Using a 2-way radio in the water?

[Father]

Has anyone ever used a 2-way radio on a dive to communicate with the boat once they surface?

If so, can someone recommend a good waterproof radio & (hard or soft) case combo that are good to and beyond recreation depths?

Any tips on how to use the radio when you've reached the surface in order to minimize the amount of water it comes in contact with?

 

[tridacna]

Nautilus Lifeline. Been discussed ad nauseum on the board. Do a search.

 

[Stoo]

The problem with all radios is that they are only as good as their antennas. Transmission is line of sight. A radio with a 6 inch antenna will have limited effectiveness if you're in a 6 foot swell. Mind you, it will still be a lot better than yelling.

I friend of mine has a Nautilus but I don't think he's ever taken it into the water. He uses it for a backup on his little RIB. (His main VHF radio has a 12" antenna on the console... it seems to have a range of about a mile maybe. I have a 5' antenna on top of a bar so it stands about 11' above the water and has a range of 10 - 25 miles).

I think the main advantage of the Nautilus is that you can dive it without a canister and so on. It's likely as good as any other small VHF and considerably more convenient... and it has some unique features useful to divers.