British nurse lost on dive - Red Sea

[DandyDon]

I would guess that if one couldn't get the lid off in an emergency there would be a serious effort made with one's dive knife to make it happen.

You're not going to be able to cut it open. You'd need a second diver to help twist. Just keep the O-rings lubed and open it daily.

 

[FishWatcher747]

Not trying to hijack the thread but are there real life examples of scuba divers being rescued using a PLB or are we just talking in theoretical terms?

 

[Dan]

You're not going to be able to cut it open. You'd need a second diver to help twist. Just keep the O-rings lubed and open it daily.

Another tip:
Put the PLB into the canister in a cool AC room. So air inside the canister would not further contracting & creating vacuum in cool water. When you are ready to open it, let the canister to bake under the sun to warm up and expand the air inside the canister.

 

[Dan]

Not trying to hijack the thread but are there real life examples of scuba divers being rescued using a PLB or are we just talking in theoretical terms?

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[Dan]

 

[tridacna]

@DandyDon “You want to sell yours?”

I sold it years ago and bought the Light Monkey canister. A real high quality item. That uses latches to open/close and is incredibly well made.

Someone turn this thread into a stickie already. This hijack is a repeat of a repeat.

 

[Dan]

This guy forgot to bring his PLB, but lucked out to be found 17 hours later.

 

[KathyV]

This type of report has me wondering whether a Nautilus Lifeline would have made the difference. I'm already at risk to look like a bit of a 'Christmas Tree' with the stuff hanging off me, but I do have to wonder. And of course there are the personal locator devices that are alternatives.

Hindsight's 20/20, as they say.

What are the pros and cons of a Nautilus Lifeline versus a PLB? I've often thought about getting one but I find that the options are confusing! Thanks

 

[DandyDon]

What are the pros and cons of a Nautilus Lifeline versus a PLB? I've often thought about getting one but I find that the options are confusing! Thanks

The Nautilus Lifeline sends a signal to nearby boats if they have a radio on that band and on, plus knows what it means. A PLB sends a 5-watt signal to satellites in a network around the world that relays your alert & GPS to NOAA who can alert authorities in your area. If they are already looking for you, they'll know where to look for the strobe. PLS alerts unfortunately have a 90% butt-dial rate so if no one is searching for you, it may be some time before someone does.

 

[Dan]

What are the pros and cons of a Nautilus Lifeline versus a PLB? I've often thought about getting one but I find that the options are confusing! Thanks

Nautilus Lifeline is discontinued and replaced with Nautilus Marine Rescue GPS (MRG). So I’m going to list pros and cons of an MRG vs a PLB.

MRG pros:
- waterproof down to 425 ft depth
- smaller
- cheaper
- no registration needed
- quicker rescue (minutes) in high boat traffic or on liveaboard

MRG cons:
- limited range (line of sight, horizontal, < 8 miles)
- useless in ocean with no boat traffic or in location where boats don’t use AIS or DSC
- limited to marine MOB (man overboard) alert

PLB pros:
- long range (global, vertical, SAR satellites)
- wide coverage (land & sea, boating, skiing, hiking, etc.)

PLB cons:
- not made for diving (PLB1 is waterproof to 15 m or 49 ft depth)
- therefore you need to put it in a waterproof case.
- slow rescue (hours)
- bulkier (since you need to put it in a waterproof case)
- more expensive
- registration needed

Other users who know more about this subject, please chime in.

That’s why I carry both.