to the shot weight (so they act as one weight)
    • Repeat controlled inflation until shot weight is just lifted off the bottom, then release the weights, allowing them to continue upwards to the surface.
    • Divers swim out from directly underneath the path of the ascending weight
  5. DSMB deployment mid water - approx 10m depth
    • Ascent checked at about 8m, neutral buoyancy achieved
    • DSMB removed and reel and DSMB held clear of diver and equipment
    • Initial inflation with reel unlocked to straighten SMB, buoyancy adjusted to counteract buoyancy of DSMB
    • Full inflation and deployment -diver breathes out to counteract increasing buoyancy of DSMB, DSMB released as soon as increasing buoyancy causes diver to ascend.
    • Reel held unlocked until it has completely stopped rotating, line tension checked to ensure DSMB is at the surface
    • Line reeled in during ascent to surface, maintaining appropriate tension to ensure SMB remains upright in the water and diver surfaces directly below buoy.