Lightsticks

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L_A_S

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Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
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Location
Oahu
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So I just got a DAN safety sausage (possibly my new favorite dive component, after the bp/w), which came with a cyalume light stick. I won't get to dive for a while to simply see for myself, so I was wondering if people usually take it under water in the foil wrapper it comes in (wouldn't pressure affect this?) If you take it out, is the longevity of the lightstick affected?

Thanks,
Luke
 
nope, you activate the lightstick and tie it to your tank so other divers can see you at night. You won't really need it during the day.

Now, if you are thinking to hold onto it in case you are abandoned at night and want to activate it for a night search and rescue (which most likely will not be happening anyway) then leave it in the foil wrapper. Pressure will not affect it at all...
 
It is essentially useless whether or not it remains in the foil.

They are only really visible for Search and Rescue by observers with night vision (NV) gear. (Get a battery powered strobe light for such emergencies)

Some chemical light sticks are slightly more visible than others underwater, and since almost everyone puts them on their tank- you won't look any different than anyone else to your buddy. Maybe put it on your mask strap or fin strap to differentiate?

If you take them to a tropical island vacation- please... take the dead ones home with you.

Complete your safety sausage with the addition of 20' of 3mm line, stowed properly so it doesn't tangle. I use a couple of rubber bands. Learn to deploy it from 20' depth and do your safety stop. This is a great way to await a pickup while drift diving, allowing the boat captain time to spot you and plan his moves.

Cyalume light sticks were very popular purchase items for the gals who worked in the gentleman's club near my pal's dive shop~ they used them as "body paint" during their act. Excellent for the blades of ceiling fans over the beds of tipsy dive buddies, too. :wink: Be careful- the glow goo corrodes Stainless Steel dive knives!
 
Cyalume light sticks were very popular purchase items for the gals who worked in the gentleman's club near my pal's dive shop~ they used them as "body paint" during their act. Excellent for the blades of ceiling fans over the beds of tipsy dive buddies, too. :wink: Be careful- the glow goo corrodes Stainless Steel dive knives!

It also contains glass particles from the tube you break when you activate it. A friend who captained liveaboards once had a passenger who got drunk one night, stripped down, and smeared it all over his fifth appendage, visually alluding to a scene in an old John Ritter movie. This caused dozens of small cuts, not much bigger than paper cuts, and twice as painful. Needless to say, the guy ruined his own honeymoon.
 
It also contains glass particles from the tube you break when you activate it. A friend who captained liveaboards once had a passenger who got drunk one night, stripped down, and smeared it all over his fifth appendage, visually alluding to a scene in an old John Ritter movie. This caused dozens of small cuts, not much bigger than paper cuts, and twice as painful. Needless to say, the guy ruined his own honeymoon.

Glad your friend did not tape it & give it to you & therefore you did not just post it here...........that could have gotten ugly----quick.........:)
 
It also contains glass particles from the tube you break when you activate it. A friend who captained liveaboards once had a passenger who got drunk one night, stripped down, and smeared it all over his fifth appendage, visually alluding to a scene in an old John Ritter movie. This caused dozens of small cuts, not much bigger than paper cuts, and twice as painful. Needless to say, the guy ruined his own honeymoon.

On a visit to Myrtle Beach in college we met some interesting young ladies, one who had broken one of them open and was smearing it all over herself. Next morning my bud's tongue was glowing, can't imagine that was healthy.
 
I always carry 1 or 2 cyalume sticks in my pocket as an emergency just in case im lost, it gets dark, i need to mark a shot or shore location etc. They're cheap and come in handy.

Oh and if using a DSMB (or safety sausage whatever the hell that term means!) please please use a reel or spool and not just randomly drop weighted line onto the reef or anywhere else. It really is a very dull method of deployment.
 
I routinely carry a light stick with my safety sausage. I took about 15 meters of stout nylon line and attached it to the sausage, then wound it around the light stick. I attached an emergency whistle to the clip on the sausage and stowed it all in a pouch on my BC.
While the light stick won't attract a lot of attention, even on a night rescue, it's comforting to have still one more light source in a sticky situation. For example, a buddy used one to read his gauges on his ascent after both his primary light and backup failed (yes, it was a freak accident, but it happened).
 
It also contains glass particles from the tube you break when you activate it. A friend who captained liveaboards once had a passenger who got drunk one night, stripped down, and smeared it all over his fifth appendage, visually alluding to a scene in an old John Ritter movie. This caused dozens of small cuts, not much bigger than paper cuts, and twice as painful. Needless to say, the guy ruined his own honeymoon.
At least he didn't use it to go "cave" diving with a rather unsuspecting "dive buddy".
 

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