Wet Disconnects? Hooooow 20th Century! Nobody’s doing that any more!!!
Here’s the simple beta on how to avoid them, in the simplest situation:
The technique you are looking for is called “Setting the Rope Length”. In summary, you set the rope length just short of the water. The victims then rappel single strand off the end of the rope and swim away. The leader (last person) rappels last double strand, rapping off one of the ends and keeping the other in their rappel device, and swims away, pulling the rope as they go.
This is not only useful for rapping into swims, but can also speed things along considerably when taking a large group through many short rappels. People just rap off the end of the rope, rather than standing at the bottom, disconnecting their rap device.
How to:
1. First, you have already located and rigged the anchor. It is best if the anchor has a rappel ring or Rapide on it. Step One: thread the rope through the ring.
2. Feed the rope down until it is about 1 foot short of the water. In this simple case, we assume you can see or otherwise judge the correct length. The rope length is now “set”.
3. Next we must fix the single strand of rope at this distance. You can just tie a knot and clip the rope to the anchor at this length, but after 300 lb Jen rappels, the knot is hard to get out. Often, we use a “biner block”. Tie a clove hitch on the spine of a locking biner, lock the biner, and pull this up tight against the rappel ring, blocking the rope from lowering further. Make sure you did this on the correct side of the rope, so your carefully adjusted rappelling strand is anchored by the “biner block”. Check that the biner is locked.
4. Have all the victims rappel single strand off the end of the rope and into the water.
5. Last person down: leave the biner block, or remove it if there is a chance it will get caught when pulling the rope. Rappel double strand (with the rope feeding out of the ropebag) into the water. About when you hit the water (hopefully), one end will pull through your device. As you swim away, the rope, still held by your rappel device, pulls through the anchor.
This is the simple version. For a more complete version, take Rich’s course, or check his site for upcoming Tech Tips with diagrams.
Tom
— In canyons@y…, “jwoodcanyon”
This Sunday, I’m taking a group of seven to moderately easy technical > canyon: there’s one 40ft rappel that has swimming disconnect. The > rest of it is either swimming or scrambling. >
lurker_1000
My post about possibly creating a modified mesh rope bag for canyoneering doesn’t seem to have evoked much interest, but it seems from this discussion from avoiding wet disconnects that most people are using rope bags. What rope bags do people favor? Also, do you have a problem with them retaining water after swimming a pool?
Chris
— In canyons@y…, “jameskm1” wrote: > Always a good idea to carry a knife. It may be a better idea to give > the ropebag to the last man, swim to dry land, and then try the > pull. If you need additional rope in the water, you can pull it > directly out of the bag. > JKM >
moabmatt
Hi All,
Here’s another idea on floating disconnects:
Everyone but the last person down raps on a rope with the length preset so you rap off the end of the rope (nothing new here). Then the last person rigs a double rope rappel. The folks on the ground pull on one strand so that the opposite rope is “set” just above water level. The last person then raps down this opposite rope which is body anchored off of their partner on the ground. This way the last person down raps off the end of the rope into the water with their partner then pulling the ropes down. This way no one has to swim with a rope anchored off their harness or with underwater ropes entangling their legs.
Moab Matt
jameskm1
Or…you might rappel single strand on the opposite side of the biner block. The other side of the rope would be freely fed out of the ropebag. The ropebag would be hanging off your cowstail or gear loop. JKM
— In canyons@y…, “mike_dallin” wrote: > — In canyons@y…, “s_mestdagh” wrote:
Sorry, I must not have been clear. If the rope doesn’t pull, you > can’t
swim to dry land. You’ll be swimming “in place” until you do a
disconnect.
steve
> Steve,
If you have the rope bag with you and rappel double strand (ie, > you’re the last down), you can pull rope out of the rope bag and > through your device, which will allow you to swim without > disconnecting (think of it as “swimming on rappel”). Pull out enough > so that you can swim to safety. If there is any kind of current this > way would be preferable, because a swimming disconnect in current can > be really dangerous (and in hydraulics… just plain deadly). I’d > still pull rope through in stagnant water, unless the swim is long, > but that’s just personal preference (really don’t like floating > disconnects).
And I always carry a knife where it can be easily reached, by feel if > need be. If pulling more rope out could be dangerous (tangles around > legs), and floating disconnect is dangerous (hydraulic or current), a > knife may be your only choice.
> Mike > dallin@o…
s_mestdagh
I see where you’re coming from. I guess I’d just prefer to unclip my biner from my harness (leaving my biner & rap device on the rope to be pulled later) and swim instead of struggling to pull enough rope thru. I’m fat but not fat enough to float well. Of course, current &/or hydraulics changes the situation. thanks for your explanation, Mike. You too JKM. steve
— In canyons@y…, “mike_dallin” wrote: > — In canyons@y…, “s_mestdagh” wrote:
Sorry, I must not have been clear. If the rope doesn’t pull, you > can’t
swim to dry land. You’ll be swimming “in place” until you do a
disconnect.
steve
> Steve,
If you have the rope bag with you and rappel double strand (ie, > you’re the last down), you can pull rope out of the rope bag and > through your device, which will allow you to swim without > disconnecting (think of it as “swimming on rappel”). Pull out enough > so that you can swim to safety. If there is any kind of current this > way would be preferable, because a swimming disconnect in current can > be really dangerous (and in hydraulics… just plain deadly). I’d > still pull rope through in stagnant water, unless the swim is long, > but that’s just personal preference (really don’t like floating > disconnects).
And I always carry a knife where it can be easily reached, by feel if > need be. If pulling more rope out could be dangerous (tangles around > legs), and floating disconnect is dangerous (hydraulic or current), a > knife may be your only choice.
> Mike > dallin@o…
mike_dallin
— In canyons@y…, “s_mestdagh” wrote: > Sorry, I must not have been clear. If the rope doesn’t pull, you can’t > swim to dry land. You’ll be swimming “in place” until you do a > disconnect. > steve
Steve,
If you have the rope bag with you and rappel double strand (ie, you’re the last down), you can pull rope out of the rope bag and through your device, which will allow you to swim without disconnecting (think of it as “swimming on rappel”). Pull out enough so that you can swim to safety. If there is any kind of current this way would be preferable, because a swimming disconnect in current can be really dangerous (and in hydraulics… just plain deadly). I’d still pull rope through in stagnant water, unless the swim is long, but that’s just personal preference (really don’t like floating disconnects).
And I always carry a knife where it can be easily reached, by feel if need be. If pulling more rope out could be dangerous (tangles around legs), and floating disconnect is dangerous (hydraulic or current), a knife may be your only choice.
Mike dallin@on-line.com
s_mestdagh
Sorry, I must not have been clear. If the rope doesn’t pull, you can’t swim to dry land. You’ll be swimming “in place” until you do a disconnect. steve
— In canyons@y…, “jameskm1” wrote: > Always a good idea to carry a knife. It may be a better idea to give > the ropebag to the last man, swim to dry land, and then try the > pull. If you need additional rope in the water, you can pull it > directly out of the bag. > JKM
— In canyons@y…, “s_mestdagh” wrote:
I know this is the simple situation but I’d like to point out a
pitfall and why it’s still a good idea to practice a wet disconnect.
Ideally the rope pulls freely so the last person can swim away with
the rope. We know this is not always the case even w/ the best rope
management.
Hope for the best, be prepared for the worst and have that knife
handy 😉
steve
jameskm1
Always a good idea to carry a knife. It may be a better idea to give the ropebag to the last man, swim to dry land, and then try the pull. If you need additional rope in the water, you can pull it directly out of the bag. JKM
— In canyons@y…, “s_mestdagh” wrote: > I know this is the simple situation but I’d like to point out a > pitfall and why it’s still a good idea to practice a wet disconnect.
Ideally the rope pulls freely so the last person can swim away with > the rope. We know this is not always the case even w/ the best rope > management. > Hope for the best, be prepared for the worst and have that knife > handy 😉 > steve
s_mestdagh
I know this is the simple situation but I’d like to point out a pitfall and why it’s still a good idea to practice a wet disconnect.
Ideally the rope pulls freely so the last person can swim away with the rope. We know this is not always the case even w/ the best rope management. Hope for the best, be prepared for the worst and have that knife handy 😉 steve
— In canyons@y…, “ratagonia” wrote: > Wet Disconnects? Hooooow 20th Century! Nobody’s doing that any > more!!!
Here’s the simple beta on how to avoid them, in the simplest > situation:
The technique you are looking for is called “Setting the Rope > Length”. In summary, you set the rope length just short of the > water. The victims then rappel single strand off the end of the rope > and swim away. The leader (last person) rappels last double strand, > rapping off one of the ends and keeping the other in their rappel > device, and swims away, pulling the rope as they go.
This is not only useful for rapping into swims, but can also speed > things along considerably when taking a large group through many > short rappels. People just rap off the end of the rope, rather than > standing at the bottom, disconnecting their rap device.
How to:
1. First, you have already located and rigged the anchor. It is best > if the anchor has a rappel ring or Rapide on it. Step One: thread > the rope through the ring.
2. Feed the rope down until it is about 1 foot short of the water. > In this simple case, we assume you can see or otherwise judge the > correct length. The rope length is now “set”.
3. Next we must fix the single strand of rope at this distance. You > can just tie a knot and clip the rope to the anchor at this length, > but after 300 lb Jen rappels, the knot is hard to get out. Often, we > use a “biner block”. Tie a clove hitch on the spine of a locking > biner, lock the biner, and pull this up tight against the rappel > ring, blocking the rope from lowering further. Make sure you did > this on the correct side of the rope, so your carefully adjusted > rappelling strand is anchored by the “biner block”. Check that the > biner is locked.
4. Have all the victims rappel single strand off the end of the rope > and into the water.
5. Last person down: leave the biner block, or remove it if there is > a chance it will get caught when pulling the rope. Rappel double > strand (with the rope feeding out of the ropebag) into the water. > About when you hit the water (hopefully), one end will pull through > your device. As you swim away, the rope, still held by your rappel > device, pulls through the anchor.
This is the simple version. For a more complete version, take Rich’s > course, or check his site for upcoming Tech Tips with diagrams.
Tom
— In canyons@y…, “jwoodcanyon” wrote:
I thought I’d throw this question out to all you experienced
canyoneers.
This Sunday, I’m taking a group of seven to moderately easy > technical
canyon: there’s one 40ft rappel that has swimming disconnect. The
rest of it is either swimming or scrambling.