Safety Sausage

[Cacia]

Not to sound like miss-know-it-all, but Sunday I was reminded once again how important it is to have a surface marker. Many people do not. I did not for a long time before I went to Palau and heard a certain compelling horror story.

JB and I were on a drift with a group. Well, we hung back for a little too long poking around in the shark cave (cavern, ledge). When we started looking for the group they were "gone" because the current past this point was really whistling Dixie. We were not too worried but it is always a little disconcerting when you are moving that fast to "somewhere". The good news is usually everyone else is at least moving in the same direction.

Surface conditions here in Hawaii are generally rougher due to the unprotected nature of our islands and the trade winds. When we surfaced JB commented on how amazed he was that we were so far from the group. (The time we sat out the current in the cave accounted for the distance). We had shot our marker as we drifted our safety stop and the captain was relieved to have spotted us. No problem. I was struck by how many times he thanked us for using a marker.

I think everyone diving (especially here in Hawaii) should buy one.

 

[RonFrank]

Yup, I always carry one when ocean diving (which I get to do a LOT less than I would like). For the $20-30 they cost for an inexpensive one, it's rather worth your life. I sold my wimpy sausage, and purchase a 6Ft jobby even if I've never had to use either

I'm considering a surface signal as well. My buddy picked one up, and man are they LOUD! It's likely another item that would see no usage, but having one and not needing it is a LOT better vs. needing one and not having it.

 

[dherbman]

Things kicked up a bit while I was diving Marty's reef on Maui with B&B last month. There was a pretty good current and some decent swells, so the boat was about 100 yards away when I surfaced and would disappear in the trough, so I knew they would have difficulty in tracking me. My safety sausage helped a lot and also marked my position for other boats in the area.

They roll up pretty compact, so there's no reason not to have one at all times.

 

[chepar]

catherine-

I forgot to ask you on Sunday, but is your marker the type you can inflate from your BC or the type you have to blow up yourself? I've always got one in my BC, but I'd have to blow it up myself if I ever needed it.

You guys were very easy to spot with the marker. You were far enough away that without it (and the surface chop) it would have been much more difficult.

 

[double80s]

A good friend found this out first hand last year. On a dive trip to Puerto Rico, there was a lot of current and because he was at a different depth than the rest of the group, the current was pushing faster. He ended up blowing way past the group and upon surfacing found that he could not see the boat. Waves had picked up as well. He was found buy the search skiff due to his sbm. The rest of the group used their sbm's to be found as well. Everyone was okay, but it gave him a good reminder of why he carries his.

I prefer an open bottom float that can be inflated orally or with a reg, etc

 

[Cacia]

catherine-

I forgot to ask you on Sunday, but is your marker the type you can inflate from your BC or the type you have to blow up yourself? I've always got one in my BC, but I'd have to blow it up myself if I ever needed it.

You guys were very easy to spot with the marker. You were far enough away that without it (and the surface chop) it would have been much more difficult.

Oh yea, I am sure some people have them and I just think they might not cause they are hidden in your pockets. I always forget that! Mine inflates on my inflater hose but I do not think that is any better than the simpler kind. I just got this one because I like playing with them--you know "shooting it" makes me feel macha.

I did not ever think about the added benefit, but someone on SB was talking about their BC failing, punctured or something, and they made the point that the safety sausage is a back up flotation device. I have noticed when you are drifting in a quick current, you can stabilize your buoyancy a bit by hanging on it a little while you pass your three minutes. I do worry a bit about boat traffic on those safety stops at 15 ft. The other day, off Turtle Canyon, a sailboat with a big keel went right over our divers. Well, 15 ft is not that deep!

 

[Doc Intrepid]

...Little miss know-it-all......

<just teasing!>

 

[Cacia]

hey, I don't know much, so when I have these epiphanies, I feel the need to share. And, to top it off, I NOW have spellcheck. Thanks to Mister Cat with machine gun Avatar.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

The safety sausage can be used to hang on while you're doing your safety stop, much like a lift bag can. I've attached 15 feet of line and a clip to mine and when I'm doing a drift dive the boat can see where I'm hanging and eventually that ladder backs right on up to me and aboard I go

 

[Doc Intrepid]

hey, I don't know much, so when I have these epiphanies, I feel the need to share. And, to top it off, I NOW have spellcheck. Thanks to Mister Cat with machine gun Avatar.

you go, girl!