Missing Divers - Komodo National Park

[Geoff_H]

rickg , a few posts up, makes some good points. They are nuts for cell phones there in Indonesia.

I'm not sure how practical cell phones are though, to be honest.

There are few waterproof models for a start, which makes using them in the ocean a pain in the backside, especially in the choppy conditions you might expect to get lost in. Then you need the right SIM card for the country, even assuming the cell phones are compatible (GSM vs analogue vs 3G)... then you need to keep it charged. Finally you need to be in range of a cell site which may not always be the case in these remote places.

Even if you do get through, you can say "I'm floating in the ocean"... it is much easier to direction find on a VHF source rather than have to go through the cell phone provider to DF on the cellsite, which generally requires overlapping cells anyway (if I remember correctly from my communication engineering days!)

I think I would prefer a marine radio for my survivial tool, and make sure both the boat and the diveshop land staff knew the transmit frequency - maybe leave a printed sheet with the details with the disclosure forms you sign for most dive shops.

 

[Geoff_H]

That's a lot of gadgets to be taking when most don't bother, tho and it would be nice to dive with a DM who carried them.

Kinda assumes you aren't going to get separated from the DM though, which is a big assumption! In this case the DM was there, but in the recent Aussie case they didn't see the DM. Also forces you to dive exclusively with the DM which isn't ideal in a lot of liveaboard diving.

 

[DandyDon]

Kinda assumes you aren't going to get separated from the DM though, which is a big assumption! In this case the DM was there, but in the recent Aussie case they didn't see the DM. Also forces you to dive exclusively with the DM which isn't ideal in a lot of liveaboard diving.

Yeah, that too. So I bring my own CO tester, 2 walky talkies so I can leave one with the skipper, and a GPS so I can tell them where I am. Gotcha. Would a small raft be easier....?

 

[Geoff_H]

Yeah, that too. So I bring my own CO tester, 2 walky talkies so I can leave one with the skipper, and a GPS so I can tell them where I am. Gotcha. Would a small raft be easier....?

I don't think there are many practical electronic solutions to this problem. I believe a big ole SMB, your bin bag and some dye are the best solutions I've seen for a balance of size, practicality and effectiveness.

 

[DandyDon]

I don't think there are many practical electronic solutions to this problem. I believe a big ole SMB, your bin bag and some dye are the best solutions I've seen for a balance of size, practicality and effectiveness.

For some reason I actually have two portable, water resistant Marine VHF two-ways that can be switched to 5 watts. Kinda bulky but doable...
[c]
http://www.smartmarine.co.nz/atlantis-250-handheld-vhf-marine-radio-p-5.html

[/c]

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Maybe diving tourist should understand that there are risks associated with diving in other than you home country. Know what the risk are and do not expect to be a tourist. Maybe people should not be so quick to blame the operator when something does not go right and or say they are incompetent and should be sued. Not every country is the USA and they have their own ways of doing things.

I have said enough on this issue.

John

I agree ...

If people want "safe", then they should stay home.

I enjoyed getting a bit off the beaten path. I enjoyed doing the dives, and dealing with the current. That's part of the adventure ... I would rather not have the whole world "sanitized" by technology.

And FWIW - the komodo dragons aren't as fierce as all that. Certainly they're predators ... but the news accounts are doing to them what they do to other predators, and making them out to be some sort of monster.

Here's a picture Cheng took of one that was walking toward us ... she took this from about 3 meters in front of the animal, while it was walking toward her, and at no time felt threatened. After she got the shot, she stepped aside, out of its path, and it walked right past her ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Tomeck]

If people want "safe", then they should stay home.

The United States is not safer than Singapore.

 

[Paco II]

I guess you just use the Tables and leave the dive computers to us 'safe' divers

... I would rather not have the whole world "sanitized" by technology.

 

[Bora_Horza]

A news article with timeline details on the incident HERE

 

[SCUBAJENNIFER]

ha ha...I wish those waters were shark infested...I don't recall seeing any...and we LOOKED!!

Thanks Bora Horza...interesting stuff