Anyone ever have a hard time getting out?

[MichaelL_Photo]

Having shot dozens and dozens of videos in real mud and quicksand over the years when I ran DIDVP, I can tell you that models do get stuck - and being prepared can help with the extraction.

One item I've used more than once is a long, flat piece of lumber - I used to bring a couple of these to shooting locations, and I even added handles to the boards, for easy gripping and removal (after the fair damsel, I mean my models, were rescued). This type of device is one thing I wish I had with me when I was in the UK and Leila got stuck.

I found that a 6 inch wide, 3 foot long, 1 inch thick (roughly) piece of lumber would work fine. When the model got stuck, I (or an assistant) would go out to them, and place this behind them, providing leverage to pull oneself free.

I also brought poles, which could be inserted near the legs to help break up thick mud.

As Nessie already pointed out, keeping the person moving is key, otherwise the mud/quicksand can settle around the model, making extraction harder. So don't dally!!

Lastly, one must be aware of the thickness and not go too deep - avoidance of dangerous situations is the best preparation. That's why I liked working with experienced models - and, if working with a new model, I always paired her off with an experienced one. That is way many of my prior scenes did not have a submersion scene, or the model only sank to her chest and not up to her neck. We paused frequently during shooting of scenes to assess how the model was doing - if the mud/quicksand was too thick, we decided on no submersion or very deep sinking.

Many of you noted that my submersions were always short - no lingering blowing of bubbles, as in other producers videos. This was a safety feature - I wanted to make sure the model went under and came right back up, not getting stuck, and hence, not drowning. An interesting side story: Sarah Michelle and I shot last fall, after she had visited Dave, who has wonderful submersion scenes, but in the safety of his own- built sets. Well, Sarah did a submersion and did not rise right away - I nearly panicked and almost dove in after her. When she did pop up, she said she'd did long submersions for Dave, so why not for me!!! We quickly clarified the difference between real and simulated.

If you have specific questions for me, feel free to ask.

Mike

[Boggy Man]

My idea of heaven is a mud/clay hole that is (nearly) impossible to get out of. I love sinking in any mud but if it turns out to be really sticky & holding that is a big bonus As to getting stuck ; the nearest I ever did was to be slowly creeping out of a wallow as the tide came . I ended up swimming up the creek in company with a shoal of mullet who nibbled me as I swam !!!
Never been in deep peat but it looks exciting if thick enough to hold you as you try to get out but I suppose that you could not sink very deep in that

That is my favorite type of stuff as well, stuff that is a challenge to get out of due to its thickness, stickiness and grip, but NOT the stuff that packs around you that requires digging. Peat is the easiest to go under in, because it is organic, therefore being of lower density than the mineral-based quicksand/silt/clay.

My thread of videos demonstrates my sinks in both the peat bogs of varying thicknesses and in quicksilt:

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=2588

I have seen tons of your videos and they are absolutely amazing . I can say the same thing as you said, but anything that is deep enough to sink in (this is rare for me, but occasionally I find a good spot), I appreciate, despite if it requires digging. If I get desperate, I will dig a hole (or find one), climb in and then fill it with mud or clay (this can be difficult to get out of, as the mud usually compresses, but that is good) and relax being buried upto my armpits. This is easiest to do with beach sand, as clay is very hard to dig and where I go in Oregon is mostly clay (I have a spot with silt, clay, and soft mud that is 4ft deep, but I am 6'0" tall so it is barely deep enough, it is easy to get out barefoot but hard with boots or waders).
You are lucky, BC seems to have a lot of sinking spots compared to Oregon as of how I see it. How common are deep spots there? (When searching wisely)

When I mentioned that I didn't like digging, I actually meant that I don't like it when the mire packs solid around me after I sink into it, making me stuck in what is then solid ground, forcing me to dig my way out instead of working myself out. I always enjoy my sinks best when it always has some movement and "give" to it, where it could be possible to get sucked in deeper. Being stuck solidly in place, unable to move up or down or in any direction, doesn't feed my fantasy of the threat of being "sucked down to my death". It has to always be able to give way.

In my neck of the woods, I find that there are numerous places with sinking potential. The lakes and larger ponds in the mountains often have soft deep bottoms, and it is a matter of finding the few that have low enough water levels to expose some, and are remote and hidden. Smaller ponds often have shallower mud, but some do have deeper stuff, depending on the nature of the area it is found in. Some streams may have mud in them as well, and if it is in a boggy meadow, perhaps some places could be deeper. Then, there are places such as the Shuswap River, where some of the sand banks can contain quicksand, but it tends to be only as deep as the part of the river bed it sits on, at most. For example, in the late summer, if you are able to cross a wide expanse of river, and it is only a foot deep, then if you encounter quicksand on the other side, it might be only a foot deep. However, if you are walking along a part of the river where there is a steep dropoff down to 15 feet deep, and you see a sand bar extending into it, then there is a good chance the quicksand could be very deep. Once again, with quicksand, you have to keep it agitated and then get out if it starts to settle before you get stuck in solid sand.

[Jon Smith]

When I mentioned that I didn't like digging, I actually meant that I don't like it when the mire packs solid around me after I sink into it, making me stuck in what is then solid ground, forcing me to dig my way out instead of working myself out. I always enjoy my sinks best when it always has some movement and "give" to it, where it could be possible to get sucked in deeper. Being stuck solidly in place, unable to move up or down or in any direction, doesn't feed my fantasy of the threat of being "sucked down to my death". It has to always be able to give way.

In my neck of the woods, I find that there are numerous places with sinking potential. The lakes and larger ponds in the mountains often have soft deep bottoms, and it is a matter of finding the few that have low enough water levels to expose some, and are remote and hidden. Smaller ponds often have shallower mud, but some do have deeper stuff, depending on the nature of the area it is found in. Some streams may have mud in them as well, and if it is in a boggy meadow, perhaps some places could be deeper. Then, there are places such as the Shuswap River, where some of the sand banks can contain quicksand, but it tends to be only as deep as the part of the river bed it sits on, at most. For example, in the late summer, if you are able to cross a wide expanse of river, and it is only a foot deep, then if you encounter quicksand on the other side, it might be only a foot deep. However, if you are walking along a part of the river where there is a steep dropoff down to 15 feet deep, and you see a sand bar extending into it, then there is a good chance the quicksand could be very deep. Once again, with quicksand, you have to keep it agitated and then get out if it starts to settle before you get stuck in solid sand.

Yes, I also prefer the feeling of potential to be sucked under, but unfortunately I no longer have that luxury.

That 7 ft deep spot I used to have, would do that, though it would also get dense and seem solid (it is typically fluid deeper down because of water springs, and often appears solid on top, unless it rains.), I found it on accident when I was only 4, and I sank to my armpits, it is nearly impossible to get out of. But it was amazing, as I strongly felt the possibility of continuing to sink. I seemed to be buoyant, but struggling would sink me deeper. I just waited in the quicksand until someone found me (which was a long time), while it started to thunder and rain very hard, forming a puddle around me. They eventually got me out, but not before water leaked into my rainsuit. It is quite easy to sink all the way under in this mud.
From that point on, I kept returning to that interesting spot, but I was required to wear a lifejacket over my rainsuit, (it only works if it floods) which was the beginning of my fetish for lifejackets. (I have always been obsessed with quicksand). When we moved out, I was no longer allowed to go sink there, as now it is private property.

I do actually love to be in the situation you describe, but digging a hole is usually my only option other than the pond. I actually want to go sinking again like I did as a kid. I know the geography of my region quite well, and there aren't many places with sinking potential.