Error Five Drifters Rescued - Hawaii Kai

[teksimple]

BTW, that dive canister is on eBay right now, item #116366141787. It is big, made to fit an EPIRB that was state of the art in the early 2000s. It could probably fit a lot more than just an EPIRB, like maybe a VHF handheld, too, if you buy one of the smaller 406Mhz EPIRBs they make now.

 

[FreqFlier]

Currents are ripping there at this time of a year.
Couple of years back we did a four wreck drift dive (barges and LCU) in about 45 minutes. We had a DM with us though.

 

[DandyDon]

We've had several threads about drifters, some found, some not. I won't leave home without my PLB as it rides in my car's console fine, or my backpack if I get out to farm or hike, or my canister when diving.

a machined aluminum case that I have taken to over 400 feet depth without any issues.

I used to rent one for dive trips. Now you can get a much lighter dive canister for $100 or so.

Biotech Diver do you know or any PLBs or small EPIRB that is capabale of being take to depth?

Carry a buoyant PLB that is waterproof on the surface in a dive canister clipped to your BC. Change the O-ring every couple of years or if you get a leak.

 

[Gandalf-the-Diver]

They sell a dive case for the In Reach Mini. I don’t believe they still make the Nautilus but you might find one on eBay. DandyDon is a better person to ask these questions because he’s researched it really well.

The Nautilus is still made. Originally, the unit also contained a radio. Find one of those used, and they are NOT cheap. Brand new ones are available, but they no longer have a 2-way radio function. They will, however, transmit your location in an alert, to AIS equipped boats.

 

[coldwaterglutton]

For about the last year I have been carrying a dryfob and PLB on every ocean dive.

 

[Biotech Diver]

The Nautilus is still made. Originally, the unit also contained a radio. Find one of those used, and they are NOT cheap. Brand new ones are available, but they no longer have a 2-way radio function. They will, however, transmit your location in an alert, to AIS equipped boats.

Oh ok. I thought they stopped because I had this notification in my Amazon wish list. I was planning to buy one as a backup to my In Reach Mini in case my Garmin dive case failed during a dive. I guess I didn’t read the notification carefully enough.

 

[Steelyeyes]

Oh ok. I thought they stopped because I had this notification in my Amazon wish list. I was planning to buy one as a backup to my In Reach Mini in case my Garmin dive case failed during a dive. I guess I didn’t read the notification carefully enough.

I have two new ones. Full distress alerting with AIS and DSC. DSC goes out on VHF channel 16.

 

[runsongas]

@Biotech Diver palau is more likely, they get a lot of japanese divers due to being a prior colony and direct flights. also a lot harder to drift away and never be found from chuuk as you should be able to swim for some form of land before getting outside the lagoon. not so much for palau where your next stop if heading south would be papua, indonesia.

 

[J105Puff]

They sell a dive case for the In Reach Mini. I don’t believe they still make the Nautilus but you might find one on eBay. DandyDon is a better person to ask these questions because he’s researched it really well.

Biotech I just looked and they stillare making one they call it a lifeline Nexgen marine GPS radio. It is good to know that there are some water proof cases/housing out there.

 

[J105Puff]

Windward Hawaii waters get VERY choppy, with serious ground swells and wind swells, cliffside reflective waves, heavy trade winds, currents. People get violently ill (and gray) from seasickness even on completely fair and normal days

The only windward operator I've dived with in Hawaii runs a constant flagged buoy (not an SMB) on the surface for the whole dive, from the start of the dive, on every dive. The guide tows it along with the group and the boat follows it.

"Watching for bubbles?" You won't even see a 6ft SMB out there unless it's ≤200 ft away, fully inflated, and held completely upright. You won't hear anything over the wind and waves.

You might see a signal mirror, but the sight lines are hopeless from a small craft as soon as the chop/swell is over ~3-5ft.

The Nautilus VHF/AIS beacons do work when properly programmed, and can show surfaced divers on the chartplotter in 'test' mode for a vessel that has AIS & MMSI

This was out of Hawaii Kai not on the windward side. I believe they were diving China Walls. It can very very choppy there also. AIS is getting more common on boats but there are still more boat with out than with. I would need to look it up but I do not think it is a requirement for the dive boats.

For about the last year I have been carrying a dryfob and PLB on every ocean dive.

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What model PLB is that?