What about flare?

[Dody]

For once, I'm with Dody on this one.

 

[Dody]

USCG loves this economical solution

@Dody ,,If you PM me your mailing address, I'll send you this pre-made solution below.

I don’t understand the use of it?

 

[DiveProKoko]

Brian has 37 pieces of flair....and a terrific smile.....

 

[Edward3c]

I spent the last week browsing the SB thread on incidents. I am planning a week diving in Thailand next month. I am not particularly scared but I believe that prevention is key. In the event when you are lost at see, people are looking for you and it is night time, why couldn’t we use a flare? I have seen posts talking about dye. I have absolutely no knowledge on flare. Maybe, you can’t dive with them or it will not withstand pressure but I guess that it would be useful at night. Wouldn’t it?

If you were going somewhere remote maybe, but then not all countries have Search & Rescue services. But Thailand, no they are used to divers, and losing guests isn't good for business.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

Oh. I thought you were talking about that stuff Jennifer Aniston had to wear in Office Space.

 

[Johnoly]

I don’t understand the use of it?

If you are lost at sea, searchers will see a large round ball much easier from the water or the air. This is a simple 55 gallon (200 liter) bright yellow bag that a diver can blow up. It will be seen much better than an SMB and you can put a 24hr blinking strobe light inside of it to get the largest lantern effect on the water. Even with today's satellite's overhead, they will be able to see it day or night in real time.

Folded up it is just 10cm x 10cm x 1cm thick and fits easily in a pocket or even a weight belt pouch. Total cost on the one time use bag is less than a piece of hard candy..

 

[rhwestfall]

I don’t understand the use of it?

I thought I'd pretty much explained it. Although I think the "white & light" is better than "yellow". Then again, white in daylight is just breaking water, and nothing is yellow naturally. Might be the reason...

A 30-gallon white garbage bag (and a flashlight)......

"blow" that bag up, and stick a flashlight in the bottom, and the globe of light is fantastic!

It also is basically miniscule to store...

 

[TheRealScubaSteve]

I always carry a light, day or night. Depending on conditions, I will add a strobe. I prefer these to flashlights with the same capability. If you're using your flashlight, you are also burning up strobe time; strobes last a really long time. They are also seen from long distances. As mentioned above, there's also other uses for them besides being stranded.

 

[Darnold9999]

A bit off topic but we had a man overboard situation on a liveaboard a few years ago. Coast Guard was notified and the boat turned around and headed back to where they thought the person was lost overnight and we all headed topside to search. All that to say that the experience reinforced to me that finding a bobbing head in open water in even perfect conditions is all but impossible beyond about a hundred or so yards from a boat. (Depends on how high up you are.) You need a light, some color, something reflective or … to catch an eye at a distance.

I carry a camera with two strobes and a video light with a strobe function as well as an SMB. Those lights and batteries will last a very long time at minimum power on strobe and a regular strobe is better than a continuous light. Our brains are wired to pay attention to changes in our environment and strobes trigger that attention.

The end of the man overboard story was that I went down to my room to grab a pair of small birdwatching binoculars from my luggage to find the missing “man” making up my room - unaware he was missing. I am sure there was more to the story but not speaking the language I never did get all of it.

 

[Belzelbub]

Flares come in other varieties besides incendiary. The incendiary flares seem to expire every three minutes. So a few years ago, I bought a USCG approved electronic flare. It’s basically a really bright strobe that continuously flashes SOS. This could be taken on a plane with no issues.

While it’s water resistant, it not depth rated, so it would need to go in a canister. That would be fairly bulky.

My primary dive light also has an SOS mode. It doesn’t have the 360 degree visibility of the e-flare, but shining it into a DSMB while in strobe mode should be visible from many directions.