Beacon, PLB, Emergency Tracking Device Recommendations

[boqurant]

Another vote for the Nautilus Lifeline - it's cheaper, easier, and I think it's more useful in more scenarios (including being washed out to sea) - and triggering it in near-shore, easily-solved situations doesn't need to involve the coastguard

In the washed-out-to-sea case, if (if!) you're diving with a halfway-responsible buddy / dive guide / dive operator, someone _should_ notice you missing at some point, and someone should mount an S&R mission within 24hrs, either directly or via the coastguard, and they will be listening on VHF16.

Obviously you're already carrying a DSMB and whistle (if not, why not), and it's simple to also carry a signal mirror, and for extra brownie points: fluorescein and a(nother) strobe (the Nautilus has a strobe).

<edit> I'm not against PLBs of course, safety measures are subjective and a personal decision!

 

[happy-diver]

Always ask the Skipper for permission to come aboard, they will remember and bring you home

 

[Dan]

Another vote for the Nautilus Lifeline - it's cheaper, easier, and I think it's more useful in more scenarios (including being washed out to sea) - and triggering it in near-shore, easily-solved situations doesn't need to involve the coastguard

In the washed-out-to-sea case, if (if!) you're diving with a halfway-responsible buddy / dive guide / dive operator, someone _should_ notice you missing at some point, and someone should mount an S&R mission within 24hrs, either directly or via the coastguard, and they will be listening on VHF16.

Obviously you're already carrying a DSMB and whistle (if not, why not), and it's simple to also carry a signal mirror, and for extra brownie points: fluorescein and a(nother) strobe (the Nautilus has a strobe).

<edit> I'm not against PLBs of course, safety measures are subjective and a personal decision!

My DSMB is a 6 footer with strobe strapped on top of it to help signaling S&R team during low light environment. The DSMB & spool are stored in the other BCD waist pocket.

 

[boqurant]

Yep, nice idea to strap the strobe to the top of the DSMB - mine (a 1 metre Highland) has a plastic d-ring woven into the top seam to allow a simple boltsnap clip-off of whatever.