Emergency Dive Kit

[a4lod]

Does anyone dive with an emergency dive kit? I am not talking about a save-a-dive kit, but rather a kit with items such as flares, dye, signalling devices, strobe, glow sticks etc or anything else that might come in useful should an emergency occur. Is diving with such items a good idea or simply overkill? Also, if such items are used, how are they stored? I know OMS has a plastic cansiter that can hold such items, but it is quite pricey. Comments on any of the above are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[lairdb]

Does anyone dive with an emergency dive kit? I am not talking about a save-a-dive kit, but rather a kit with items such as flares, dye, signalling devices, strobe, glow sticks etc or anything else that might come in useful should an emergency occur. Is diving with such items a good idea or simply overkill? Also, if such items are used, how are they stored? I know OMS has a plastic cansiter that can hold such items, but it is quite pricey. Comments on any of the above are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

LPI hose:

• diveAlert

pouch (DiveRite bellows pocket strung onto harness):

• SMB and spool
• tiny strobe with lithium battery
• whistle
• mirror
• dye marker
• shears

on harness:

• flashlight

If I were even more paranoid, the next few items would be

• fresh water pouches
• hat
• serious dye markers
• huge super-compact sausage/surface streamer
• big, long duration strobe
• flares
• raft
• dive-able or containerized GPIRB

Robert Delfs wrote an article that's often pointed to when this question comes up, available at http://www.tabula-international.com/DIV/SMB3.html.

--Laird

 

[DJ69]

First thing to get is a SMB. they are good for more things then emergency and come by very cheep.
Second is a mini strobe. Pelican have one called "mini flasher" for less then 10$. You tiy it on top of the SMB and basically forget about it.
Also good to have is a air horn connected to the inflator hose. they are good not only to signal above water but also under....

All this items are small, easy to use long lasting and cheep.

 

[IndigoBlue]

LPI hose:

• diveAlert

pouch (DiveRite bellows pocket strung onto harness):

• SMB and spool
• tiny strobe with lithium battery
• whistle
• mirror
• dye marker
• shears

on harness:

• flashlight

If I were even more paranoid, the next few items would be

• fresh water pouches
• hat
• serious dye markers
• huge super-compact sausage/surface streamer
• big, long duration strobe
• flares
• raft
• dive-able or containerized GPIRB

Robert Delfs wrote an article that's often pointed to when this question comes up, available at http://www.tabula-international.com/DIV/SMB3.html.

--Laird

Nice list, by Laird. Here is my list:

snorkel
orange 4 ft safety sausage
mirror
flashlight
2 knives (in case you drop one)

If I were paranoid, I would add a folded hat and a water pouch, but that would be it.

Flares and dye markers are too volatile. A raft would not do you much good. The strobe does not accomplish much more than a flashlight could, and a strobe might be confused for a reef beacon, whereas you could tap out SOS with a flashlight though not with a strobe. (For those of you that missed being in Boy Scouts or the military, SOS = short-short-short-LONG-LONG-LONG-short-short-short and is universally recognized; short means a short flash and LONG means a long flash with your flashlight.)

In view of the recent SoCalif incident, a DiveAlert is making more and more sense and is tempting. A whistle, or whistling, may not be good enough.

The nice thing about a back-inflation B/C is that you have a couple of nice pockets that you can stuff these items into. If you are diving with a harness and STA, you will need a pouch to carry them in, to clip to one of your D-rings, and it would probably be annoying then. One more reason why a harness is more appropriate for twin tank cave diving than open water single tank diving.

 

[DJ69]

The strobe does not accomplish much more than a flashlight could, and a strobe might be confused for a reef beacon

There are some things that make strobes better for emergency -
1. Small.
I don't take a flashlight to every dive. They are big and expencive. A small strobe you can connect to the equipment and forget about it.
2. A strobe work by itself.
It will keep on signaling long after you will be out for Hypotermia.
3. blink to all directions.
You don't have to aim it at a boat for it to see you. and some times if the sea is high you don't even see the boats/hilo's that are looking for you.
4. You can connect it to the top of the SMB bringing it higher above water.
5. A strobe can work constantly for hours, LED strobes can work for days.

 

[Trisha]

My "every dive" gear:
EMT shears in own sleeve, slipped onto BC belt -- Now that I've used them, they are my little diving buddy!
Small slate in BC pocket -- Includes quick clip for D-ring, saves $$ in learning American Sign Language.
Small powerful light in BC pocket -- Sunlight SL4 with quick clip for D-ring.

My "blue water" gear (some to be purchased after more input):
Height -- safety sausage with pocket/ring for strobe light.
Light -- Aqua Flare. Works well for dive buoy at night.
Sight -- old CD for signal device (add sunlight.)
Sound -- horn for BC hose. Whistle currently used as needed.