KIRSTYANDREWS
Avoiding Entrapment
A dive amid a tangle of ‘ ghost ’ fishing gear prompts Kirsty Andrews to reassess her emergency escape protocols
On a recent dive , as I navigated a dark sea loch , an odd mental picture sprung into my brain . Have you seen Catherine Zeta-Jones in the film Entrapment ? It wasn ’ t the smoky eye makeup , lilting Welsh accent or the come-hither expression that rang a bell , you understand , but that bit where she has to contort herself into ever more athletic positions to avoid the maze of pink string / alarm lasers and steal something or other [ It was an antique Chinese mask – Trashy Film Editor ]. Except that this was distinctly less glamorous , didn ’ t involve an ogling Sean Connery and no theft occurred .
If this rather ancient cultural reference from the previous century is lost on you , I will explain - I went for a dive and there was more old fishing line than I had ever seen underwater . Mostly it was that pernicious monofilament line that is often tricky to spot . It stretched from boulder to boulder at seemingly every angle , just ready to catch an unwary diver . Every so often I would
pass a sad sea creature who had fallen into the trap . I did manage to cut a conger eel free but everything else I saw was already dead .
I hasten to add that I didn ’ t mess with any live fishing activity and no fishermen were there at the time - this was all old stuff or ‘ ghost fishing ’ gear . The relationship between divers and fishers is a complex one and others are far better placed than me to opine on it , so I don ’ t intend to be especially critical here . Of course I wish that ghost gear did not exist , but I realise to an extent that it ’ s inevitable where there is fishing . I was more concerned with my buddy ’ s safety and my own .
I was on high alert and kept much closer to my buddy and further from the reef than usual , with my line cutter to hand . In fact , I got to thinking about what cutting gear I brought with me and whether it was sufficient . I am a big fan of the Eezycut trilobite tool , which I ’ ve used ‘ in anger ’ a few times . For thin monofilament line it works a treat . I also consider where best to place it : a waist mount is a good option but I have taken to wearing mine on my computer wrist strap . I have experimented and I can access this even with one hand , if the other should be caught ( a scenario I ’ m nonetheless keen to avoid ). I ’ m now thinking of doubling up with one back on my belt too .
At one stage in my diving career I wore a leg-mounted bigger knife , but being totally honest I feel that was more of an entanglement hazard than a help , and I query whether I could access it when needed . Those seem to have gone a bit out of fashion . I do rather like the knives that have a scissor-type element , as they can be very effective at exerting pressure during the cut ; shears are similarly well-designed for underwater use . Mount them wherever you like , as long as you can access easily and it doesn ’ t present a new entanglement point . A torch is also an essential in dark places where hazards can be late to show themselves . To quote words we ’ ve heard fairly often recently : Stay Alert and Stay Safe , diving friends . �
Kirsty ’ s recently freed conger eel in an overhang decorated with sea loch anemones . Inset , a Trilobite-style line cutter
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