Best EPIRB for Divers

[rjack321]

That makes it a non-player for rescues. A glorified cell phone is all.

Quite a few people have been rescued with an Inreach - the vast majority were hikers and climbers though not drifting at 2mph+ in the Gulf Stream.

I understand that. Successful rescues have been initiated by the In-Reach. The In-Reach is exceptionally portable and does allow limited messaging and provides GPS coordinates on an ongoing basis through a satellite network to rescuers until the battery is exhausted or the SOS is cancelled. It has a designed for diving accessory case. The case is easily opened for deployment of the SOS function and is transparent to check for water leakage. For some it may be a better option or an additional asset.

James

You can really only effectively message back and forth with an Inreach via the app - when it's paired with a phone. I know they are trying to break into the SOS market previously held by PLBs and EPIRBs even though those are really much better tools.

I have an Inreach (not the mini though), I would never bring it diving since I have a PLB.

 

[DandyDon]

Quite a few people have been rescued with an Inreach - the vast majority were hikers and climbers though not drifting at 2mph+ in the Gulf Stream.

You can really only effectively message back and forth with an Inreach via the app - when it's paired with a phone.

And the cell has to have reception, right? The cell has to be carried in another canister on every dive? May as well just text from the phone and send Gps. Worthless in dead zones.

 

[Scared Silly]

I was not really asking, I was making a statement. The Garmins are not technically an EPRIB. The Garmin uses a private network and is a subscription service and while I have not used it in an emergency, of course, it works as advertised for the other functions, no reason to think it would not be a valuable asset if one were to find themselves floating towards Bimini. I may also purchase the canister for my ACR. The In-Reach is very tiny and easy to carry.

James

Slightly off-topic but they work quite well. Here is a narrative compliments of the DOJ: Dr. Lance goes to Denali.

 

[Altamira]

And the cell has to have reception, right? The cell has to be carried in another canister on every dive? May as well just text from the phone and send Gps. Worthless in dead zones.

With the Inreach Mini, your cell phone does not need to have reception, just be able to pair to the Inreach Mini via bluetooth. The Inreach Mini connects to their satellite system, so you can communicate via texts with their rescue folks and with your contacts that you have loaded. That is why it is really beneficial in a land environment where cell phone coverage is absent. For marine environments, I think communicating via texts with your cell, or using the device itself, would be more difficult, but you can just push the SOS button and hopefully you will be found. I carry both ACR view and Inreach Mini whenever possible when in isolated areas.

 

[DandyDon]

With the Inreach Mini, your cell phone does not need to have reception, just be able to pair to the Inreach Mini via bluetooth. The Inreach Mini connects to their satellite system, so you can communicate via texts with their rescue folks and with your contacts that you have loaded. That is why it is really beneficial in a land environment where cell phone coverage is absent. For marine environments, I think communicating via texts with your cell, or using the device itself, would be more difficult, but you can just push the SOS button and hopefully you will be found. I carry both ACR view and Inreach Mini whenever possible when in isolated areas.

Thanks for that information. So the subscription is $12/month annually or $15 if you just want to turn it on for one month - and always remember to do so before needing. You still have to carry the paired cell phone, right, and the power of the mini is 1/3 of the power of a PLB. The retail costs are similar enough that I'd go with the PLB over the mini if choosing one.

 

[drk5036]

Thanks for that information. So the subscription is $12/month annually or $15 if you just want to turn it on for one month - and always remember to do so before needing. You still have to carry the paired cell phone, right, and the power of the mini is 1/3 of the power of a PLB. The retail costs are similar enough that I'd go with the PLB over the mini if choosing one.

You don’t have to bring the cell phone.

 

[DandyDon]

You don’t have to bring the cell phone.

Now that sounds like magic. Has to be paired with one somewhere else?

 

[drk5036]

Now that sounds like magic. Has to be paired with one somewhere else?

It's a satellite phone, basically. You can tether it to a cellphone with bluetooth to use it to easily send custom text messages. If you just have the device itself, you're limited to SOS calls and pre-programmed text messages (like "I'm OK").

 

[Altamira]

The nice thing about the Inreach Mini is having the ability to pair with a smartphone if you have one with you for sending more complete information to rescue agencies, or communicating directly with rescue dispatch and your contacts using the pre-programmed texts, or use it as a SOS, "come get me" system. For me, there is a definite advantage in having one because I can request assistance for non-life threatening situations in a no cell phone signal area, and I can cancel the request for assistance/rescue if the situation has been resolved. With my ACR ResQLink, once I press the SOS button, I don't have a way to terminate the emergency or request for rescue.

 

[TuckerIdaho]

The problem with the Inreach is there's no homing beacon. The PLB has an 457mhz homing signal which can be received directly by the USCG Dolphin helicopter that's coming to look for you as you drift away between FL and the Bahamas. They may still be able to find you depending on the refresh rate, the lag time between when Iridium receives the coordinates of the Inreach and the USCG is able to get them, and how fast the Gulf Stream is carrying you away.

A PLB is designed as a mini EPIRB and doesnt have these issues.

Emergency is transmitted on 406, homing is 121.5.

457 is used by avalanche beacons. Its only good for around 100 meters. Which PLBs are using this?

Twentyonefive is around a mile or so.