Dye Marker

[AmyDelyla]

Hey,

I got an OMS fluorescent Dye Marker as a gift.

In my limited diving experience, I have never heard anyone talk about these or seen anyone use them. Are they a good idea, great idea, not so great idea...?

I already carry a safety sausage, air horn, whistle and mirror for surface emergencies. Should my dye marker be included on my list of essential safety items?

It is small and easily fits in my BC pocket, so unless it was to accidentally open under water, I cannot see that it would actually pose a problem. It seems to be sealed well and I cannot imagine how this could happen. I rinse it after use.

Are there any drawbacks to these things?

Oh, and they are supposedly environmentally safe.

 

[bleeb]

Doesn't sound like a bad idea if you dive where getting lost 'out at sea' is an issue (or for those in my neck of the woods, 'out at lake'. Which from your profile I gather is a possibility.

You may also be interested in this very popular thread: Best signalling equipment from the searchers point of view. Dye markers are discussed, as is a reusable alternative whose name escapes me at the moment.

 

[AmyDelyla]

Thanks for directing me to the other thread! I put "dye" in the search bar and nothing at all came up. Strange. Maybe I am not using the function correctly?

 

[bleeb]

I put "dye" in the search bar and nothing at all came up. Strange. Maybe I am not using the function correctly?

Not necessarily. IIRC, the search engine is set to ignore words of three letters or less to avoid overloading the server. That's been debated a few times since so many SCUBA acronyms (well, acronyms in general) are three lettered. The consensus seems to be if your REALLY want to search SB for a three-letter word, use Google.

 

[hlsooner]

I'm a big fan of the OMS dye marker tube. I have one that fits neatly into the pouch on the DAN dive signal sausage. Have a few hundred dives to 170' with it and never a leak. It is compact and would help in a day-rescue situation.

 

[AmyDelyla]

Hlsooner-good to know. Thanks!

bleeb-Thanks for the tip on searching. I had no idea about the 3 letter thing.

 

[llqwyd]

You can never be too prepared...

saw on another post a great idea:

carry a white plastic trash bag rolled up in your bcd pocket. in an emergency where you need to be spotted at the surface, use your reg/alternate to inflate. cheap, easy and HIGHLY VISIBLE!

Happy (safe) Diving!

 

[FredGarvin]

There is another option for aerial identification enhancement. The Rescue Streamer.

Dye, streamer, strobe, mirror and laser work to help alert aerial based SAR to a divers location. Horn, whistle and sausage do not.

As opposed to dye, which will dissipate over time as the sea water disperses the flourescent chemical which comprises the dye, the streamer remains visible for the duration of the search.

see: RescueStreamer® - Water Safety Emergency Distress Signaling Device

Garv

 

[DennisS]

You can never be too prepared...

saw on another post a great idea:

carry a white plastic trash bag rolled up in your bcd pocket. in an emergency where you need to be spotted at the surface, use your reg/alternate to inflate. cheap, easy and HIGHLY VISIBLE!

Happy (safe) Diving!

In the fall they have leaf bags that look like orange pumpkins when filled. I like the rescue streamer myself, all it needs is an arrow on the end. He's right here.

The thought of a dye marker leaking on the wet white deck of a dive boat is enough to keep me from using one.

 

[BDSC]

Since we are on the topic of dyes, I was on a dive once where a guy doing video had a dye that he could release next to a big sponge and it showed how the sponge would take it in from the outside and filter it through until it came out from the inside. I guess it showed how a sponge filters water through it. It was neat to watch. He told me later that it was totally harmless and he had used it for years.

Anyone have any idea what type of dye that would be and where it could be purchased?

Thanks.