Helium as an option?

[k374]

I'm just wondering if anyone has used helium to create a signaling device so that you can just send it up (line attached to you of course) from the surface with a flag or something at the top... wouldn't that result in much better visibility? The helium could come from a mini canister if it can somehow be made neutrally buoyant. Just a thought...

 

[TechBlue]

I am not following your reasoning, could you explain your idea a little more clearly please.

 

[Rhone Man]

I know exactly what he is envisaging - I had a similar thought myself once. Rather than an SMB filled with air, you would have an SMB or balloon which could fill with helium. That way it could float 10 feet above the diver (obviously you need a line or a reel), and be infinitely more visible to anyone searching for the diver (especially in rough seas).

Carrying dedicated helium for it would be hard work, but if you could make it light enough (probably have to be seal packed for 'once-only' use), a technical diver could inflate it from their back gas.

 

[DCBC]

I understand what you mean; something like this: Rescue Balloon Kit by Jaeseok Han Yanko Design

With the advent of GPS/VHF transmitters (EPIRB) SAR can identify your position to within a few feet. A balloon may be an obstruction to be removed before helicopter recovery.

 

[Rhone Man]

Bugger. There goes my shot at patenting it.

 

[k374]

LOL@Rhone Man
Yes, that is exactly what I am saying, why not leverage helium to lift your marker much higher, air rescue can spot it much more easily, plus you don't have to rely on unreliable electronics. DCBC, the expense of a GPS EPIRB device is not really appealing to most. This could be a much more practical solution. That design that you identified looks like a concept, is it in production? besides it doesn't look it is packaged to be taken diving.

If I could send a 6+ft sausage 20-30ft in the air I'm confident that air rescue and even boats in the distance will definitely be able to spot me. I'm just puzzled that this type of product is not even available and widely used in the mainstream, there must be some technical difficulty with implementing such a device... I would like to know what it is. My guess is buoyancy related, how heavy would a canister need to be to cancel out the helium? not too heavy I'm thinking.

 

[Scott L]

I understand what you mean; something like this: Rescue Balloon Kit by Jaeseok Han Yanko Design

With the advent of GPS/VHF transmitters (EPIRB) SAR can identify your position to within a few feet. A balloon may be an obstruction to be removed before helicopter recovery.

ScubaDadMiami (Howard Packer) wrote an article appearing in one of the major diving publications (Alert Diver [DAN] I believe) on open ocean signaling methods which refrenced the use of a simple mylar party ballon that could be inflated with helium then tethered by line & sent high enough for radar to detect. I will work on locating the peice later today...

http://ccrdivetraining.com/

 

[laguna230diver]

i think most fabrics would leak helium because its not diatomic and hence atoms are much smaller than most found in air/nitrox

 

[laguna230diver]

the float would have to have a special lining

 

[Scott L]

You an insomniac also Laguna?