LIfe Threatening Dive Experience - Fiji

[Joneill]

Here's what I bring on ALL dives (including POOL dives) relating to 'safety':

3 computers ( 2 AI, 1 non-AI)
1 SPG
spare mask
titanium line cutter
Halcyon blunt tip titanium knife
JOTRON NATO/military grade emergency strobe
2 LED lights (night dive = 3 dive lights)
Jon line
manual whistle
McMurdo Aluminum dive canister
DeLorme 'InReach Explorer' (uses Iridum Space Satellite network)
3 Halcyon SMB's ( a 4 ft and (2) 6 ft)
signal mirror

presently shopping for:

(PLB/marine radio) to fit inside above dive canister)
Nautilus PLB, the new version

still debating on:

'air horn' spliced into the BCD inflator hose (these things seem to (too) easily rust out/corrode based on my past experience)

Just how big and deep are the pools you are diving in? Seems a "little" over kill? I guess the military grade strobe and whistle could be useful for those unexpected pool emergencies, though:


Just having fun - i suspect you likely just like to dive with all of your gear for familiarity...

 

[Beau640]

I doubt a Nautilus Lifeline would have helped here. May have later perhaps, but I doubt it would with the dive boat (note the new one does not have a radio, only DSC and AIS).

I'm not familiar with the technology. Why wouldn't the new lifeline helped here? I assumed sending out a mayday distress signal would have got some boat's attention even if it wasn't the original with the ear buds.

 

[charlier]

I'm not familiar with the technology. Why wouldn't the new lifeline helped here? I assumed sending out a mayday distress signal would have got some boat's attention even if it wasn't the original with the ear buds.

AIS (automatic identification system) and DCS (Digital Selective Calling) are rarely supported on Liveaboards and small fishing boats in SE Asia.

 

[Beau640]

How about in the rest of he world? In general would this have helped in other places?

 

[charlier]

How about in the rest of he world? In general would this have helped in other places?

Singapore to Wookie - can you comment.

 

[Lorenzoid]

@Lorenzoid

Lifeline relies on VHF, no? Wonder if it's monitored routinely. Been places in the pacific (not Fiji) where it isn't. Might be good to ask that and consider a plb in something water tight.

There have been a couple of threads in which it was discussed whether Nautilus Lifeline--yes, VHF--would be useful in Indonesia specifically, and as I recall, the consensus was "not very useful," because dive boats rarely have VHF radios. However, I'm thinking that Fiji might be a bit more, uh, advanced and 1st-world-y in this respect than Indonesia. So this is another question that one might ask a dive operator before booking: whether the boats have VHF radios, and whether they would be able to receive a distress signal from a Nautilus Lifeline.

Some liveaboards offer a Nautilus to their customers.

As also discussed in many threads, a satellite-based PLB offers the advantage of location almost anywhere on the planet, but rescue will likely take some time to come.

 

[Dizzi Lizzi]

I ended up buying a PLB as reading various threads it seemed that a) in other countries there would be less chance of vhf radios, and also in rough seas if the signal would be received even if they had a radio, that was on. However, we plan on getting a second device, with vhf capability so that we both have a device (we could be separated after all) and if we were lost/left together we would use the vhf device 1st, exhausting that battery then (heaven forbid) fire up the PLB.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

This is great! I hadn't seen this before, but now I'm going to get this as well. Thanks!

The Dive Alerts are pretty big and try orally inflating with one attached. An instructor I used to teach with had this really small one. He forgot where he got it, and I'm searching for one like it.

 

[Schwob]

I ended up buying a PLB as reading various threads it seemed that a) in other countries there would be less chance of vhf radios, and also in rough seas if the signal would be received even if they had a radio, that was on. However, we plan on getting a second device, with vhf capability so that we both have a device (we could be separated after all) and if we were lost/left together we would use the vhf device 1st, exhausting that battery then (heaven forbid) fire up the PLB.

How do you carry your PLB?

 

[Carl_F]

I always carry a DSMB attached to a reel. If this had been me, I would have had two additional opportunities to attract the attention of the boat captain ... throw the double ender at him and throw the reel at him. If I got his attention with the double ender, I still might have thrown the reel ... but maybe after I had gotten on the boat.

Very glad to hear this story ended in "lessons learned"!!

And I think the DM would have been required to submit an Incident Report to his agency. I'd recommend the OP send a complaint to the DM's or resort's agency.