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Dive boat capsizes, spills 9 divers - Victoria Canada
- Thread starter DandyDon
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My question is one of genuine curiosity. I find the entire issue very confusing. Why pick the VHF over an EPIRB? Or vice versa? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Time for a project. I'll report back.
I do suspect that most people have no idea what the differences are between them. And that's another problem.
wgw04024
Contributor
VHF allows you to talk to other people using VHF...aka boats (assuming they are listening). An Epirb, at least in the area (east coast us), is registered with the coast guard, and when it hits the water, it goes off and they are notified, which means you generally need help. I have one, but have never had it deploy. I don't use it diving, it was when I had an ocean going vessel.
I have both the Nautilus Lifeline and a PLB (Aqualink View - waiting for the dive canister for it to fit). Why both? Well, as someone said earlier, it comes down to risk assessment. Most of the time I would carry neither (when diving within Puget Sound off a boat). If things are sketchy, I'll have both, as if I'm lost at sea, I'm activating the PLB AND trying to get someone on the radio.
After reading about the tragedy of the 7 divers left by their boat captain (Indonesia I think) to refuel, I decided to invest in that. I use the A&I to review what training and equipment would help save my life if I were to get in some of those predicaments. Fortunately, these items fit easily in a thigh pocket.
After reading about the tragedy of the 7 divers left by their boat captain (Indonesia I think) to refuel, I decided to invest in that. I use the A&I to review what training and equipment would help save my life if I were to get in some of those predicaments. Fortunately, these items fit easily in a thigh pocket.
bergersau
Contributor
You don't always want (or need) to trigger a full blown Search and Rescue response to a minor situation.
As an example.
On a local 'wall' site we are unable to anchor due to the shipping lanes in the vicinity. Local practice is to toss a shot line and buoy onto the marks (after clearing it with the harbour authorities on the VHF) and then to keep the boat 'live' and in the area of the buoy. Divers then either ascend beside the buoy or launch a DSMB if the tide prohibits that and will surface within a few hundred meters or so of the buoy depending on tide and current.
We were there one day and about 15 minutes into our dive when we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by divers from a commercial operator who'd dropped their divers very close to us. They descended past us and due to the shorter bottom time they had we all ended up surfacing at much the same time. My buddy and I ascended under a DSMB and very close to the other boat's shotline.
So when we first surfaced both boats thought we were part of the commercial operators gaggle of divers. They came over to pick us up and upon realizing we weren't theirs, they kindly made a VHF call to our boat and the resulting pickup was prompt.
We weren't in any distress, could easily see our boat and they could see our marker from that range but simply thought we were from the other boat.
The Nautilus Lifeline is a perfect fit for that kind of situation - multiple boats in the region (Probably over 50 in easy radio range that day - fishing etc), good weather conditions. There would have been no call to trigger an EPIRB but a simple VHF call to our boat was of definite advantage in expediting a prompt, safe pickup. In this instance the commercial boat made the call on our behalf, but a Nautilus Lifeline would have done the job just as well.
In my local area, which is near a major city and harbour and as a member of a dive club that relies on multiple private boats to serve the members, being on the surface and out of VHF radio range would be very difficult to achieve. Our club dives usually have 3-5 boats out in the same general area in radio communication with each other. Nautilus Lifeline radios are a recommended item for our club members.
By the way, all our boats are required to carry EPIRBS as part of the mandated safety gear for Victoria Australia. So to carry a personal EPIRB in preference to a Lifeline radio is probably overkill here.
I'd agree that in an area more remote and with less traffic the equation starts to change in favour of a personal EPIRB.
The way I see it:
Nautilus Lifeline - good for local communication and a prompt, localized response from nearby boats with no massive overkill. Therefore more likely to be used BEFORE a situation becomes critical.
EPIRB - Good for when the proverbial has really hit the fan - Full mobilization of Search and Rescue authorities, a somewhat slower but more certain response.
Great response. Reinforces my decision to go with PLB/EPIRB. I'm OK getting on the wrong boat. I'm not OK missing the boat altogether.
bergersau
Contributor
tridacna - have a look at DSC on marine radios.
This vid is good but it is tailored to small boat operators in Australia so they are demonstrating with Marine VHF radios usually installed in smallish boats. Disregard the legal requirements they talk about, they are a little out of date and are also particular to Australia especially in regards to licencing and the issuing MMSI numbers within Australia. You'll need to look that information up, for your area, for yourself.
The Red button on the radios they are demonstrating and that on the Nautilus Lifeline work the same as each other. So within VHF range Nautilus Lifeline is almost as good as a GPS enabled EPIRB.
[video=youtube;7HQXursU0Dc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HQXursU0Dc[/video]
This vid is good but it is tailored to small boat operators in Australia so they are demonstrating with Marine VHF radios usually installed in smallish boats. Disregard the legal requirements they talk about, they are a little out of date and are also particular to Australia especially in regards to licencing and the issuing MMSI numbers within Australia. You'll need to look that information up, for your area, for yourself.
The Red button on the radios they are demonstrating and that on the Nautilus Lifeline work the same as each other. So within VHF range Nautilus Lifeline is almost as good as a GPS enabled EPIRB.
[video=youtube;7HQXursU0Dc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HQXursU0Dc[/video]
Would be nice to have a device that incorporates both.
bergersau
Contributor
I don't think that'll happen.
All the EPIRBS I've ever seen are designed so as to be zero maintenance except for a few basic tests and not to need recharging and are sealed units with an 'end of life' date.
After which they need to be replaced or have the battery replaced by the manufacturer (or agent) and probably re-certified for use.
That conflicts with the design requirement of a portable radio which needs user replaceable or user rechargeable batteries.
All the EPIRBS I've ever seen are designed so as to be zero maintenance except for a few basic tests and not to need recharging and are sealed units with an 'end of life' date.
After which they need to be replaced or have the battery replaced by the manufacturer (or agent) and probably re-certified for use.
That conflicts with the design requirement of a portable radio which needs user replaceable or user rechargeable batteries.
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