Another Garmin Inreach Mini2/PLB/Nautilus question

[mountainsean]

I've read a number of threads on PLBs, satellite messengers, etc., but still not clear on something. My use case is diving liveaboards once or twice a year. My next trip is to the Socorro Islands, and the dive boat supplies Nautilus devices, which is nice, but obviously those are limited in their reach/usefulness. The InReach Mini2 with a dive case seems appealing, however if you actually have to use it, you have to remove it from the dive case (unless you have a Garmin watch, which I don't). It's only IPX7 rated, meaning "Withstands incidental exposure to water of up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes". If I'm bobbing along at the surface in rough water, potentially for hours awaiting a rescue, is this really waterproof enough? I suppose I could trigger the SOS and then try to dry it off and put it back into the dive case while I wait (assuming I don't drop it, since it's negatively buoyant - ugh), but that sort of defeats the purpose of having a 2-way device.

Has anyone tried using theirs in the water, at the surface, without the case? Am I worrying over nothing?

 

[flymolo]

Has anyone tried using theirs in the water, at the surface, without the case? Am I worrying over nothing?

I think you might be yea

 

[inquis]

You can put it back in the case after triggering the SOS and tether it to the inside of the case (there's a short internal lanyard built-in to the case for that purpose). I carry it in a pocket but would simply boltsnap it to my shoulder D-ring if I needed to trigger it.

 

[flymolo]

I thought it floated in the case. Does it not?