Five drifters rescued after six hours - Seychelles

[Snoweman]

I wonder why they did not use a reel to tow a dive flag behind them. That’s standard practice in Florida

Cozumel boat captains are experts at following bubbles. I've never waited more than ten minutes to be picked up after surfacing. I usually shoot my smb from about 40'. The current can be pretty swift, too.

 

[Snoweman]

I carry that one too. However, if the guy on the boat didn’t have DSC capable marine radio and you are few miles away from commercial ship with AIS capable of receiving MOB signal from the Nautilus Lifeline, that Nautilus Lifeline would be useless.

I wonder if it's possible to be more the a few miles from a ship/boat with a marine radio.
MarineTraffic: Global Ship Tracking Intelligence | AIS Marine Traffic

 

[tarponchik]

What do you folks think of flares like these, for example? Or signals like these? They are waterproof, so one can keep them in a container or in a sealed bag and use when on the surface,

 

[Snoweman]

What do you folks think of flares like these, for example? Or signals like these? They are waterproof, so one can keep them in a container or in a sealed bag and use when on the surface,

I think I would prefer a dye pack.

 

[Biotech Diver]

Cozumel boat captains are experts at following bubbles. I've never waited more than ten minutes to be picked up after surfacing. I usually shoot my smb from about 40'. The current can be pretty swift, too.

Sometimes the swells are too high and close together to see any bubbles. Current can pretty strong too sometimes.

 

[Snoweman]

Sometimes the swells are too high and close together to see any bubbles. Current can pretty strong too sometimes.

One of my first dive was looking for whale sharks in Belize. I don't think it was a drift dive, but it was difficult to say in open water (no reference point). The captain was able to find us and pick us up in 15 foot seas. I didn't even have a smb at the time.

 

[DandyDon]

What do you folks think of flares like these, for example? Or signals like these? They are waterproof, so one can keep them in a container or in a sealed bag and use when on the surface,

Well, you couldn't fly with them, and they have brief durations, but they'd be nice if you saw a plane that didn't see you. I think 24 hour strobes have more appeal, and my PLB has one.

I think I would prefer a dye pack.

I guess you could fly with one, but it'd have similar limitations.

 

[tarponchik]

Well, you couldn't fly with them

True...what about a laser pointer?

 

[Biotech Diver]

One of my first dive was looking for whale sharks in Belize. I don't think it was a drift dive, but it was difficult to say in open water (no reference point). The captain was able to find us and pick us up in 15 foot seas. I didn't even have a smb at the time.

15 foot swells is way too much for me. Biggest swells I had to dive in was on the north side of Maui. I’m going to guess they were about 7 feet. It was pretty sketchy trying to get back in the boat at the end of the dives. We were the only boat I saw go out that day.

 

[Bob DBF]

What do you folks think of flares like these, for example? Or signals like these? They are waterproof, so one can keep them in a container or in a sealed bag and use when on the surface,

They are good at night but may not attract attention during the day.

Having had an emergency in my boat, I used 3 handheld flares and 3 aerial flares and did not attract the attention of two boats, one of which was reasonably close. The flares did not produce enough light to attract attention. I eventually got help using a mirror and eventually flashing it across the eyes of the other boater,

I think I would prefer a dye pack.

Dye pack would be good for planes but disperse quickly, half an hour more or less depending on conditions, as I remember.