Help for newly certified father/son on equipment to buy for infrequent diving

[tursiops]

@LI-er You use a nautilus? Can I get your thoughts on the device? I've been considering getting a PLB, and the nautilus seems like the best option in several respects (already dive rated, no subscription, designed for diving, not bulky) but the reviews I've looked at expressed concern about range, and from what I've read, it doesn't alert emergency services, just broadcasts a distress signal over the radio. That being said, I don't love any of the other options I've seen, so I'd love to get your take on the nautilus.

The Nautilus is not a PLB. The Nautilus uises VHF and sends a single to ships and shore stations. The PLB signal goes to rescue services via satellites and is global. They are very different, and serve different needs. the big question, is where will you be diving that you think you might need it? That is the major determinant or which might server you better. Some have, and carry, both.

 

[SouthernSharktoothDiver]

is where will you be diving that you think you might need it?

@tursiops Short term (next few years) dives within a reasonable boat ride (no more than 20-25 nm) of the American East coast in a fairly popular boating distination for fishing charters and other boat traffic, so in theory someone should always be within signal range if the signal is say, 20 miles. Long term, I'd like to do a liveaboard somewhere in about four years, but I have no idea where I'm going for that (lot of time before I make that decision).

The major thing is, as of right now, I have no offshore diving experience except one dive trip in Honolulu, which obviously had a plethora of safety features courtesy of the dive operator. On my own, I dive in rivers and lakes, both of which have the nice safety feature of "the shore is right over there." I'm obviously going to do quite a bit more prepwork before splashing down in the ocean without a professional around, but I think acquiring a good electronic signaling device (either a PLB or a VHF, which I thought were one and the same until now) is an important part of those preparations. As for carrying both, not opposed to the idea eventually, but right now, if I need both to be safe, I'm buying neither and just not doing those dives yet, cause I really can't afford two such purchases right now.

Edit: Oh, also, 20-25 nm is like, the outer limit. Many of the dive sites I'm looking at are within 10 nm, some as close as 2, so if that's a factor, there's that as well.

 

[Still Kicking]

A PLB in a dive rated canister is probably your best option for infrequent diving. It's satellite based and supported by a monitoring service that notifies emergency responders based on your location. Unlike other satellite services, there is no subscription. You are supposed to change the battery periodically though.

 

[LI-er]

@LI-er You use a nautilus? Can I get your thoughts on the device?

I bought it, read the manual and stuck in my BCD pocket.

I hope that in the unlikely event I'll need it, that it will work and I will remember which buttons to press.

 

[happy-diver]

A manual?

Yeah recently looked at mine and neither of the buttons I could not figure out which to press did anything

So I changed the battery

also recently came across the antenna winder somewhere, how good is that
actually I was coming across them both inedpendently for a couple of years and now they're married again