Circle Search

WARNING - What you are about to read DOES NOT take the place of qualified training!!

The circle search is nothing more than a variation of the arc search pattern or vice versa. Instead of conducting an arc, you simply continue until you've made a complete circle. The other difference is that the tender is underwater with you. This search pattern is mainly used when you're away from shore and is best performed with 50 feet of rope, stacked in a red (medium) goody bag.

The circle search can be quick to set up and perform, but it can be rather troublesome if you don't know what you're doing.

This search is primarily used for medium to large items like bodies, safes, cars, etc., but can be used for smaller items depending on the conditions, your environment, and the searcher's abilities and technique, along the bottom.

The bag

One of the keys to a successful circle search is controlling the rope that's used in the search. I prefer to use a medium-sized goody bag (red) with a large metal mouth. This helps control the rope as it is fed out and makes it easy to restuff underwater after the search has ended.

Again, I prefer to use 5/16 nylon rope. It is negatively buoyant, so it stays in the bag and does not want to float away when I open it, and its size makes it easy to handle and control. A larger-diameter rope would limit the length of rope I can search with, and it is not needed. Using a rope that is too small can make it hard to control and find if it is dropped or lost.

Some teams prefer to use rescue throw bags or wreck reels when doing an arc or circle search pattern. I find that rescue throw bags are tough to re-stuff underwater after you've searched. Wreck reels are awkward to use in zero visibility, and the line is too thin to feel and control. If you lose the line underwater, it's almost impossible to relocate by feel in zero visibility, especially with gloved hands. So, just like the rescue throw bag, it does not work well as a search rope. I prefer to use wreck reels and rescue throw bags for what they were designed for.

With this in mind, it's important that the tender use some form of a stuff bag to control the rope because, underwater, while sitting on the bottom, visibility will usually drop to zero, and the rope can become knotted or entangled. When using some kind of a "stuff bag," like a medium-sized goody bag, you simply take one end of your search rope and start stuffing it into the bag. As you get to the other end, you tie a loop in this end for the diver to hold. If you stuff it right, starting at one end and stuffing until you reach the other, the rope will feed itself out easily, making it safe to control. When it's time to "close up shop," the tender can quickly and easily restuff the bag before making his ascent. This way, there is no loss of rope hanging around and entangling divers.

To control the goody bag and to have my hands free for other diving needs, I dive with large snap hooks on my weight belt. I believe these hooks are essential for a search-and-recovery diver.

Like I have said before on other patterns on this site, is there more to say about the circle search? You bet there is! Unfortunately, I don't have the time or the space here to write it all down. Good luck in your search and recovery diving!