Best underwater noisemaker?

[WetSEAL]

Looking for a noisemaker to get attention of dive buddies. A few options I'm looking at:

* XS Scuba Rattle Stick. I like that this is small, comes in a black version (not shiny), has a magnetic stopper. Not sure how loudness compares to the others
XS Scuba Rattle Stick with Attachment Clip

* Larger rattle stick. Don't like that it's bigger, but if it makes a louder noise, might be worth it?
Don't like that it's silver, and has no magnetic stopper.
Trident Aluminum Noise Maker Rattler

* Tank banger. Cheapest for sure, though maybe harder to reach. Not sure how volume compares to the rattle sticks
Aqua Tank Banger

* Underwater horn. The most expensive, makes kit a little more cumbersome, another point of failure..but maybe worth it if it's more effective at signaling longer ranges?
Scub-Alert SeaQuest Underwater Scuba Air Horn

 

[ColoDale]

I've settled on an aluminum rod with a bolt snap. I have had rattles, underwater horns (which mostly quack), and I've even used a climbing carabiner. The rattles can be heard at close range but can be hard to hear at longer distances. The tank banger ball on the elastic band becomes a gift for the dive op eventually since sooner or later it's forgotten.

 

[Dan]

I’m using this DiveAlert by Ideations

It quacks underwater when you squeeze it. It blows a loud noise in the air, which is good to call up the boat for picking you up after a drift dive & you are floating at sea. It has a sliding lock gate to prevent accidental button squeeze.

 

[eelnoraa]

A properly focus dive light makes a lot more sense for that purpose. Sound travel very far under water. And it will also appear. On directional. Imagine if you are diving near by another group, and everyone has a noise making for buddy signaling.

 

[WetSEAL]

I've settled on an aluminum rod with a bolt snap. I have had rattles, underwater horns (which mostly quack), and I've even used a climbing carabiner. The rattles can be heard at close range but can be hard to hear at longer distances. The tank banger ball on the elastic band becomes a gift for the dive op eventually since sooner or later it's forgotten.

Are you saying that the aluminum rod (which I presume you hit against your tank) is louder than the rattles or underwater horns you've tried, or did you settle on the rod for some other reason?

I’m using this DiveAlert by Ideations

Have you tried anything else, and if so, why did you settle on this one?

 

[Doc]

I dive with people who actually listen and hear while diving. It's really not hard, but it must be thought about and trained. A simple rapping of a plastic flashlight on the mask glass will gain the attentions of a so attuned buddy. (Want proof? Try doing it near a real deal DM, guaranteed they'll notice and look)

You gotta train it.

Barring that, why screw around? Some divers can't even hear this:

 

[Dan]

...Have you tried anything else, and if so, why did you settle on this one?

The DiveAlert is used for emergency because it is loud. For non-emergency I used a 316SS 1/4"x12" pointer stick by tapping its tip against the tank.

My buddy would turn around and look at me when I bang my tank with the pointer. Once I draw his/her attention, then I point the stick to a fish or critter.

That pointer is also used for stabilizing myself underwater while taking picture.

 

[WetSEAL]

I dive with people who actually listen and hear while diving. It's really not hard, but it must be thought about and trained. A simple rapping of a plastic flashlight on the mask glass will gain the attentions of a so attuned buddy.

Would this be your recommended way of signaling for help in an emergency to a buddy wearing a 7mm thick neoprone hood who isn't looking at you and might be a bit separated?

EDIT: Dan_T, thanks for clarifying that the DiveAlert is louder. That is what I was trying to figure out.

 

[ColoDale]

Are you saying that the aluminum rod (which I presume you hit against your tank) is louder than the rattles or underwater horns you've tried, or did you settle on the rod for some other reason?

The rod is a tank banger. I sometimes use it for surprise down currents on walls. Many of small rattles can't be heard well. I've had friends with them and unless your next to them, we did not hear anything. I liken it to shaking a full box of rice. It kind of makes noise. A DM I dive with has a rattle which works well but it is larger and seems like it has bigger shot in it. I found that a rattle has to have some slack in the lanyard in order to shake it well but it gets in my way. We had rattles made of PVC with one large ball in it but that seemed to be very directional. I've used a 5" carabiner with no lanyard but was always concerned with losing it (and it did disappear one day but on land). I like the rod the best. The airhorn I have is the one above in DAN_T post #3. I have it for surface emergencies and don't really like the sound underwater. It's just not a horn and sounds like quacking to me.
I can tap lightly with a rod a couple times softly or I can go to town. Honestly I don't signal alot but if I do the rod works best for me. I do clip and unclip so no lanyard.
Note that on many dives and if I know who I am with, we spread out so we may need something a little louder.
You can get the larger metal shakers and still use it as a tank banger.
All of these will work. It just depends on what noise you want to make and how loud. The rod is obviously very low maintenance.

 

[Zef]

Would this be your recommended way of signaling for help in an emergency to a buddy wearing a 7mm thick neoprone hood who isn't looking at you and might be a bit separated?

EDIT: Dan_T, thanks for clarifying that the DiveAlert is louder. That is what I was trying to figure out.

You got bigger problems if your buddy is wearing a 7mm thick neoprene hood who isnt looking at you and might be a bit separated...this assumes you can't swim to him which means that you are stuck/entangled and you buddy is so absorbed that he has not looked over to you in quite a while to see that you are in distress....unless he is stationary due to being catatonic, taking a picture, or just observing something then the likelihood is that the separation is going to grow making the likely hood of an underwater noisemaker less effective at getting his attention.

The under water quack sound of the dive alert is ok but is debatable if it is all that loud. I have dive partner that has used one, and I have a similar aquasub duo-alert that quacks underwater and makes a hi-pitch whistle above water....above water it is great, below water, mileage may vary.

Like others have mentioned a pointer tapping against the tank works well. This is what I use when I dive with one.

Nothing is super effective over any real distance and if there are lots of people in the water the tendency is that at first all who can here it start to look around and then eventually everyone including your buddy start ignoring it.

The use of an underwater noise maker to signal to your buddy that you need help is, to me, a crutch to make up for poor buddy etiquette. It is more appropriately used to gain the attention of one's budddy when in close proximity to signal "hey check this out".

All that being said, the ocean is vast and free (per se), so if you want a noise maker get one. My recommendation if you get a rattle is to get a model with a magnet to keep the thing from making noise when you are not using it under the water as well as when moving around outside the water. The unnecessary jingling of a diver's noise maker is an annoying distraction that quickly grows to be an irritant.

-Z