are there any small compact flareguns for diving?

[Spoon]

after my incident last weekend (drifting far away from shore) i think it would be wise for me to get some sort of flaregun that is small, compact and waterproof. ive been searching in the net but havent one small enough for us divers.

 

[BIGSAGE136]

after my incident last weekend (drifting far away from shore) i think it would be wise for me to get some sort of flaregun that is small, compact and waterproof. ive been searching in the net but havent one small enough for us divers.

Try this:
http://www.botac.com/skybscub3fla.html

 

[Tom Smedley]

The problem with waterproof flares as evidenced on the web page is that after several dives they leak and become unreliable. One remedy for this problem is to use an old dive light and "house" your flares and even a personal emergency locator beacon within. This extends the life of your emergency equipment greatly. I guess if it came down to it you could even put in a weatherproof marine VHF handheld.

 

[Vie]

“Withstands water pressure to a depth of 130 ft. for up to 20 dives”—not that useful at 20 bucks a pop.

You should probably get yourself a large SMB and signalling mirror. Anything else (flares, radio, mobile phone, EPIRB, water, sunblock; the list can go on and on—should you wish to carry them...) should be housed in a waterproof container like Tom mentioned above.

Carrying a dive light or two and a good whistle on EVERY dive won’t hurt either.

 

[Spoon]

“withstands water pressure to a depth of 130 ft. for up to 20 dives”—not that useful at 20 bucks a pop.

You should probably get yourself a large SMB and signalling mirror. Anything else (flares, radio, EPIRB, water; the list can go on and on—should you wish to carry them...) should probably be contained in a waterproof container like Tom mentioned above.

exactly. i will be getting a mirror soon

 

[Bill51]

While a flare gun might be useful for getting someone’s attention, they are not real good at actually locating you if seas are rough. That’s why the CG always recommends firing at least 3 in a sequence when a rescue vessel is nearby.

 

[MikeC]

What does your government say about flares? There was a firearms maker, H&K, who designed a small flare gun years back. Unfortunately it was classified as a firearm in some areas. Lots of red tape. Air travel is also an issue. I would think that UPS and the other shippers would classify them as hazardous items, add $20 to the shipping bill.

BTW, the company in that link above has a less then wonderful reputation in the firearms world.

 

[mossym]

exactly. i will be getting a mirror soon

i've heard of people using old cd's...but i'm not sure how well they work and aslo, how durable they are...

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

i've heard of people using old cd's...but i'm not sure how well they work and aslo, how durable they are...

Sorry, but this is one of my pet peeves. There have been several threads discussing CDs, and the just don't work. Period. If you are going to carry something, carry a mirror.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

The problem with waterproof flares as evidenced on the web page is that after several dives they leak and become unreliable. One remedy for this problem is to use an old dive light and "house" your flares and even a personal emergency locator beacon within. This extends the life of your emergency equipment greatly. I guess if it came down to it you could even put in a weatherproof marine VHF handheld.

...take some commercial flares out sometime and fire them into the air. Pay close attention. They form a neon arc against the sky that lasts for about 1.3 second. From the air or a boat it will look like a lightning bug, and thats if anyone notices it at all.

There is a limit to how much you can carry with you. There are far more useful items to have with you than flares. Epirbs come to mind. Or a handheld radio. Or strobes. Or even drinking water. Flares are a waste of space.

JMHO. YMMV.