The Peril of the “Danglies”
Consoles and alternate (octopus) second stages that are allowed to dangle freely pose a danger to the environment, their owners and other divers.
- Every time an unsecured second stage or console slams into the bottom, it can damage fragile coral formations and other aquatic life.
- Constant contact with the bottom can easily damage equipment. Alternate second stages can become filled with sand, mud or other unpleasant materials, or just plain break. And, as you have seen, expensive computer consoles can become utterly destroyed.
- Unsecured equipment can be difficult to find when you (or a buddy) needs it most.
Imagine a diver who runs out of air because he could not easily locate his console and thus regularly monitor his air supply. Upon bottoming out his tank, he swims furiously to his buddy and gives the “out of air” signal. The buddy hunts for several anxious seconds to find his alternate second stage — only to discover it is damaged and clogged with mud, due to constant contact with the bottom.
The bottom line is, alternate second stages and instrument consoles should never be allowed to dangle, and should be secured to your BC harness with the proper retaining hardware.
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