Dive Alert

[Jcsgt]

surface marker buoy

 

[Storm]

I've never seen nor heard a Dive Alert, so please bear this in mind when I ask the followng questions.

My wife and I keep Fox 40 Whistles attached to our BCDs, and carry both a bright orange SMB (with a Pelicam minin flasher) and lime green sausage and signal mirror for surface signalling. When boating/diving in big water, I carry a set of small pencil flares in a dry canister. With all of these, just what's the cost benefit of having the Dive Alert?

Is not a good loud pealess whistle, just as good?

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Over flat seas a dive alert can be heard over a mile. Even in chop it still goes alot further than a whistle and a whistle can be mistaken for a natural sound by some. A dive alert makes the most godawful squeal and people just go what the ****was that!! and start looking. I have a divealert on my inflator and also hook up a hammerhead to the drysuit hose when working with students. It gets their attention underwater quick. The surface dive alert underwater sounds more like a loud fart. Not good for much except dirty looks. I also just got the new DAN smb with the storm whistle, lightstick, and signal mirror.

 

[chewie]

it should be part of your safety equipment as a signaling device. you'd never know if you'd drift off-course or get swept away by a current.

 

[ianr33]

Another cool use for a dive alert is to inflate a closed circuit lift bag/sausage. Just put the valve in the horn of the dive alert and press the button. Works Great

 

[Storm]

I've just started looking into signalling devices. There are a few out there. Has anyone done a comparison test betwenn the various models?

 

[SteveAD]

One thing that must be considered is that any tank powered signaller is dependant on tank pressure. I will admit that the dive alert is a bit louder than a good whistle, but the whistle seems more failsafe to me. I would advise that any dive alert users carry a whistle as a backup. I know some people will say "you shouldn't run out of air" but hey, sh** happens! thats why we're talking about signallers in the first place.

 

[bfisher]

surface marker buoy

Gees, I was thingking it was a Submersible Music Box.

 

[Damselfish]

I've just started looking into signalling devices. There are a few out there. Has anyone done a comparison test between the various models?

Don't recall any comparisons. But there have been a couple threads discussing the SubAlert, a device which is supposed to work above and below water, but apparently doesn't work well on the surface which is the part you really care about. (The quacking noises made by the UW versions don't seem to get the attention of the person you want, while somehow annoying everyone else.)


I have a DiveAlert and it works great, though I haven't had a need to use it for real. (I also feel no need to explain to any boat crew what the loud noise might mean any more than I would feel the need to explain a whistle.)

I found using a shorter inflator hose (shorter by the length of the unit obviously) makes the whole thing behave better, might help with the stiffness problem.

 

[PaulChristenson]

I've never seen nor heard a Dive Alert, so please bear this in mind when I ask the followng questions.

My wife and I keep Fox 40 Whistles attached to our BCDs, and carry both a bright orange SMB (with a Pelicam minin flasher) and lime green sausage and signal mirror for surface signalling. When boating/diving in big water, I carry a set of small pencil flares in a dry canister. With all of these, just what's the cost benefit of having the Dive Alert?

Is not a good loud pealess whistle, just as good?

http://www.divealert.com/