Tank Bangers!

[Papa_Bear]

If you have to ask you don't know! It might surprise you to know that once many divers, DM, Photographers, Instructors, and good divers get there hands on Reed's Rod they never let go!

 

[fdog]

Here's another checkmark in the "anyone who dives with an annoying noisemaker that thinks that what they're looking at is more important than whatever I'm doing is to be avoided at all costs" column.

Really. Ditch the noisemakers. Please.


All the best, James

 

[Papa_Bear]

Funny I know people who are annoying without noise makers!

 

[BKP]

Here's another checkmark in the "anyone who dives with an annoying noisemaker that thinks that what they're looking at is more important than whatever I'm doing is to be avoided at all costs" column.

Really. Ditch the noisemakers. Please.

Actually, I like my 'quacker'... (the H2O side of the DiveAlert+). It's the only way to get my buddy's (wife) attention short of spearing her. Otherwise, it's basically signing at a convention for the blind...

Always looking for a better way, though... Any suggestions?

 

[Papa_Bear]

I dived for years with a honker and it was useless! No one even looks to see if a Meglodon is about to eat them! I stopped using one when on a recovery search in the Colorado River it got silted up and caused a leak! That is one other reason I went to the TB!

 

[24940]

If you have to ask you don't know! It might surprise you to know that once many divers, DM, Photographers, Instructors, and good divers get there hands on Reed's Rod they never let go!

Personally, I have never banged a tank in my life, but I'm guessing Reed would probably appreciate you letting go of his rod.

 

[ONESPEED]

Underwater noise makers, sure sign of a newbie who got taken by the LDS. There is no better way to annoy your fellow divers than with underwater noisemakers. Good buddy skills will eliminate the need to find eachother through "sonar".

 

[The Anchor]

I have a tank banger and I have used it once. My buddy and I were diving the Kakaya in Porteau Cove and lost track of each other on the descent. (Vis was less than 5 feet) I hit the banger, and my buddy swam right past me. Now it sits in my gear bucket.

If you are woried about buddy seperation, get 20 feet of polypropolene rope and splice a eye in each end (about 1 foot long) and loop that over your arms. A simple tug will get your buddies attention, but because it floats, it is less prone to snagging.

We silted out a dive site one day collecting bottles and the buddy line worked like a charm. He prefers to pull the line through the eye and tie it to his arm like a half hitch, I prefer to have the loop sit in the crook of my elbow.

 

[ClayJar]

He prefers to pull the line through the eye and tie it to his arm like a half hitch, I prefer to have the loop sit in the crook of my elbow.

If you're going to put it around your arm and not just hold it, think of how easy it would be to release if you were being dragged by it. Your way should be easy, as you can just let it slide off your arm, but his way may not be so easy. If it's under tension, it may be rather hard to get out of, which would not be a good thing (consider being in a strong current and getting flown like a flag from an obstruction).

By the same token, if you're going to just tie a loop into it, use a knot that won't slide.

 

[Papa_Bear]

I think many need a lesson in way to have an underwater noise maker! If your a DM or dive leader they are invaluable and if you have never seen one work the right way I would say you might not have ever been out of country or in warm water? Instructors need them for open water classes to help getting the attention of a class who is more likely to be paying attention than seasoned divers "Who have seen it and done it all, so don't bother me group"! If you want to see these devises used the right way go to a shark dive in Fiji or a muck dive in Salawasi or with the Trigger fish in the Philippines! If your diving a quarry or other uninteresting places I agree I wouldn't need one either!