Dive alert recommendation? Experiences?

[Ken abucs]

I always carry both. The Dive Alert has quadruple the range of even the best whistle. The whistle works even if my tank is empty.

I hardly even know they're there. The whistle is in my pocket and attached with a lanyard. The Dive Alert is always on my BC inflator. MY OMS line cutter is always on my BC shoulder strap, also on a lanyard. I always have a small flashlight in each of my 2 BC pockets. I always clip an SMB to a D ring on the bottom of my BC. I don't even have to think about it. The only item I have to remember to bring is the SMB, all my other safety gear is part of my SMB.

1/2 a mile from the boat and 5 miles off shore is not the time to say "I wish I brought XYZ".

 

[beanojones]

OK I thought I had seen it elsewhere but maybe I was just imagining it. I want my Dive Alerts (on rental gear) 'hard wired' to the first stage.

Is there an adaptor that will let m do this?

aka, Where do I find LP hoses that are 3/8"-24 on both ends?

 

[beanojones]

Something I just found. Miflex now has 13" doubled ended hose (apparently for rebreathers). It's on the XS Scuba site, but not quite yet in stores.

 

[scubadada]

I take my Dive Alert on every dive. I've never used it emergently, nor my SMB, but I could if needed. I've been on boats with separated divers on several occasions. Those able to effectively signal were never in trouble

 

[RAWalker]

I have the Aquatec Air 3 which is a safe secondary with a built in subduck. Although not as loud as the dive alert when used on the surface it is still plenty loud. Underwater it not only can be heard but gives a sense of general direction to those searching for you if they are not wearing a hood.
I still carry a storm whistle as backup if I run out of tank pressure.

 

[quattroluvr]

I cannot emphasize enough how vital a Dive Alert is. I have personally saved 3 tropical divers from near certain death/lost at sea, in the vast South China Sea with a Dive Alert plus safety sausage. The whistle to get the boat's attention 1.5 miles away, and the sausage for honing in on my position. The three other divers were swept away into the open South China Sea, far from Palau Tioman by unexpected current (and incompetence at swimming on their backs while navigating, unlike my solid Pac NW training), BUT the dive boat had gone back to the village dock. I swam to a position where I could get the boat crew's attention with the DA, then the sausage... and when they arrived gave them a compass bearing to find the other divers after a couple hours of search patterns.

2nd case... off the Oregon coast on a huge 200' high rock, the dive boat had unexpectedly gone to the other side of the big offshore rock looking for our bubbles, 1/2 mile away in big swells, surge and wind chop when we surfaced near the entry point. The captain would have gotten back to us eventually (15 uncomfortable minutes I'd guess), but as soon as I honked my DiveAlert he was back to us in 3 minutes flat. I was the only one with a DA! I carry a manual whistle, but it would have been totally inadequte in Malaysia case, or offshore Oregon case.

Use a DiveAlert in any open body of water!! It's key safety gear imo and im-experience