Shoutout to the old-school diver who showed me a better way to handle my umbilical

For years, I just let my umbilical drag behind me on the bottom, which worked until I got it snagged on a wreck in Lake Michigan last fall. An old-timer on the boat saw me struggling and said, 'Kid, you're making it hard on yourself.' He showed me how to use a simple carabiner and a short length of rope to clip the umbilical to my weight belt, keeping it up off the deck and giving me way more control. I've been doing it that way for six months now and haven't had a single tangle. Anyone else have a simple trick like that for umbilical management?

2 comments

2 Comments

black.beth3d ago

That clip to the weight belt is clever. Did the old-timer say where he learned it?

troy_fox3d ago

Spot the same thing with extension cords and garden hoses. People just let them snake all over the place, creating a huge trip hazard and a mess. A simple hook on the wall or a hose reel solves the whole problem, but you have to see someone do it first to get it.