I wasn't saying it wasn't worth it, only wondering about its effectiveness. But thinking again, I think it would probably effective because they do send search teams when there are news of lost divers and in that case it wouldn't be a "mysterious" signal somewhere in the water, people would also know that divers were missing.
7 divers missing off Indonesian island
- Thread starter bubbleBob
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They would know where the divers were to a distance of 50m as the PLB GPS is that accurate (if you get one with GPS), they also know who has it, and if you have done pre planning and advised them on their website, they know where you are and what activity you are doing. Thus if you inform them you are likely to be diving in Bali from 10-20 Jan 2014, and the signal is initiated in Crystal Bay area, they will take it to be serious.
Tested this out accidentally when my PLB initiated by accident. On ringing the Rescue centre after a phone call from them, the chopper was being fired up as I spoke, even though they could see I was potentially on land. I know being somewhere like Bali, or worse Fiji where the navy doesn't work on weekends, ones chances of being rescued are less, it still increases the chance simply by the flowing facts;
1. Someone knows you are missing, and that someone is in your country and not some corrupt official
2. They also know where you are to a position of 50m on the globe, thus there is a fair chance someone at the site you are lost may know this as well.
3. They continue to know where you are for maybe 24-48 hrs depending on battery life, and even if the battery dies, they have a good idea where you might be.
It simply increases the odds for you. Can you afford the $600-$1000 for one? If you do serious diving in risky areas, I can't see why one wouldn't spend the money. Diving is a high risk sport, and diving in high risk areas increases that risk. Having a PLB somewhat reduces part of the risk. It wont stop you from being pulled down to 200m with a vicious down current, wont stop you from the bends but will give you a fighting chance if the boat disappears or if you get carried away. having been in both these positions before, I can tell you without a doubt that in your left BCD pocket is a little item that just might get your butt back on dry land.
But I do take your point, its not a guarantee of rescue, it just gives you a better chance than if you have nothing.
rjk75
Contributor
For what it's worth (for those of us that can only ever dream of visiting there), it looks like a beautiful placa: (Nusa Penida Dive Sites - Nusa Penida Diving)
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Internet_Pawn
Registered
I feel physically sick. This incident so far reads like a carbon copy of an incident from August 2012 involving my daughter, which was discussed on this board at the time: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/accidents-incidents/425935-divers-missing-bali-2.html . It's another story of a boat driver who appears not to care enough for the lives of his passengers to follow them on their dive. Of a poorly equipped boat without the resources to mount a search for the divers it is responsible for, and of a search and rescue service that is unwilling and not competent to carry out and effective and timely search. Once again the official narrative seeks to blame the divers. If the boat wasn't there, how would anyone know that they failed to surface? Call me cynical, but if these divers are not found this will be written up officially as diver error. The Balinese authorities (and even the British Consulate - damn them) are determined not to do anything that might damage the reputation of the local diving industry - anything, that is, except take action to improve diver safety.
My daughter, and the rest of her party, were floating for 8 hours. The search lasted barely one hour. In that time, another dive boat found them but refused to pick them up. The official search, such as it was, was in completely the wrong place. The divers were incredibly lucky to be picked up at one in the morning by a fishing boat as they drifted into the Southern Ocean. Despite the local police telling the divers that both boat drivers involved (their own plus the boat that refused to pick them up) would face charges and could expect a jail sentence, the official narrative, as conveyed to me by the British Foreign Office, was as follows:
The investigating officer confirmed that no arrests were made regarding this incident and the report determined that the case was an unfortunate event due to bad weather. The police have stated that no further action will be taken in this matter.
We did hear that both of the boat drivers involved had to pay a fine, and I can only guess as to the nature of this transaction. Neither corruption nor cover-up are conducive to safety and people need to learn that if they go diving in Bali they should ensure they are entirely self sufficient.
Ever since my daughter's experience it has been my fear that the same thing would happen again and my heart goes out to the families of the divers in the current incident. There is nothing to suggest that the divers did anything wrong, except to place too much trust in someone whose job it was to look after them.
agesilaus
Contributor
I was wondering when someone would say that. 50 dives seems like it's just out of the novice stage to me. But of course I don't have that many yet.
BK
clownfishsydney
Contributor
About 22 to 25 years ago, a whole boatload of Japanese were lost in Palau when an almost identical thing happened. In that case, I think the boat might have had engine problems which caused the driver to lose sight of the divers. At least one of the divers' bodies (or perhaps gear) was later recovered and from writings on a slate, it is known that they survived a couple of days. It is also known that the search planes flew straight past them at times.
A terrible accident which unfortunately seems to happen far too often in the Pacific Ocean area. It really has made me decide that I will not dive with operators that have poorly maintained boats (this is normally very easy to see once there) or whose staff appear slack.
As it is now three days since they disappeared, it seems unlikely that they could have survived unless they managed to get ashore. I am so sad at this needless accident.
A terrible accident which unfortunately seems to happen far too often in the Pacific Ocean area. It really has made me decide that I will not dive with operators that have poorly maintained boats (this is normally very easy to see once there) or whose staff appear slack.
As it is now three days since they disappeared, it seems unlikely that they could have survived unless they managed to get ashore. I am so sad at this needless accident.
Ah, we dive Tepekong/Mimpang that day as well (followed by a raging current at the Jetty as the third...). Did you see the Thresher shark at Tepekong as well? about 30m deep, must have been >2 m long.
It will certainly happen more often, as most of the boats are poorly equipped and staffed, and regulations and procedures non-exist. Just a matter of time.
I've often thought I'd like to carry a dye pack too. My thinking being that a bright or unusually colored slick would get plane and perhaps boat attention.
If they never made it back to the surface!
Deep Water Dan
Contributor
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