Safety equipment - PLB?

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Funny story with Nautilus:

We got 4 units flooded / damaged and sent them to HQ in Canada to get repaired. They sent them back but TNT and Customs told us maximum allowed to be imported is 2 units so they 'confiscated' the other 2 and made us pay $200 to get the others sent from Jakarta to Bali (even though postage had been pre-paid Canada to Bali). This whole process took multiple phone calls, several letters with stamps and company letterhead and an amazing 87 emails passing back and forth.

Welcome to Indonesia :)
 
I have been following this thread. I am going on two LOB in September. I am thinking of spending the money and getting a Nautilus and PLB. Seems a little over the top but better safe than sorry.

There are a lot of good points on the thread but the two that stick out are being prepared as best you can and increasing your chances.

I didn't even think to share my itinerary with the U.S. Consulate. I will now though.
 
I have been following this thread. I am going on two LOB in September. I am thinking of spending the money and getting a Nautilus and PLB. Seems a little over the top but better safe than sorry.

There are a lot of good points on the thread but the two that stick out are being prepared as best you can and increasing your chances.

I didn't even think to share my itinerary with the U.S. Consulate. I will now though.
It all depends. What part of the world is your Lob?
 
Thanks, all, for your comments. Interesting reading! Drifting from Gilis to Bali...or around the Dampier straights for 15 hours does not sound like a lot of fun. The other day on a dive we drifted maybe about half a mile from the boat, or a bit more?... I could not see the boat, and they could not see my small SMB...

I plan to add a LARGE SMB (already have and use a small one) and a strobe to our kit. It wasn't mentioned much, but maybe I'll get some surface dye as well.

I'm not so sure about the Nautilus or PLB. I don't feel like I got a clear answer to Lorenzoid's question about whether I would buy a PLB in Indo or in the US. Maybe buy it in Singapore?

Most important point (to me) was Charlier's point about using a good operator. I do think that all the ops we have identified so far are top-notch, (starting with Geko) and I feel good about that.

Thanks again for all the interesting comments.

- Bill
 
Maybe buy it in Singapore?

Nautilus Lifeline available for purchase in Bali (All4Diving) or Singapore (Deep Blue). Better check stock before arrival if you plan to purchase at either of these places.
 
So we looked at the various options and we decided to have multiple instruments to help us in the event of a lost-at-se possibility. Here's what we decided to take (one each):

0) Lights
1) Long SMBs (we practice deploying them UW)
2) whistle (Storm whistle)
3) DiveAlert (not Dive Alert Plus) [Still trying to decide whet er to mount it or keep it in a pocket]
4) Strobes (Princeton Tech AMP 1.0)
5) Surface marker dye (Fluorescent Green Sea Dye Survival Marker-Two Pack)
6) Mirrors
7) Nautilus LifeLine (in a pouch on the webbing, towards the back)

We decided to forgo the PLB, though we thought hard about it.

In sum, we wanted to have several "layers" of protection from this possibility. We feel we are pretty well protected.

Maybe most important is to choose one's Dive operators carefully. We should probably start talking about what things / procedures good operators should have / do on their boats!

Thanks all for your help.

- Bill
 
So we looked at the various options and we decided to have multiple instruments to help us in the event of a lost-at-se possibility. Here's what we decided to take (one each):

0) Lights
1) Long SMBs (we practice deploying them UW)
2) whistle (Storm whistle)
3) DiveAlert (not Dive Alert Plus) [Still trying to decide whet er to mount it or keep it in a pocket]
4) Strobes (Princeton Tech AMP 1.0)
5) Surface marker dye (Fluorescent Green Sea Dye Survival Marker-Two Pack)
6) Mirrors
7) Nautilus LifeLine (in a pouch on the webbing, towards the back)

We decided to forgo the PLB, though we thought hard about it.

In sum, we wanted to have several "layers" of protection from this possibility. We feel we are pretty well protected.

Maybe most important is to choose one's Dive operators carefully. We should probably start talking about what things / procedures good operators should have / do on their boats!

Thanks all for your help.

- Bill
Scuba diver's Personal Locator Beacon - how never to be lost at sea
4 diveres went missing - Malpelo, Colombia
 
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