Updated 2018 - Emergency Equipment to assist Search & Rescue

[Greenjuice]

As far as no diver ever being rescued after launching a PLB in Indonesia, may be that's true....

This should to be balanced against the very many stories shared amongst dive guides in Indonesia who claim that there are many more examples of lost divers that do not make it into the international press.

I remain sceptical of such stories as it is easy for rumours to gain a mythological status over time. However, I would be interested to hear comments from past or present industry professionals in the region if they believe it is true that there are many more examples of lost divers that do not have widespread news coverage.

 

[Dan]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but this is very interesting, thanks!


I work as an instructor/guide, often in SE Asia and will be going back to Indonesia for work in the near future.

I’ve been looking into PLBs and EPIRBs, as devices which could be placed in BC pocket while diving - but still find it hard to get a clear picture of what would be the most efficient if lost at sea in remote areas, where rescue will consist mainly of local boats rather than properly equipped coast guards – most of the info seems to be aimed at rescue situations with proper rescue operations, ie not what you would find in the Banda sea or Raja Ampat...
I guess a personal VHF is probably the way to go, but informed opinions would be great.

Cheers


ben

I have been thinking the same for my plan to go to Banda Sea on Ring of Fire trip with Blue Manta in less than 3 months, Ring of Fire September 9-19, 2019 and came to the conclusion of carrying PLB1 in waterproof canister and Nautilus Marine Rescue GPS, that I plan to test it's signal with the boat AIS system during check out dive. They both are small enough to fit in my BCD pocket.

Also, I'll be on Amira in January 2020. Raja Ampat 14-25 Jan 2020 with Amira $837 off I was told that they carry: ENOS-System | The Specialist in Safety and Rescue Equipment

There are more discussions on this subject here: Best signaling devices from the searcher’s point of view - update

 

[seaseadee]

I have been thinking the same for my plan to go to Banda Sea on Ring of Fire trip with Blue Manta in less than 3 months, Ring of Fire September 9-19, 2019 and came to the conclusion of carrying PLB1 in waterproof canister and Nautilus Marine Rescue GPS, that I plan to test it's signal with the boat AIS system during check out dive. They both are small enough to fit in my BCD pocket.

Also, I'll be on Amira in January 2020. Raja Ampat 14-25 Jan 2020 with Amira $837 off I was told that they carry: ENOS-System | The Specialist in Safety and Rescue Equipment

There are more discussions on this subject here: Best signaling devices from the searcher’s point of view - update

@Dan I'm headed to Indonesia in Feb.

• I already have a nautilus lifeline (properly registered here in the US). Do I need a different one?
• You have listed both the PLB1 and the Nautilus. Did you carry both? Do you need both?

 

[Dan]

@Dan I'm headed to Indonesia in Feb.

• I already have a nautilus lifeline (properly registered here in the US). Do I need a different one?
• You have listed both the PLB1 and the Nautilus. Did you carry both? Do you need both?

Your registered Nautilus Lifeline (old model with VHF radio) is good to have. You may test the radio communication with the captain and check if his boat has DSC capability and at what channel he’ll be talking to you in.

Yes I carry both. I feel better to have both.

 

[Dan]

Here is my post about the Nautilus Marine Rescue GPS & PLB1 pre testing prior to liveaboard trip to Banda Sea, Indonesia.

Real Time Blue Manta Review: Banda Sea 9 – 19 Sept 2019

Banda Sea is an open ocean where we would be in the blue in search of the hammerheads. So some safety precautions need to be put in mind when diving in the blue such as your buoyancy, depth, gas pressure and current. We followed tightly with the guide. Should we get separated by swift current, be prepared to launch DSMB at depth to signal the dinghies where we are before getting too far out of their viewing range.

I also carry PLB1 and Nautilus Marine Rescue GPS (MRG) in case I get lost at sea. Before leaving Maumere, I tested my PLB1 and MRG. For the MRG, I worked with Captain Hono & CD Egoi to make sure my MRG MMSI is recognized by the boat AIS screen and alert system. Egoi walked around in Maumere Harbor with my MRG and I can see his GPS location through the boat’s AIS LCD plotter. I think each DM is issued an MRG.

Some liveaboards that I have been on like Galápagos Master, GBR Spoilsport, Cocos Argo, Palau Aggressor, Maldives Aggressor, Socorro Nautilus Undersea loan MRG to all divers for free. I hope Blue Manta would do the same in the future.

 

[Kevrumbo]

This is an example of a common scenario that will test the experience of your skiff driver to find and pick you up before deteriorating into a worst case lost-at-sea situation; Surfacing post-drift dive into a momentary tropical rain squall in near zero visibility:

Currently by itself, a Nautilus Lifeline GPS will not work in all lost-at-sea scenarios alone by itself; you will need as backup an additional 406Mhz PLB (Personal Locator Beacon, transmitting straight to satellite).

DSC (Digital Selective Calling) is a two way digital paging function and it is not necessarily the exclusive domain of distress alerts within the GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress Safety System) framework. For instance you can use it for station to station communication via HF or VHF frequency radio. The only way a AIS (Automatic Identification System) PLB with VHF DSC functionality could be regarded as GMDSS compliant is if it was DSC acknowledgment capable, and even then that compliance may be debatable as position may only be just AIS limited capability with a 5km range at best (depending on rain & swell height conditions). Combined functionality AIS/406Mhz PLB devices to be developed, manufactured and hopefully available sometime in the near future may change that.

The correct way (at least imho) to use DSC is to first send a mmsi (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) call to the mothership let's say repeatedly for maybe 5 minutes. if the call doesn't get acknowledged then escalate to an All Ships call hoping some good samaritan on a nearby boat is more keen to haul your sorry ass out of the water than the "mates" on the mothership, who clearly lost track and are out of VHF reception range of where you drifted off to. At the same time as the initial DSC call, the AIS MOB (Man Overboard) call goes out as well. If none of this works - let's say 10 minutes or so - a 406Mhz PLB call should go out to alert the overhead cospas/sarsat satellite system as the last resort for rescue, as clearly no local boats are going to save your ass, because they are out of range or worst case don't have even have a VHF radio at all to receive your distress signal.

Ideally such a combined AIS MOB/406Mhz PLB unit would be user programmable so you can tailor the operation to suit the kind of off-shipping lanes sailing or remote area Scuba diving you do, because otherwise a unit with only one fixed mode -such as the current Nautilus Lifeline AIS GPS VHF product- will not cover all the various kind of lost-at-sea sailing/scuba scenarios one can think of.

The last best possible hope of Rescue with current technology is always a separate 406Mhz PLB straight to satellite, over a line-of-sight limited Nautilus Lifeline VHF product.

https://www.soundingsonline.com/voices/epirb-ais-satellite

 

[Diver below 83]

I’m looking to carry a plb1 and lifeline as well

 

[Dan]

This is an example of a common scenario that will test the experience of your skiff driver to find and pick you up before deteriorating into a worst case lost-at-sea situation; Surfacing post-drift dive into a momentary tropical rain squall in near zero visibility:

Currently by itself, a Nautilus Lifeline GPS will not work in all lost-at-sea scenarios alone by itself; you will need as backup an additional 406Mhz PLB (Personal Locator Beacon, transmitting straight to satellite).

DSC (Digital Selective Calling) is a two way digital paging function and it is not necessarily the exclusive domain of distress alerts within the GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress Safety System) framework. For instance you can use it for station to station communication via HF or VHF frequency radio. The only way a AIS (Automatic Identification System) PLB with VHF DSC functionality could be regarded as GMDSS compliant is if it was DSC acknowledgment capable, and even then that compliance may be debatable as position may only be just AIS limited capability with a 5km range at best (depending on rain & swell height conditions). Combined functionality AIS/406Mhz PLB devices to be developed, manufactured and hopefully available sometime in the near future may change that.

The correct way (at least imho) to use DSC is to first send a mmsi (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) call to the mothership let's say repeatedly for maybe 5 minutes. if the call doesn't get acknowledged then escalate to an All Ships call hoping some good samaritan on a nearby boat is more keen to haul your sorry ass out of the water than the "mates" on the mothership, who clearly lost track and are out of VHF reception range of where you drifted off to. At the same time as the initial DSC call, the AIS MOB (Man Overboard) call goes out as well. If none of this works - let's say 10 minutes or so - a 406Mhz PLB call should go out to alert the overhead cospas/sarsat satellite system as the last resort for rescue, as clearly no local boats are going to save your ass, because they are out of range or worst case don't have even have a VHF radio at all to receive your distress signal.

Ideally such a combined AIS MOB/406Mhz PLB unit would be user programmable so you can tailor the operation to suit the kind of off-shipping lanes sailing or remote area Scuba diving you do, because otherwise a unit with only one fixed mode -such as the current Nautilus Lifeline AIS GPS VHF product- will not cover all the various kind of lost-at-sea sailing/scuba scenarios one can think of.

The last best possible hope of Rescue with current technology is always a separate 406Mhz PLB straight to satellite, over a line-of-sight limited Nautilus Lifeline VHF product.

https://www.soundingsonline.com/voices/epirb-ais-satellite

I got your message. That’s why I have both Nautilus & PLB1. The New Nautilus is small enough to carry & both fit nicely in one of my BCD pockets. In the other BCD pocket I have DSMB & reel.