Australian woman, two sons and DM "lost" in Fiji

[Joneill]

Yeah, I have a few years and few hundred on you, but I haven't seen another one out either. So far I have the high score for smarts there.

It's not a competition and folks need to make decisions for themselves based on their individual risk tolerance (and will have to live (or not) with those decisions)

Of course it's not. It needs to be, but you're welcome to your opinion.

Again, folks need to make that decision for themselves based on their individual risk tolerance and the conditions/locations they are diving in - In most of the locations I've dived, I don't think there is a strong need to carry a PLB.

Not exactly. Read again her words...

I have no need to reread - but maybe you should? See below for the pertinent quote from the linked article:

"After about 50 minutes, the divemaster yelled that a small boat was travelling toward the group. He advised the divers to inflate their surface marker buoys in a bid to be seen. The group's saviour was a garbage collector who had been picking up rubbish in the ocean. He had noticed the tip of one of the divers' buoys."​

Well, I don't guess that you are a parent.

I am a parent of 2 adult daughters - but that is irrelevant to the topic and a distraction to my point. I don't find folks being picked up ~ 1hr after they were separated from their boat as a particularly good example to convince folks to carry a PLB. I'd cite cases where folks drift for much longer or were never even found as much better support for the value of carrying a PLB. Stories like these are far more compelling support for carrying a PLB:

British diver rescued off the coast of Malaysia says his son died at sea | CNN

Stranded Divers Fend Off Komodo Dragon

Divers Drifted In Current For 12 Hours Before Encountering Lizard On Indonesian Island

www.cbsnews.com

 

[Dan]

Also in Peleliu Corner, Palau. If you are lost at sea there, the next islands are in Philippines, hundreds miles away.

 

[DandyDon]

they were drifting/swimming for only 50 minutes

I have never drifted for 50 minutes with no boats in sight nor given the choice of swimming for an island in the distance in stormy weather. Have you? I would find that frightening.

I support the use in PLB's and recently bought one to carry with me on my Raja Ampat LOB ion December

Big surprise there, but good that you did. Make sure your registered contacts know your schedule and keep their phones handy, and your skipper knows that you have one to fire so they can hasten a possible rescue if needed,

but I don't necessarily plan on always taking it with me in less remote locations.

Why not? You have the PLB and canister so why not carry it on any trip, including remote land areas around? They're small and easy to carry,

 

[Ayisha]

...Launch DSMB from depth has saved me from being lost at sea in Maldives.

Yikes. I'm doing the deep south of Maldives in February. Each of us has a DSMB and DAN Guardian insurance, but I'm wondering if those will be enough...

 

[rmorgan]

I think divers should carry DSMB (not SMB) & launch it from depth the minute we get swept away by fast current or a possible difficulty for the boat to follow due to rough weather (swell, raining, etc.), so the boat above us could track us before we got drifted too far from the boat range of view.

I thought the same thanks for correcting SMB vs DSMB-I use the latter term in another context and forgot myself.

 

[Dan]

Yikes. I'm doing the deep south of Maldives in February. Each of us has a DSMB and DAN Guardian insurance, but I'm wondering if those will be enough...

Having a PLB & or a PAB like Nautilus Marine Rescue GPS would be good.

I broke my reef hook in one of the Kandu diving and got blown away from the reef.

 

[Pressurehead]

SMB vs DSMB

I like these, small cylinder with a DIN fitting [also come in yoke].
$135 US here.

 

[Joneill]

I think divers should carry DSMB (not SMB) & launch it from depth the minute we get swept away by fast current or a possible difficulty for the boat to follow due to rough weather (swell, raining, etc.), so the boat above us could track us before we got drifted too far from the boat range of view.

Launch DSMB from depth has saved me from being lost at sea in Maldives.

Also having a larger SMB (like a 6 foot or larger that is not practical to use as a DSMB) to deploy at the surface is a good idea as well as size matters when trying to get noticed, esp in rougher seas.

 

[Dan]

Here are my signaling devices for ocean diving in the left & right BCD waist pockets.

 

[Pressurehead]

Also having a larger SMB (like a 6 foot or larger that is not practical to use as a DSMB)

Yes, have both, large one in my tech shorts and the one above on a bolt snap.
Do not always dive with 2, only when the conditions call for both or just one.
Both come on every trip , also a mirror and brass whistle and flashing strobe light.
Is this 'overkill'?

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

All posts not related to this incident e.g. PLBs, have been moved to;

PLBs and DSMBs

This thread has been split off from Australian woman, two sons and DM "lost" in Fiji I have to wonder about a diver with decades of experience who would take her kids to sea without a PLB, but I guess it's still common In all my years of diving (30+) I've only met one diver who had a...

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