Search for four missing Divers off coast of North Carolina

[Jaan]

Vacuum way, I imagine it could press any uncovered buttons, so be aware of that. A cover made custom and secured on a vacuum bag maybe. One thing I think I heard someone say on this forum, is the vacuum plastic bag is cut open at the surface and maybe discarded or nicely in a panic mode put in a bc pocket?

I think @tmassey had a story about receiving messages from’ the coast guard after a dive because the pressure at depth had pressed the buttons on his PLB (before getting a canister) and the helicopter was just about to take off …

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I've gone to using this strobe light for a few reasons. High quality aluminum body that Bigblue is known for. Same high quality switch that is used on their other lights. Rechargeable battery that is the same as my two other Bigblue lights (1000 and 1200 lumen narrow beam lights). I have this in my left pocket with my Nautilus Lifeline emergency transmitter on every offshore dive. I also always have one of my other Bigblue lights with me which I use as my primary light (looking under ledges, inside structures, etc.). They also have a strobe SOS mode.

This is the strobe I am currently using:

Bigblue 1300 Lumen LED Strobe Light

Experience the unbeatable blend of innovative design and affordability with Bigblue, your source for the most advanced and cost-effective LED lights available today. Harnessing the power of cutting-edg

www.scuba.com

 

[Wookie]

One orange for routine marking of drifting or deco divers. One yellow to indicate an immediate emergency. Or "orange OK, yellow YIKES"

This is the European way, which we adopted for tech trips. Every diver carried orange, every team carried a yellow.

I only saw yellow once, thankfully.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

First one is to mark your position, second one is to send messages to top side.
In trouble, send deco gas, pony, start cooking....

Not common practice in the US, at least not on recreational dive trips. Perhaps on tech? I don't tech dive any longer. It is a good apprach for tech trips as long as the meaning of the colors is clear to everyone.

I carry two simply for redundancy as I'm frequently solo.

 

[b1gcountry]

I often carried a small smb in my thigh pocket for marking deco if I blew off the line, and a larger one bungeed to my BP for deployment on the surface. The big one was never used other than training.

One note...I got one employee or visiting instructor at mermet springs really worked up deploying a DSMB for a deco stop. They found the owner to report it and Glen said something to the effect of "this is a training quarry. if they are controlled enough to deploy it from depth, there's no emergency". I don't like to work people up, so I tell folks now before I do it.

 

[TravelGas]

I should be embarrassed to tell this story but here goes. YEARS ago I used to take my boat out to the Wilkes-Barre and dive alone, leaving the boat anchored to the wreck. I'd call my wife and tell her that if I don't call her back by a certain time to send help.

Epic . I love a good 1990s story.

Next time I come down for Florida, I think I need to go out on your boat.
Wilkes-Barre is on my list, as are a bunch of other wrecks in that area.

 

[TravelGas]

Per NBC News, that bastion of journalistic integrity, report the 4 divers came up 300 yds from their boat.
One of the group was a longtime US Navy diver. Would it be too much to think that a guy with this background could make a quick decision under pressure and drop all his gear, except mask, snorkel, fins and swim up current 300 yds to save himself and his friends ?

 

[txdamselfish]

I cannot wait to get the full story, the men’s ages range for 64 to 16. Two have the same last name. This would be a great story for leadership, staying calm and technical side to it all from emergency services, Coast Guard and being saved by a Destroyer.

 

[johndiver999]

Per NBC News, that bastion of journalistic integrity, report the 4 divers came up 300 yds from their boat.
One of the group was a longtime US Navy diver. Would it be too much to think that a guy with this background could make a quick decision under pressure and drop all his gear, except mask, snorkel, fins and swim up current 300 yds to save himself and his friends ?

That could be too far if the conditions were adverse, although I have done the "hold my gear" while I swam to our drifting boat that would not start, but it was probably 125 yards or something.

 

[TravelGas]

I beleive the water conditions were 4' swell, the surface water temperature was dropping rapidly. 4 lives depending on your ability to swim only 300 yards when you have that type of Navy background, I would think would be doable. I would be willing to bet my life that I could do it.
Yes drop gear = hold my gear, I will be back with the boat.