Nautilus Lifeline Work In Coz?

[Quicksilver II]

I had a chat with a regular Coz diver recently who told me most of the boats don't monitor the channels the Nautilus Lifeline broadcasts distress signals on.

Can anyone confirm or deny?

Is this thing worth carrying or would a Garmin InReach/PLB be a better choice for Cozumel?

Thanks in advance!

 

[JFS]

Unless you have the nautilus lifeline with radio, its pretty much useless on Cozumel. Whats more important is paying attention to where you guide is and also carry a SMB ( know how to use it!). There are normally many boats around that can see you unless you are diving way north or maracaibo area. I have Nautilus Lifelines with radio. I also use a Horizon HX40 Marine Radio that I have in a DryFob Canister that I can call boat. Same idea as Nautilus.

 

[Quicksilver II]

Geeze, if it's useless in Coz with thousands of divers and boats, I'd question it of being of any use anywhere.

It says it works with all marine radios installed since 1999. Just wondering why it wouldn't work. Surely most boats aren't on 25+ year old radios.

 

[tursiops]

Geeze, if it's useless in Coz with thousands of divers and boats, I'd question it of being of any use anywhere.

It works with larger boats, like liveaboards, just fine...except probably for low-end third-world places.
However, I checked specifically with the Bilikiki, a major liveaboard in the Solomon Islands. Their response: "I am afraid our radio is not modern enough to support that."

It says it works with all marine radios installed since 1999.

Says their marketing department.

Perhaps you should contact your favorite operator in Cozumel and ask specifically if they support AIS/DSC from Nautilus Lifeline units. Let us know what they way. Also ask what marine radio channels they monitor, in case someone has the older Nautilus Radio unit.

 

[NDL_Diver]

AIS /DSC technology universal works everywhere in the world. Older marine radios (over 15 years old) are not equipped but all newer ones are. All Comercial vessels are equipped...
I know Aldora uses them.
AIS/DSC channel is always automatically monitored by radios. It is not a changable voice channel.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

I

AIS /DSC technology universal works everywhere in the world. Older marine radios (over 15 years old) are not equipped but all newer ones are. All Comercial vessels are equipped...
I know Aldora uses them.
AIS/DSC channel is always automatically monitored by radios. It is not a changable voice channel.

I don't know if Aldora DIVERS still use the NAUTILUS for adventure dives (far north, other side) as I instituted several years back, but then we gave a Nautilus to each buddy pair, and our radios all would receive them.

DAVE DILLEHAY

 

[tursiops]

All Comercial vessels are equipped..

Not true. See post #4.

 

[Quicksilver II]

I

I don't know if Aldora DIVERS still use the NAUTILUS for adventure dives (far north, other side) as I instituted several years back, but then we gave a Nautilus to each buddy pair, and our radios all would receive them.

DAVE DILLEHAY

I'm diving with Aldora next month. I asked today over WhatsApp and was told Aldora boats are NOT capable of receiving a signal from a Nautilus / DSC.

Not that they are obligated to but it seems odd they don't have radios that are capable of it. That or Nautilus is full of **** about it being standard on all radios after 1999.

Is the coast guard present in the area? Surely they have them.

I'd rather buy more dives than a $450 Garmin InReach.

 

[tursiops]

I'm diving with Aldora next month. I asked today over WhatsApp and was told Aldora boats are NOT capable of receiving a signal from a Nautilus / DSC.

Not that they are obligated to but it seems odd they don't have radios that are capable of it. That or Nautilus is full of **** about it being standard on all radios after 1999.

Is the coast guard present in the area? Surely they have them.

I'd rather buy more dives than a $450 Garmin InReach.

Read carefully: what Nautilus is telling you is that all new radios are standard after 1999. But they are NOT saying that all radios on all boats are new.

ADDED: The USCG says, "On February 1, 1999, the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention, a treaty document, required all passenger ships and most other ships 300 grt and larger on international voyages, including all cargo ships, to carry DSC - equipped radios." I doubt if any of the Cozumel dive boats fall into the category of "passenger ship" or 300 grt, or international voyages, or cargo ships, etc.

 

[NDL_Diver]

I was referring to cargo, ferry, cruise.... not dive operations as required. But Aldora v and maybe vi has radio that receives unless it broke or was stolen.