Found him ~3 miles out after an hour of searching

[MidOH]

I’m drift diving in Florida later this summer. DSMBs are required equipment by the dive operator.

I’ve been reading and watching youtube videos.

How did you mark your string at 15 feet? Tie a washer on it?

Tied a loop every 10'.

Currently 2 loops on the end. One at 10, 2 loops at 20, 3 loops at 30.

You can tie a loop anytime you want. It's easier than connecting to the Dsmb.

 

[ggunn]

Captain Queeg was helming boats through treacherous waters since before you were dating cheerleaders.

Put some respect on his name!

You know that Queeg was a fictional character in an old WWII movie, right? His crew called him "Old Yellow Stain", which wasn't very respectful.

And I never once dated a cheerleader, although I "admired" them from afar.

 

[Chavodel8en]

You know that Queeg was a fictional character in an old WWII movie, right? His crew called him "Old Yellow Stain", which wasn't very respectful.

And I never once dated a cheerleader, although I "admired" them from afar.

J/K. Yes, I was recalling the movie, and Jose Ferrar's impassioned defense of Queeg -- how dare you call him "Old Yellow Stain"!!

 

[Tribal]

So that's, what?.......
You just called 95% of divers, fools?

Other than the DM's, I don't recall too many divers with dsmb's. Maybe 1, every other boat ride. Even less than that.

Diving from a boat without having a smb and knowing how to use it is stupid indeed.
It doesn’t get more basic then that. If you can’t expect that people are able to do that, what’s next? Expect the DM to carry your air?

If you dive in the ocean you better know how to navigate, surface safely and plan your own dive. If you can’t do that stay in the pool or other save open water spot.

 

[ggunn]

Other than the DM's, I don't recall too many divers with dsmb's. Maybe 1, every other boat ride. Even less than that.

If you were on a boat with me you'd probably not notice that I was carrying an SMB; it stays stowed in my BCD pocket until I deploy it.

 

[Micko1974]

Nothing personal in this remark but only a fool would dive without one in the ocean or a lake large enough for boats. This has been my opinion for the 23 years I've been diving.

I agree. It's easy to carry in your BC pocket at all times.

 

[jeasy22]

I had the same thing happen to me in Playa del Carmen. The dive master actually signaled to me to go on diving and return, but when I returned, no one was there. I was equipped with SMB which did the trick. Plus we were not that far from shore so worse case scenario I would was ashore and hitch a lift back.

 

[Nick_Radov]

I have a DSMB, a whistle, a mirror, two cutting devices and an Applewatch Ultra as my backup DC. My son/dive buddy, also has an Ultra and SMB. He tells me our Apple Watches will alert the local authorities via satellite if you initiate an emergency services call. Probably not as good as your PLB, but still more comforting than nothing.

I think your son misunderstood. The Apple Watch Ultra doesn't have a satellite transmitter. Some models do have an LTE radio so you could use that to call for help if you're close to shore inside 4G/5G cellular coverage. SpaceX is supposed to start offering satellite LTE coverage through Starlink later this year but it's not available yet and unclear whether Apple Watch devices will be supported.

The Apple iPhone 14 and later models do have a Globalstar satellite transmitter for emergency SOS signals. This only works in some parts of the world.

For offshore use, most divers would be better off with a dedicated PLB or Iridium satellite transmitter such as a Garmin inReach. These devices are more robust than a cell phone (a case is still needed for diving), have longer battery life, and better satellite coverage. Garmin dive computers can pair with an inReach Mini 2 via Bluetooth, allowing users to trigger an emergency message at the surface without removing the device from the case.

 

[mcpowell]

I think your son misunderstood. The Apple Watch Ultra doesn't have a satellite transmitter. Some models do have an LTE radio so you could use that to call for help if you're close to shore inside 4G/5G cellular coverage. SpaceX is supposed to start offering satellite LTE coverage through Starlink later this year but it's not available yet and unclear whether Apple Watch devices will be supported.

The Apple iPhone 14 and later models do have a Globalstar satellite transmitter for emergency SOS signals. This only works in some parts of the world.

For offshore use, most divers would be better off with a dedicated PLB or Iridium satellite transmitter such as a Garmin inReach. These devices are more robust than a cell phone (a case is still needed for diving), have longer battery life, and better satellite coverage. Garmin dive computers can pair with an inReach Mini 2 via Bluetooth, allowing users to trigger an emergency message at the surface without removing the device from the case.

You are right. My son overestimated our Applewatch Ultras.

Thank you for this good information. I am shopping.

 

[tursiops]

Yo tambien. I have my SMB and finger spool in my BCD pocket on every dive, and on one of the first dives on every trip I deploy it from 20+ feet at the end of the dive to brush up on the skill *; I tell the DM on the boat before the dive that I will be doing it do it so that he doesn't think I am in trouble.

I lead group dive trips. The first boat dive of each trip -- after coordination with the DM -- we all practice deploying our DSMBs. Those who are carrying cameras discover how many hands they need.