Canister for Epirb for diving, suggestion's ?

[Life-Is-Good-Diver]

I own a ACR 2797.4 AQUAFIX 406 PLB EPIRB w/ INTERNAL GPS , which will be used not only for my own boat, but put into a dive canister so for any reason, diving off my own boat, we can't get back to the boat, I have a Epirb in a dive canister , so I'll never have to be worrying about being lost at sea.

Two thing's, I won my own boat, which we take out 20-30 miles off shore regularly for big game off shore fishing here in FL. A Epirb is a must with FL storms here in the summer.

We also do 99% of our diving off my own boat, many times in which, we are experienced diver's, and will solo dive part of the deeper dives , (wrecks )
Sometimes , we can experience very strong Gulf stream currents commonly, and I bought a Epirb, for that one time I may not be able to get back to my boat, hopefully it never happens. We also use UW scooters for all our wreck dives , for more redundancy, they are also a must, so we don;t ex-cert our selves at depth.

My friend also has one, which he had a friend make a beautiful canister out of alum, and machine it , then paint it. Problem is, he couldn't make me one, as I want a bigger one, that can hold a Epirb, flare, mirror, soft pack of water, dye for water, etc, we dive with strobe lights on us at all time's , but you can see, I have alot to put in it.

I was thinking of a older AUL canister for their older light's they used for cave diving many years ago. I was also thinking of a used Dive-Rite wreck canister, for the older Dive-Rite light's , they were like 8" round, and like 12" long. I could but mount it below my doubles, either way, or even clip it off my harness on the side for single tank diving.

I was thinking is there any suggestion's to a home made canister? I know I can goto Home Depot and make one, out of scud 40 sewer pipe, but I was hoping something little more nicer looking.

Any suggestion's ?

 

[Rick Murchison]

Sure. Since you don't need to manuipulate any controls while it's in the housing, all you need is a piece of PVC pipe with caps & O-rings. Total cost under $10.
Depth check before use.
If you want it to "look nice" paint a pretty picture on it.
Rick

 

[mike_s]

Check this out. It's an EPRIB and a cannister made for taking diving.

Waterproof up to 492 feet

EPRIB http://www.landfallnavigation.com/spwff.html
Cannister http://www.landfallnavigation.com/spwffdive.html

More http://comfortchannel.com/level.itml/icOid/4045

 

[Rick Murchison]

Check this out. I... a cannister made for taking diving.
Waterproof up to 492 feet

$295! Whew! That's a lot of "pretty."
Rick

 

[Life-Is-Good-Diver]

Thanks for both reply's. I looked at that model, but decided to go with somthing alittle nicer, both have built in GPS, which narrow's the search down from 3nm to withen less then 300' , thats a big difference. This is what i went with:

http://www.acraquafix.com/

They all need to be activated at the surface, which would be the only way I would need to activate it. It would be nice to carry it on a dive, like my buddy, and also carry on the boat when not diving, so If were 30 nm out, fishing , and hit a bad storm, I have the Epirb just in case. The 15 years I been boating, I never had to use one, but that dosn't mean that day could never come either!

Rick, I'm going to look into 4" sewer pipe, with a clean out glued on one end, with a
O-Ring, and screw on type on the other, with a 0-ring .

It would be nice to pick up a older AUL or Dive Rite wreck canister, and stick everything in there.

 

[426Scuba]

You could make one out of clear cast acrylic check out http://www.mcmaster.com/ page 3365. If you go with pvc make sure it is a solid PVC pipe and not celloulous (sp) core. There is also a lot of good info on this page http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=101940

 

[Life-Is-Good-Diver]

You could make one out of clear cast acrylic check out http://www.mcmaster.com/ page 3365. If you go with pvc make sure it is a solid PVC pipe and not celloulous (sp) core. There is also a lot of good info on this page http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=101940

Thanks 426 scuba, both great info.

I'm looking at the thread now with the housing for the UW dig video set up, I love it.

I been shooting UW photo's with a 5meg pixel Oly 5060 for the past year and half, and it also shoot's great video with a 1 gig media card.

I'm looking into a UW video set up now, to mount on the front of our scooter's, to shoot video on the deep wreck dive's. That's my next step is to start filming us going into engine room's, hallway's, staircases, so we can learn the ship better, etc.

Thanks for the info, good stuff, I'm going back to reading all 10 pages right now on that video housing

 

[moneysavr]

Sounds like a good idea,
But make sure to contact your local coastguard station yearly after you replace battery's by radio ch[16] and do a epirb test,our station will let you test at a certain time of day after you notify them, you call in and then fire the unit off, they will mark you and call the test. Not sure how they rate it for diving as its a mandatory for passenger vessels of larger capacity,not pleasure craft but I think should be.
but Heck I own one and never thought to have it on a dive or in down on a dive ,
Not that I never solo dive,errrr,,,, or have no one top side! but do!That would suck to have no boat top side,and it did happen to a diver on a local wreck,His boat sank and joined him on then a multiple wreck dive!
Good luck
and dive safe,
Brad

 

[426Scuba]

FYI ELT checks should be performed at 5 minutes after the hour. At least on 121.5/243 systems.

 

[Life-Is-Good-Diver]

Thanks for the info on the checks. I just got it in the mail a few days ago, it's brand new, with a 5 year on the battery. It's on 406, and 121 for homing in.,

Yes, I know what you mean about both solo , and not making back to the boat, and leaving someone topside. That's why I got the Epirb. All the guy's I dive with have them, for that extra saftey. I also have my own boat, and fish 20-30 miles off shore, somtimes till 1 am, and it sure is dark and lonely out there at that time!


I just bought a used Diverite MLS canister off the cave form I belong to, in great shape for $25 bucks !! I plan on but mounting it behind my double's , or just hang it on the side when diving single's.

I think Epirb's will be more popular now that the PLB's are coming down, and after all these shows about lost divers at sea, etc.

For myself, definatley needed one having my own boat, and always wanted one in a canister for diving, for saftey.

thanks for both your help