Safety Sausage what color is recommended yellow or orange
- Thread starter Melanie White
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)pepperbelly
Contributor
One of the divers that was rescued off Florida was found after floating overnight. The rescue boat said he had an orange signal device-I asdume an orange SMB, that they said they saw from a distance.
Yellow. Or Orange.
Some places/people use one colour to indicate an "all is well" ascent and another to indicate an "oh ****, we're in trouble" ascent. But there's no universal or even really widely accepted usage. So get whichever you like. Personally, I carry an orange bag and attach it to a finger spool. Mine is also a 30lb lift bag, so it probably counts as overkill in most cases. But it's easily stowed in my butt bag, and, while overkill, the added size isn't going to hurt anything. Kim and Sue both carry 4' orange bags, but neither of them deploy from depth.
One thing to note is that if you plan to deploy at depth, the bag needs to have some sort of overpressure relief, and you need to learn how to deploy it safely, and practice doing so regularly (just like other skills).
Some places/people use one colour to indicate an "all is well" ascent and another to indicate an "oh ****, we're in trouble" ascent. But there's no universal or even really widely accepted usage. So get whichever you like. Personally, I carry an orange bag and attach it to a finger spool. Mine is also a 30lb lift bag, so it probably counts as overkill in most cases. But it's easily stowed in my butt bag, and, while overkill, the added size isn't going to hurt anything. Kim and Sue both carry 4' orange bags, but neither of them deploy from depth.
One thing to note is that if you plan to deploy at depth, the bag needs to have some sort of overpressure relief, and you need to learn how to deploy it safely, and practice doing so regularly (just like other skills).
I've been stuck at the surface waiting for a RIB to notice me. I noticed that my old style of SMB did not remain inflated very well and would have been a real pain in the *** if I had my hands full with a very heavy surf, trying to hand on to a buddy, etc. It has now been replaced with a model that stays inflated until I purposely open the dump valve. If I were in the open ocean or other big water, I'd make sure I had a sausage a good 1.5 to 2m in height.
BTW if I were in the open ocean I'd have a PLB too. They can also be rented.
BTW if I were in the open ocean I'd have a PLB too. They can also be rented.
Whichever colour you use (and for whatever purpose) just make sure the boat crew know.
This is a piece of kit you need to stay in practice with. It isn’t a learn once and forget.
This is a piece of kit you need to stay in practice with. It isn’t a learn once and forget.
There was some study that indicated under certain conditions pink might be easier to spot. I like hot pink. I have a 6ft one for the Great Lakes.
EireDiver606
Contributor
EireDiver606
Contributor
Keep it simple. Don’t get yellow on one side and orange on other. Boat won’t know what means if it’s emergency or normal.
Orange/red/ pink for normal.
Yellow for emergencies.
Orange/red/ pink for normal.
Yellow for emergencies.
OP
Melanie White
Contributor
We ended up getting orange ones 6 foot tall that can be inflated with your octo
Thanks
Thanks
Rred
Contributor
There are few clear "answers" for color. "International Orange" aka Hi-Viz orange aka dayglo orange is used commercially, legally, for high visibility safety wear. So if chartreuse, aka "Lime" green or yellow, depending on who is naming it. (Since the human eye can't see yellow and it is up to the individual brain to decode it, there's objective reason why "yellow" and "green" may be subjective calls.)
In boating safety, the color of life jackets is debated for the same good reason. The hoods and visors of foul weather gear are often chartreuse, because it is never confused with natural colors on the water. You'd find that red, orange, and yellow all disappear against the colors of a low sun reflecting off whitecaps or the water. Green is less visible--but more unique.
But since the OP appears to be female...I'd suggest the extremely bright PINK SMDs that are out there. The color is very bright, nearly dayglo. Very distinctive. Unlikely to be missed or confused and very likely to draw attention.
Since I don't wear much pink, I put two big pieces of ScotchLite, the red reflective stuff, on the top of my SMD. *That* is much more visible than anything if there's light shining on it, day or night. Durable, inexpensive, comes in many colors.
In boating safety, the color of life jackets is debated for the same good reason. The hoods and visors of foul weather gear are often chartreuse, because it is never confused with natural colors on the water. You'd find that red, orange, and yellow all disappear against the colors of a low sun reflecting off whitecaps or the water. Green is less visible--but more unique.
But since the OP appears to be female...I'd suggest the extremely bright PINK SMDs that are out there. The color is very bright, nearly dayglo. Very distinctive. Unlikely to be missed or confused and very likely to draw attention.
Since I don't wear much pink, I put two big pieces of ScotchLite, the red reflective stuff, on the top of my SMD. *That* is much more visible than anything if there's light shining on it, day or night. Durable, inexpensive, comes in many colors.
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