I am considering the purchase of a PLB to go down with me on dives. Was wondering if anyone else here is using one or is considering one.
Anyone using a PLB while diving???
- Thread starter esqeddy
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
MSilvia
Contributor
Bayou Platypus
Contributor
- Messages
- 370
- Reaction score
- 0
Welcome aboard...enjoy your time here on ScubaBoard?
PLB = Personal Locator Beacon? Why would you need one?
PLB = Personal Locator Beacon? Why would you need one?
No - I haven't even considered using a PLB. The only circumstances I can imagine where you would be so far away from any assistance as to fail to summon help / attract attention with a normal safety 'sausage' or audible signal would be on a live-aboard visiting locations well off shore.
If their operating arrangements are so poor as to result in your abandonment and you have neglected to adhere to buddy pairing conventions - then you may well need a PLB.
The chances seem slim though.
If their operating arrangements are so poor as to result in your abandonment and you have neglected to adhere to buddy pairing conventions - then you may well need a PLB.
The chances seem slim though.
OP
I spearfish. This is a really non-buddy diving activity. We spearfish off the coast of Georgia. We are diving anywhere from 27 to 45 miles off shore at depths of 80' to 120'. Sometimes the currents are moderately strong. We do not anchor the boat and we do not put down boey's. Further, we are diving HP120s and sometimes make 1 to 3 dives off a single tank, so that the bottom time for a given time is not anywhere near fixed. A diver descending and finding no fish may relatively quickly ascend. The task of diver retreval rests entirely in the hands of those divers still on board.
Although I'm not aware of any unretreived divers, there was an occasion where a diver was lost and the coast guard had to come find him. For 2 1/2 hours the guy floated around and was passed over by the helicopter 3 times before he was located. I was not on that trip....thank God. It is not hard to imagine a scenario where a diver is just not spotted, the boat motor fails while divers are out, or extreme weather conditions arise while divers are down causing reduced visibility due to heavy rain, high seas due to wind, and possibly lots of noise due to wind or rain such that a whistle became ineffective.
I have another friend, who while diving in the keys, came up to find that his boat was draging anchor. Unfotunately, the buddy he left on board to operate the boat didn't know what to do when he couldn't get the motor to start. Worse yet, instead of letting out more rope, the buddy kept pulling and rethrowing the anchor. 1 hour and a mile apart later, the buddy popped a flare and a passing cattle boat came to the rescue of them all.
The point is, for about $1K, I can get a PLB in a diveproof canister. If I ever have to use it once, it has paid for itself. Also, I live and work in rural central Georgia. Cell phone reception is spotty at best. Keeping the PLB in my vehicle enables me to summons help to a car crash in seconds when cell phones would be inoperative. Again, a tool capable of saving someones life when time counts. Finally, since a PLB can call for Search And Rescue (SAR) anywhere in the world, it is a handy item to have on your person in case of emergencies while on land. (Camping, hunting, canoeing, river rafting, etc.) Once again, the PLB would give me away of quickly summoning emergency rescue and medical aid in the event of injury, critical illness, or once lost, where and when most cell phone simply have no signal.
As for PLB vs. EPIRB. PLB's are much smaller and far more adaptable to scuba diving.
The McMurdo Fastfind Plus 406 PLB with built in GPS has an optional diving canister that enables you to carry it to depths of over 100 meters. (Far deeper than I'll ever be venturing.)
I carry a small mesh poach on my BCD on my left flank behind my left arm. It is completely out of the way. It is my safety equipment poach. I have a sausage, whistle, mirror, pocket mask, night stick, and flare inside. I would love to include a PLB. Notice that the things I carry are only items which would be used on the surface such that quick underwater access is not necessary.
Here is a link to a very informative site regarding PLBs. I would suggest you each look it over before quickly dismissing PLBs off hand.
http://www.equipped.com/faq_plb/default.asp?Action=Cat&ID=1
Here is a link to a vendor's description of the PLB I am considering. Note the canister listed below the item.
http://waterways.tv/products/proddetail.cfm?prodID=4496&catID=na&subcatID=na&sscatID=na&mfrID=na
There is another product made in the UK which is much lower cost. The Sea Marshall. However, it is at the old frequency and does not summons aid by satelite. It's only good if the boat calls for the rescue team for you. Likewise, it would be of no use on-shore.
http://www.seamarshall.com/plb8ld.html
Although I'm not aware of any unretreived divers, there was an occasion where a diver was lost and the coast guard had to come find him. For 2 1/2 hours the guy floated around and was passed over by the helicopter 3 times before he was located. I was not on that trip....thank God. It is not hard to imagine a scenario where a diver is just not spotted, the boat motor fails while divers are out, or extreme weather conditions arise while divers are down causing reduced visibility due to heavy rain, high seas due to wind, and possibly lots of noise due to wind or rain such that a whistle became ineffective.
I have another friend, who while diving in the keys, came up to find that his boat was draging anchor. Unfotunately, the buddy he left on board to operate the boat didn't know what to do when he couldn't get the motor to start. Worse yet, instead of letting out more rope, the buddy kept pulling and rethrowing the anchor. 1 hour and a mile apart later, the buddy popped a flare and a passing cattle boat came to the rescue of them all.
The point is, for about $1K, I can get a PLB in a diveproof canister. If I ever have to use it once, it has paid for itself. Also, I live and work in rural central Georgia. Cell phone reception is spotty at best. Keeping the PLB in my vehicle enables me to summons help to a car crash in seconds when cell phones would be inoperative. Again, a tool capable of saving someones life when time counts. Finally, since a PLB can call for Search And Rescue (SAR) anywhere in the world, it is a handy item to have on your person in case of emergencies while on land. (Camping, hunting, canoeing, river rafting, etc.) Once again, the PLB would give me away of quickly summoning emergency rescue and medical aid in the event of injury, critical illness, or once lost, where and when most cell phone simply have no signal.
As for PLB vs. EPIRB. PLB's are much smaller and far more adaptable to scuba diving.
The McMurdo Fastfind Plus 406 PLB with built in GPS has an optional diving canister that enables you to carry it to depths of over 100 meters. (Far deeper than I'll ever be venturing.)
I carry a small mesh poach on my BCD on my left flank behind my left arm. It is completely out of the way. It is my safety equipment poach. I have a sausage, whistle, mirror, pocket mask, night stick, and flare inside. I would love to include a PLB. Notice that the things I carry are only items which would be used on the surface such that quick underwater access is not necessary.
Here is a link to a very informative site regarding PLBs. I would suggest you each look it over before quickly dismissing PLBs off hand.
http://www.equipped.com/faq_plb/default.asp?Action=Cat&ID=1
Here is a link to a vendor's description of the PLB I am considering. Note the canister listed below the item.
http://waterways.tv/products/proddetail.cfm?prodID=4496&catID=na&subcatID=na&sscatID=na&mfrID=na
There is another product made in the UK which is much lower cost. The Sea Marshall. However, it is at the old frequency and does not summons aid by satelite. It's only good if the boat calls for the rescue team for you. Likewise, it would be of no use on-shore.
http://www.seamarshall.com/plb8ld.html
esqeddy:
HUH? PLB?
mmmmm..
Powerful Lift Button?
Propulsion Leg Blades?
Profusely Leaking Boots?
Pretty Little Beach-bunny?
Ah....
Precious Lead Ballast?
Yes, that's it. He means a weightbelt. Good idea. Most of the people I know have one.
R..
OP
Diver0001:
Uh.... wait. Back up to "Pretty Little Beach-bunny".
Now we're talking!
Esqeddy, we are getting one this summer. There's been enough folks left behind by dive boats, even on very reputable and well-run liveaboards. However, I truly hope to never use it.
Our choice is the ACR TerraFix 406 GPS I/O. This is pending FCC approval and will be probabally on the market in August. We'll probabally have a canister made by Sartek or Ikelite.
We're insisting on a GPS enabled PLB because of the speed that you can be located; the position data is available to the rescue personel immediately. Without it, although your problem status is known immediately, the position has to wait until the next LEO pass (at least 90 minutes), and then is only good to about 3-5 miles.
We, too, looked pretty hard at the McMurdo FastFind. Independent testing of that units' GPS function was really dismal. I see you have a link to equipped.com, you might check out their GPS enabled PLB test. We're willing to wait for the ACR unit. ACR already has a PLB save to their credit, too.
I figure about $800 for the PLB and cannister.
All the best, James
Our choice is the ACR TerraFix 406 GPS I/O. This is pending FCC approval and will be probabally on the market in August. We'll probabally have a canister made by Sartek or Ikelite.
We're insisting on a GPS enabled PLB because of the speed that you can be located; the position data is available to the rescue personel immediately. Without it, although your problem status is known immediately, the position has to wait until the next LEO pass (at least 90 minutes), and then is only good to about 3-5 miles.
We, too, looked pretty hard at the McMurdo FastFind. Independent testing of that units' GPS function was really dismal. I see you have a link to equipped.com, you might check out their GPS enabled PLB test. We're willing to wait for the ACR unit. ACR already has a PLB save to their credit, too.
I figure about $800 for the PLB and cannister.
All the best, James
Learn something everyday...
Now I need one.
JAG
Now I need one.
JAG
OP
I sure would love to see the prices come down.
Similar threads
