Best surface signalling sound devices

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Freewillow

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
1,671
Reaction score
420
Location
Brussels
# of dives
500 - 999
Can someone indicate to me where I can find a test of sound devices. Is a diver alert better than a whisle? And what are the best make for them? I am not interested in a decibel measurement but rather in a scale of detection distances. In other words, at what distances from the boat, can these signalling devices be noticed. Thank you.
 
You should be interested in decibels. You can only define effective distance by defining wind speed and direction, surf noise, engine noise, ambient noise from birds and other masking noises that may be present. The range of the dive alert is perhaps up to a mile or as short as 100 meters depending on these factors. I have gotten the boat's attention from several hundred meters in "average" conditions.

The dive alert is far more effective than a whistle. Do not make the mistake of activating it with your head above water. Hold it up aimed at the boat, lower your head under water and activate. Always warn others in the area to protect their hearing. This is not a trivial warning.
 
while a agree with your opinion on decibels, the frequency of the tone is also important. This is why I am interested in finding if there was any "real situation" comparison between systems. I only have seen it on wisles, not wisles versus horns
 
I can yell louder than my whistle. The Dive Alert is scary loud.
 
I recall there is a Dive Alert that can also be used underwater. Wish I had bought that one instead.
 
Dive Alert V2 is the newest design. It supposedly will last longer than previous versions that are prone to early failure, and can be used above and below water, a slight pull on the button and you've got an underwater quack, a harder pull gives an ear piercing shriek that can be heard for over a mile.

Always rinse in freshwater and blow it out while rinsing but don't squeeze so hard that you damage your ears.
 
Dive Alert V2 is the newest design. It supposedly will last longer than previous versions that are prone to early failure . . .

As mine did. I have been reluctant to buy a new DiveAlert.

I don't care for the underwater quack, so the knob that switches between the air and water modes seems like a wasted feature for me. I wish there were a more compact air horn solution--maybe something that I could carry in a pocket and only attach to the LPI if and when I find myself surfaced far from the boat. Does such a thing exist?
 
That’s how I use mine. It lives in my pocket with the snorkel I never use. I’ve thought of adding flint and steel in case I need to start a fire.
 
I have a device which quacks above and below surface. I have used it when a tank banger or eattle fails to get Buddy's or Guides attention. It goes on my LP inflator hose and then on my BCD. It gets plenty of attention on the surface with its quacking sound.
Just as a side note: Did you know that a duck's quack does not echo?

Cheers - MM
 
Dive Alert V2 is the newest design. It supposedly will last longer than previous versions that are prone to early failure...

What kind of failures have been experienced with V1?
Hmm, I've had one for a while and it seems to be ok. Well, I think it's ok. I haven't blown it in a while. A little scared of it. Really loud. It did come in hand once. Was heard from quite a distance.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

Back
Top Bottom