Nautilus Lifeline Work In Coz?

[tursiops]

Most of the other operators I know use channel 06. I believe 63 is exclusively an Aldora channel.

There are no exclusive channels. Aldora may be the only one using 63, but others could if they wanted.

ADDED:

International VHF Marine Radio Channels and Frequencies | Navigation Center

www.navcen.uscg.gov

 

[bradStyle]

Agreed. I have perhaps hijacked it myself from time to time. I will neither confirm nor deny.

 

[Russjstewart]

I checked this with an Icom technician in Melbourne Australia. Even if a radio is DSC capabable the DSC function is NOT enabled unless the radio is programmed with an MMSI it will not even receive DSC emergency signals

So the dive boat may have a DSC radio and have no DSC capability.

 

[Random Bit]

Getting left to sea in Cozumel, really is less likely than a meteor hitting you on your head during happy hour after dive.

For recreational divers on a paid dive, I'm sure this is true. It does remind me of one of our SB trips to Cozumel. We were heading out on a boat to a night dive at dusk. One of the crew heard cries for help and our boat stopped and rescued two women who had been lost for hours. I don't speak Spanish so I didn't get the story of how they came to be lost. We gave them towels and my dive buddy gave them his snacks. The experience certainly ingrained the necessity of always carrying signal devices as they had none and were very lucky we came close enough to hear their shouts.

 

[ggunn]

For recreational divers on a paid dive, I'm sure this is true. It does remind me of one of our SB trips to Cozumel. We were heading out on a boat to a night dive at dusk. One of the crew heard cries for help and our boat stopped and rescued two women who had been lost for hours. I don't speak Spanish so I didn't get the story of how they came to be lost. We gave them towels and my dive buddy gave them his snacks. The experience certainly ingrained the necessity of always carrying signal devices as they had none and were very lucky we came close enough to hear their shouts.

Were they divers? If they were, (why) wasn't the op they were diving with out searching for them?

 

[Random Bit]

Were they divers? If they were, (why) wasn't the op they were diving with out searching for them?

Yes, they had full wetsuit, BC, etc. My assumption is that they were diving on their own, but I couldn’t understand the language. Cozumel had some strong currents so perhaps that’s how they got out there.

 

[ggunn]

Yes, they had full wetsuit, BC, etc. My assumption is that they were diving on their own, but I couldn’t understand the language. Cozumel had some strong currents so perhaps that’s how they got out there.

If they were out on a shore dive late in the day and far out enough to be in boat traffic, it doesn't speak well of their dive plan.

 

[Nemrod]

For recreational divers on a paid dive, I'm sure this is true. It does remind me of one of our SB trips to Cozumel. We were heading out on a boat to a night dive at dusk. One of the crew heard cries for help and our boat stopped and rescued two women who had been lost for hours. I don't speak Spanish so I didn't get the story of how they came to be lost. We gave them towels and my dive buddy gave them his snacks. The experience certainly ingrained the necessity of always carrying signal devices as they had none and were very lucky we came close enough to hear their shouts.

S--t happens. However, at least for the more dived southern portion, there are few places I would drift for hours without swimming to shore and making happy hour. I might charge the cab ride to the DM that left me. Divers drifting around for hours in Cozumel, call me a skeptic.

 

[Random Bit]

All I know is we picked up two very cold, tired, hungry, and thankful divers on our way to a night dive.

Which reminds me, the only time I've used my emergency signal mirror was in Cozumel. It was a daylight drift dive and after we surfaced, our boat captain had fallen asleep. After about 15 - 20 mins of surfacing with about 4 SMB's in the air, I pulled out my mirror, and "flashed" the boat captain. Within a minute it woke him up and he then picked us up.

 

[ggunn]

S--t happens. However, at least for the more dived southern portion, there are few places I would drift for hours without swimming to shore and making happy hour. I might charge the cab ride to the DM that left me. Divers drifting around for hours in Cozumel, call me a skeptic.

That reminds me of a story a DM told me about a dive he was once guiding on Villablanca where a buddy pair decided to call the dive early and swim to shore without signaling him. After a considerable time in a panicked search for them the Blue Angel shop radioed the boat to tell him that the "missing" divers were having drinks by the pool.