Safety Sausage

[roundrockdiver]

Hello all. Quick question. Can anyone tell me who makes a safety sausage that you install on one of your BC dump valves. I have seen them somewhere and my LDS hasn't.

Any info or links would be greatly appreciated due to the fact that my son and I will be diving some strong currents in Fiji and would like to have them as a safety measure. Any other ideas would also be appreciated.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[teknitroxdiver]

I've seen them too, I don't know who makes them but I do have some advice for you.

Basically its a thing that acts in place of the shoulder dump, and when activate sticks straight up off your back. This is the problem. Imagine yourself lost at sea. You pull the cord or whatever, and it deploys. So now you're awaiting pickup, and you lay back to let your BC support you. Since you're laying down somewhat now, the sausage attached to your BC will be nearly laying down on the water, not sticking up where it can be seen.

I would think this might not be the best choice of safety device.

 

[davidr]

I've seen them too, I don't know who makes them but I do have some advice for you.

Basically its a thing that acts in place of the shoulder dump, and when activate sticks straight up off your back. This is the problem. Imagine yourself lost at sea. You pull the cord or whatever, and it deploys. So now you're awaiting pickup, and you lay back to let your BC support you. Since you're laying down somewhat now, the sausage attached to your BC will be nearly laying down on the water, not sticking up where it can be seen.

I would think this might not be the best choice of safety device.

Check LeisurePro http://www.leisurepro.com/Catalog.aspx?Op=Search

 

[davidr]

Check LeisurePro http://www.leisurepro.com/Catalog.aspx?Op=Search

@ enter keyword put in UDRSOS

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Hmm, attaches to the bottom dump? Unless you can take it off, that will be pretty much useless, because most of the sausage will be underwater. And, for less than that costs, you can get a real one, that's even longer.

 

[ID diver]

The product you are asking about is called a S.O.S. Surface Observation Signal and is made by Seaquest. Here is a picture http://www.sealeveldiving.com/61/

Seaquest makes these specifically for their BCDs, depending on your BCD it may or may not work for you. I was unable to find any information on the aqualung/seaquest website. You will probably have to contact a local dealer to get more information.

My wife owns one of these. I am not real thrilled with the product. I agree with Dr. K about the sausage laying down if you were trying to float horizontally on the surface. Other points about the product:
- The sausage is behind you so you have to take the BCD off or have your buddy stow it after you deploy the sausage.
- The sausage will only deploy if you have your BCD completely full of air.
- The metal ring that was used for the pull release on my wife's safety sausage rusted.
- The whole unit attachs to the BCD via the dump valve and a strap that goes around the bladder. Sometimes the strap comes loose and the whole unit is flopping around. Not very streamlined.
- As I remember they are fairly pricey

Seaquest supposedly make a second version but I have not had any experience with the second version so I can't comment on how it works.

I think you would be better off buying a regular safety sausage that you can stow in a pocket, orally inflate and roll/stow yourself.

 

[mack50md]

Sea Quest/Aqualung makes a self-inflator signal called "S.O.S. Surface Observation Signal". It mounts on the right shoulder dump. It goes for about $63.00 at my LDS. I don't know about compatibility with brands other than Sea Quest or Aqualung BCDs. I have the SQ Pro QD+.

While it looked convenient I decided to go with a standard sausage for 2 reasons: (1) I didn't one another piece of gear to complicate my BCD; (2) I wanted the ability to use a sausage with 15 ft. of line as a marker for my safety stop.

 

[Mike Veitch]

Stephen Frink designed it for Aqualung. You can go to his website at stephenfrink.com and get info on there for dealers.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Can anyone tell me who makes a safety sausage that you install on one of your BC dump valves. I have seen them somewhere and my LDS hasn't.

Any other ideas would also be appreciated.

Matt,
Sounds like an inventive solution to a nonexistent problem. Look at the size of the diameter. If you're close enough to the boat for the crew to see it, they can see you. If you're more than 100 yards from the boat, how big will it appear?

If you're going to carry one, get a real one. Something 5' or 6' long that can be used for more than one purpose, to include as a SMB if needed, as a surface support float, if needed, or even as a makeshift liftbag, if needed. I'm not pushing H gear, but...consider where you're going and compare and contrast visibility, etc. (Dive Alert Marker, bottom of first paragraph):
http://www.halcyon.net/mc/lift.shtml
http://www.carterbag.com/personalfloat.html

I agree with the above posters. The item you're investigating appears to be an expensive, single-purpose piece of gear, with a design that compromises both its ability to function well as well as the operation of your BC. (Try removing it to wave it around when you're up on the top of the waves) You can do better.

IMHO. FWIW. YMMV.

 

[alemaozinho]

Hello all. Quick question. Can anyone tell me who makes a safety sausage that you install on one of your BC dump valves. I have seen them somewhere and my LDS hasn't.

Any info or links would be greatly appreciated due to the fact that my son and I will be diving some strong currents in Fiji and would like to have them as a safety measure. Any other ideas would also be appreciated.

Thanks,
Matt

aqualung/us divers makes them and they,re expensive,for that price you,ll be able to by the giant oms safety sausage which is of better quality and larger.