Preferred Underwater Signaling Device

[Splitlip]

Floridian.... What you describe is lack of buddy awareness. I think they should be prohibited. Horrible thing to bee on a charter with a bunch of vacation divers honking and banging away when they see a fish or poor turtle.
I only give nod to an instructor who might have a gaggle of students she's trying to keep in line. And then in those cases there is only one noisemaker, presumably utilized with restraint.

 

[mjrob]

I just kinda "bark" through my reg...sort of like a grouper grunt. Seems to work pretty well, particularly with those I dive with regularly. Trust me, I wish all buddies paid the attention they should, but they don't. With encouragement, some of them will learn to, but not all of them. If you use a tank banger to whack them in the head, they tend to learn faster.

 

[Mike]

Noise makers have there place, I appreciated the other diver who alerted everyone when the great hammer head was circling, but too often noise makers get used for too insignificant or mundane reasons, such as ooh another lobster, looky looky!

 

[Floridian561]

Thanks all. I appreciate the responses/advice.

 

[bayoububbles]

Let me start by saying that I am a very new diver as as well as my dive buddy, my 12 yo daughter. While I do subscribe to most everyone's opinion that it a very bad idea for getting one's buddy's attention, I do have a sub on my daughter's gear. It is not for getting my attention, it is for getting the attention of other divers in the event something happens to me that she can't handle. While we practice basic rescue techniques, ooa scenarios, and equipment failure scenarios regularly, at the end of the day she is still 12 yo. I have confidence in her skills, however the dad in me likes having a backup for her and for me. You never know how you will react in a real world situation until it happens. I have had plenty of real life emergency situations I have had to respond to, but then again none of those were my daughter. I want to believe I will respond quickly and competently. But if the unimaginable happens and either of us finds ourselves in that situation where we can't, I like having the ability to get others attention who might have the skills necessary at the time. I know nothing replaces training and experience and a rescue class is in our near future and I do tend to over think sometimes, but with safety it is ingrained in me. I guess it is a long winded way of saying it's great for emergencies, not a good idea for getting you buddies attention to see the pretty fish.

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[lowviz]

Floridian561,

Make a circle with the thumb and fingers of one hand and smack it with the palm of your other hand. Practice. You will become able to direct a rather impressive impulse when you get it down...

---------- Post added May 9th, 2014 at 02:34 PM ----------

OK, found a reference: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ac...e-ways-make-noise-underwater-2.html#post79975

 

[OkByMe]

Not much point in making a lot of noise to get someones attention so you can show them something that would take off when the noise is made. Sometimes waving a light around would do the same thing. Don't know how many times I have seen someone set up on a subject to photograph and someone else makes a big UN-natural noise, and poof, bye bye the subject. You would be surprised how far a grunt or "whoo who" will travel and is less objectionable.

I bought a "dive alert plus" in case someone has an emergency under water and the other divers need to know. I don't think it should be used for any other purpose... boy cries wolf kind of thing... The primary purpose would be to use it on the surface to signal your location when or if the boat does not respond to hand signals, or worse yet, takes off in a direction other than toward you - it is VERY loud. It has never happened to me, but then, sometimes you don't know jack about the charter and their competency.

 

[jongles]

agreed good buddies usually don't need to make a racket however I was diving with a DM who used his boltsnap occassionally. it made only the slightest click noise.

 

[fisheater]

Floridian561,

Make a circle with the thumb and fingers of one hand and smack it with the palm of your other hand. Practice. You will become able to direct a rather impressive impulse when you get it down...

---------- Post added May 9th, 2014 at 02:34 PM ----------

OK, found a reference: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ac...e-ways-make-noise-underwater-2.html#post79975

A couple years back, I was in Kona and watching an OW class through the window in the side of the Jack's Diving Locker pool. I was standing at least six feet away from the pool window, in an open plaza and could easily hear the instructor doing exactly what lowvis describes. Very impressive.


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[Garth]

Wait, people don't use tank bangers? pfft...


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