6 left on Amazon Body Glove (Nautilus) Lifeline Handheld VHF Radio with GPS

[mikeycanuk]

I found out first hand the range limitation in the Solomon's last year. We really didn't need them as we were close to shore in perfect weather. It's just the boat wouldn't start and the DM's phone had no minutes. So I tried to call the resort on the lifeline but this was spot was a 30 minute ride away so no go. From anyone. Apart from the lumber cargo ship on our way to the resort, all we saw besides the resorts boats were dugout canoes.

 

[cvchief]

But they are giving up on it…that is straight from them this week as I threw 4 of them away!

Dave

According to what someone said, they are not giving up on the concept just the first gen. They built this new VHF alert / no voice thing and they are going to release a new voice and alert system in the future. Someone said that in the previous thread. The VHF alert only thing seems like crap to me. If you are alert only, why not just go PLB?

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Just flew back to Texas yesterday and my seat mate was describing how he got 3 dives with his Nautilus Lifeline before it flooded recently,,,can't be fixed!

Dave

 

[cvchief]

Haven't you had them for years, Dave?

 

[DandyDon]

I played with one one time and it was pretty obvious that the great limitation of them was the line-of-sight limitation (of any VHF). If you're in a big swell, at best, you might get a broken conversation going with a near-by boat, but if you're more than a few hundred yards away, I wouldn't expect much response. Of course, "some" might be better than nothing.

I have added a PLB/EPIRB to my kit finally. It's only useful if you are truly lost, so I hope never to use it.

Yeah, Chief likes to harass the boat captain, which might be fun, but not much of an emergency option.

According to what someone said, they are not giving up on the concept just the first gen. They built this new VHF alert / no voice thing and they are going to release a new voice and alert system in the future. Someone said that in the previous thread. The VHF alert only thing seems like crap to me. If you are alert only, why not just go PLB?

Yep, forget these walky-talky-floaty toys that flood & ruin whether you need them or not. Get a real 5 watt emergency beacon. The Rescue me is less than $200 now after cash rebate, 7 year standby life, works out to less than 50¢ a week. Bonus, between dive trips carry it in your car in case of emergency in poor phone reception, your hiking pack, anywhere - not just floating in the Gyre.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Haven't you had them for years, Dave?

dear Chief,

Yes we have had them for several years, indeed a bunch of them, and they all turned to crap while we were doing everything we could to provide safety for our Adventure Divers at the Shark Caves. WE now carry a conventual Radio/GPS for only the DMs. That can be seen by the boat and Mexico Rescue. WE do have the Nautilus GPS on order for all of our divers to carry but we don't know when they will be in. WE do have 8ft SMB for all divers.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[cvchief]

Yeah, Chief likes to harass the boat captain, which might be fun, but not much of an emergency option..

I have always said, they were NOT the BEST option for emergencies. However they were the only option for inconveniences shy of emergency that provided some emergency function.

As Dave has now said, he is STILL carrying a VHF with GPS for his DMs, proving that the idea of a VHF with GPS is a good option. It would have all the same limitation as the Lifeline for range and what not, but as he said before a VHF was hitting his shop antenna from quite a ways north. The problem of the lifeline for him, apparently, was not the operation but rather the draw back of the water integrity of the lifeline, which hopefully they have fixed in the GPS alert only model and in the eventual replacement lifeline model with voice and GPS alerting. I know Alison has used the VHF to call the boat in not emergency but more urgent issues, so it isn't just 'harrassing the captain' it gets used for though I want a model that can accomplish that as well.

Mine will probably flood eventually as well. Alison's current one that need repair was not for flooding but a bad button. This one has been diving every day more or less since 2015. (well be it that a year isn't a long record, but it is something) Mine only has maybe 100 dives on it.

That being said, you should get on @Dave Dillehay to have their DMs get PLBs.

One of these days, I will get a PLB too and carry both. Heck I got a pony so I could be like you! (It on the other hand started leaking faster than the Lifeline!)

 

[Ron Lee]

Not long ago a boat from Isla Mujeres was lost. Perhaps it was close to Cozumel. Perhaps not. What if two or more of the folks on that boat had a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon)? (corrected "Was" to "What"

Maybe one or more could have been saved.

While I understand the desire to self-rescue and not have the local Navy come pick you up a serious problem may require the use of a PLB. I have had one for about ten years. I take it hiking where cell phones may have no coverage.

I took it flying for the same reason.

I do not know how the system works in Mexico but in the USA, the SAR (Search and Rescue) assets would know of the PLB activation in mere minutes. If GPS is included, then once a fix is determined there is no search...they know where you are.

Reportedly the search for the Isla Mujeres boat extended to Cuba. Even a non-GPS enabled PLB would narrow the search area to a realistic search region.

I have never used mine. Ideally I never will. But they are cheap enough that not having them when you are exposed to a potential life and death situation is not wise in my opinion.

I don't know how well the PLB plus canister works for diving. At one time someone here had a viable solution. There may be better options now.

 

[DandyDon]

Was if two or more of the folks on that boat had a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon)?

Was that "What if"? It's amazing that any boat would go to sea without one or better a beacon that goes off automatically in water, but I guess they are beyond the resources of some natives.

I don't know how well the PLB plus canister works for diving. At one time someone here had a viable solution. There may be better options now.

There has been a good bit of discussion in this forum and others. Why do you not take yours diving? I use this one diving. $100 including shipping. Just grease the o-ring lightly with silicone grease. I use a snap bolt and cable tie to clip it to my BC. CANISTER for PLB: SCUBA Diver Emergency Locator Beacon/VHF Marine Radio. | eBay

 

[Ron Lee]

My PLB is too large given my carry-on mode of travel. The only dive site(s) that I have been to where a PLB would be considered essential is Barracuda and maybe San Juan. I trust my dive op to have in place adequate procedures to minimize that risk.

All other dive sites on the west side I can wait for a boat or surface swim to shore.