Self help kit for diver ??

[TSandM]

I don't know what kind of EPIRB it was, or how it was packaged, but one of my instructors took a trip to the Galapagos, and every diver went in the water with an EPIRB. Somehow I doubt they all stayed above 30 feet.

 

[GDCB]

That sounds like a good idea for any buddies. Especially if you're in an unfamiliar area like on vacation. This would work on land too. Say you want to find your friend in a crowded mall or bazaar (no cell service). As for a container, a threaded PVC pipe would work use Teflon tape in the threads. For extra protection use a zip lock or vacuum seal the items inside. I think it also might help to attach a lanyard from the tube to your BC. to prevent it from becoming dislodged and float away. You might even tuck a weight inside to make it less buoyant but still positive. The lanyard might also be set up to retrieve it without removing your BCD. Anyway I think you're on to something here. Keep us posted on your progress. I may start something like this on my own. I have seen simple Family Service Radios with GPS Location integral. It's a small package but I don't remember the price. As someone who lives in the mountains and worked as a mounted patrol for States Parks this would really have helped us wit so many lost hikers. Most of them experienced.

Thanks,

Carl

 

[trkbrkr2000]

They have 2 way GPS radios that will transmit on the marine band frequencies. check out this link it may be of use.

http://www.ultimatefrs.com/frs_gps.html

 

[ba_hiker]

The range of the radios is determined by line of site so in an open water environment like you described would most likely be very good. As far as finding boxes to hold the radios and GPS I'm not too sure of what you will find, but if you do find something please post a link.
Andrew

This is an EXTREAMLY RARE type of accident. There are many other, much more common types of accidents to consider first. Remember solve the common problems before the unlikely ones. Even for this one there are other things to consider before going this route. There are many tens of thousands of dives done every year from the coasts of the US and Canada and only a few incidents of divers left behind. Most incidents are related to panic, out of air or other well known problems. Deal with those first.

Still I will deal with the issue you brought up and assume you will deal wtih the others.

I suggest that first you only dive from the shore or boats that are competent and do roll calls before leaving any site. This makes it very unlikely that you would be lost for very long. A strong current might be 4 or 5 knots, so in an hour you would only move that far. And your movement would be at a predictable rate and in a known direction. Secondly, dive close to shore. If even two miles offshore you can probably swim to shore before you will be rescued – unless you are diving from a smallish island. In Florida the prevailing current is northward on the Atlantic shore. If you take your boys far off (more than two miles) shore the problem is more severe.

I am sure that I really don’t need to say it, but keep an eye on your boys and have the stay close to you. Train them in routine emergency procedures. Practice with them under safe conditions.

The note about radio range (above) applies (mostly) on the top of a wave, not at the bottom. I have been using a 5 watt marine VHF radio from a kayak for a couple of years, and sometimes can not talk to a friend 300 yards away. FRS and GMRS radios only put out 1/2 to 3 watts and have a much shorter range. I have lost one to water intrusion on the deck of the kayak, in a 'water proof' bag. The radio itself is JIS-7 certified, and has a good reputation for waterpoofness. Anything less is not waterproof just 'damp proof'.

But even with the best conditions the range of the radio, with the conventional rubber-ducky antenna the surface range would be less than five miles (at the wave crest), in the wave trough the radio radiation would be a cone directed upward. VHF radios waves do not penetrate more than 10 cm of water. Aircraft could probably receive the radio for a longer distance. EPIRBs are not a great solution really, the response time is MUCH longer than most people realize (see the thread on this elsewhere). 24 hours is a good estimate, and that (24 hours) is the design criteria. Using direction finding equipment against your VHF transmission is difficult; most people do not have VHF DF gear, only the Coast Guard does. This requires that the coasties get there. In Florida some of the state patroles may have this also, but the still need to be on site to use it.

There are several more problems with diving with radios and GPS though. 1) the radio and antenna are an odd shaped package, very long and thin. My HH VHS is about 14 inches, and won’t fit in a small dry box with the antenna attached. Most likely you would need to stow the radio with the antenna removed, or get a very large box. Putting the antenna on, in the water would short it out and render the radio useless. Even waterproof radios leak if submerged (I have lost a couple). 2) the GPS would take 5 to 15 minutes to get a fix on your position, and you would still be a small, difficult to see, target. This equipment should only be used in conjunction with short range visible signals. 3) A typical dry box (like an otter or pelican) is unlikely to be waterproof at depth, you should test you box thoroughly before putting radios and gpss in them. The box will by buoyant, but you can weight them.

Take flares or better yet sky rockets in a water proof pouch. You can get these at West Marine or similar stores. Flares, sky rockets, and combi dive signals (flare and smoke combinations) see; http://www.landfallnavigation.com/ssdns.html. Smoke is the most visible short range signal. Strobes are great at night. You can get flares and strobes that are waterproof (by them selves, without a case) to 300 feet. I put mine in a heat seal food bag. Carry whistles and mirrors too. A dive alert or similar is probably more useful than a radio. Dye is good too, but don’t use it until an aircraft is in sight. If you are going to the lengths to carry radios these are a must.

I have all of this stuff, radios, GPS, flares, mirrors, etc. and routinely only carry a whistle. It is only when I dive the Channel Islands or similar locations that I take more.

 

[GDCB]

Here's a link.

http://www.anchorexpress.com/garmin-rino-530.html

 

[Doc]

The best device you can take with you comes in a waterproof box.

This computer can be a real life saver. With an adequate database of pre-loaded information, you can utilize it to save your life in almost any "lost at sea" scenario.

It is called a brain.

Learn all options that you might possibly employ before you reach out to the hand of the God of Technology.

"Machines will fail" -Burt Reynolds, Deliverance

 

[BIGSAGE136]

Much cheaper to put your cell in a dry bag and attach it to your flag...

http://www.shop.com/op/aprod-p21210022-k24-g4-~waterproof+cell+phone-nover?sourceid=3

 

[Cacia]

I know they do man divers with EPIRBs in the Galapagos.
Has anybody hear of the dive watch by Breitling that has a pin you pull? I guess it has an EPIRB. I know one SB poster puts an EPIRB in a camera housing. i had a friend that had a little pelican box (or similiar) in her BCD pocket and it imploded at abou 100ft. We were all looking around for the freeflow! We did not know what it was till she pulled the plastic shards out later at lunch. A good laugh.

 

[vladimir]

I have one of these:

http://www.landfallnavigation.com/landfallnav/spwff1.html

Check out this thread:

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?p=1419042#post1419042

As the thread makes clear, this may or may not be a great solution. I spent a couple of hours waiting for my ride adrift in the Celebes Sea once, so I don't think it's the unlikeliest of problems.

 

[slingshot]

These sites may be useful to you as you consider an EPIRB/PLB.

http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/emerbcns.html

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/marcomms/gmdss/epirb.htm

The two most common 406 transmitters that I've seen are made by Pains Wessex (McMurdo brand) and ACR. The former at least has an available cannister that is dive rated. Others have commented on this elsewhere on the board, I've never used a PLB of any kind myself.

As best I can tell, those who describe being given an EPIRB in the Galapagos have been given a 121.5 system, perhaps others can comment? ACR used to market one for divers. If you read the sites above, you will see the advantage of a 406 MHz system.

Consider the less expensive options of training, practice, safety sausage, signal mirror, and whistle/Dive Alert as sound starting territory, and enjoy diving with the family.