Best signalling equipment from the searchers point of view

[maggie04]

thank you that info is very helpful

 

[pidgiepoo]

thanks. I've already revamped my safety pouch.

 

[pidgiepoo]

My husband found some of that 3M marine reflective tape for me. I plan to put it on my fins(as suggested by another poster in this thread), however, I was just wondering if there would be a problem during sunny days with attracting marine life since the tape is silver/white. I don't want to find myself in the middle of a school of baracudas !

 

[Thalassamania]

The reflective tape will not attract any dangerous creatures, except, perhaps, other divers. BTW: the only folks I know that have been injured by barracuda were feeding them at the time.

 

[Wookie]

The reflective tape will not attract any dangerous creatures, except, perhaps, other divers. BTW: the only folks I know that have been injured by barracuda were feeding them at the time.

You need to get around more. I've seen some terrible injuries, usually at night, although Franklin Viola's wife Kathy was whacked in the foot while dangling it in the water off of the swim platform in Grand Cayman a few years back. In my experience, however, barracudas are not attracted to shiny objects like 3M tape. Todd Richard was hit in the shoulder while diving off the Spree at night during a coral spawn. His whole shoulder was bruised black through his bicep and his complete left breast. He had just turned his video lights on while descending. Cudabait on this board was hit in the mask in Roatan and the fish broke his entire orbit. The scars are horrific. None of them were feeding at the time.

 

[pidgiepoo]

You need to get around more. I've seen some terrible injuries, usually at night, although Franklin Viola's wife Kathy was whacked in the foot while dangling it in the water off of the swim platform in Grand Cayman a few years back. In my experience, however, barracudas are not attracted to shiny objects like 3M tape. Todd Richard was hit in the shoulder while diving off the Spree at night during a coral spawn. His whole shoulder was bruised black through his bicep and his complete left breast. He had just turned his video lights on while descending. Cudabait on this board was hit in the mask in Roatan and the fish broke his entire orbit. The scars are horrific. None of them were feeding at the time.

Well, THAT tape is going in the trash can !!!! What kind of tape were they using..if any?? thanks for the info !

 

[Wookie]

Well, THAT tape is going in the trash can !!!! What kind of tape were they using..if any?? thanks for the info !

Huh??

 

[pidgiepoo]

Huh??

Sorry-I was in a hurry and read your post too fast.... thought you were saying those injuries had something to do with my tape question. Now I see you just meant those injuries were caused by barracuda who were not feeding(in answer to Thalassamania's post). Duh !!

 

[SaferDiver]

Check out Ocean Survival Systems Stranded-Rescued Toolsets . They have ergonomic turn-key solutions for most of the equipment already listed on this thread.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

I haven't really been keeping up with this thread :blush: but if people are referring to a suggestion I made about tape... We have had Marine Grade (bought from a boat supply company) on our fins for the last several hundred dives and no fish in Australian, Californian or Papua New Guinea have been interested in our fins!

The tape we use is meant to be put on boats and is highly reflective. It is much easier to find and differentiate between our buddies underwater as we all wear black rubber fins. Last weekend I was unable to dive for medical reasons and "sat out the dive". When my husband swam under the bridge I was able to clearly identify him and the sun actually caught the reflective patches when he was finning at a depth of 5 to 9 Metres! Taking off a fin and waving it on the surface would certainly catch the sunlight, probably moonlight and certainly directed lights like searchlights or torches after dark. I wouldn't say it is the best thing going by any means but it is easily done, fairly cheap, don't try to save money by getting anything but the best quality Marine Grade reflective tape or it will come of/not reflect well. We tried the reflective tape they use to make fishing lures and it was useless!

The good thing is we always have our fins so we aren't having to stow or carry and access this part of our safety kit. It is always in easy reach.