You're Lost At Sea!! What Signal Devices Do You Have To Use - and Why Not?

[piikki]

A lot of my dives are in bodies of water where I can basically swim ashore and have no boat crew to signal to (lakes, rivers, quarries) but I have gotten accustomed to carrying my safety kit anyway. After all I do occasionally dive ocean and even rivers that have a good bit of current. Or I might be in condition not being able to swim ashore or lose my buddy.

I always carry at least one light but most of the time two, so there is one fresh one left. I have a storm whistle clipped in my pocket. Between buddy and I we have two SMBs but are in process of adding that to 2/person – have just been deciding on what type. There is 3f regular use SMB clipped in pocket, and 6ft emergency Big Frank tucked in the back plate.

For mirror I use Innovative Scuba signal mirror (lats on this page):

ISC Catalog : Safety Products

I have never really had to use it but on backyard. I like it because it is very small and tucks into the back of my wetnotes. It also has a necklace string which I consider handy. I usually dive with drygloves and think it’s a good idea one can throw it around neck rather than fumbling and dropping it in water.

If I went on a trip in heavy ocean current somewhere alien to me I would probably add at least strobes that I would like to get for night dives (for marking uplines) anyway.

How long does dye hold on in heavy seas when you release a tube full btw?

 

[SlowRain]

How long does dye hold on in heavy seas when you release a tube full btw?

It really doesn't last very long in heavy seas...I would only deploy a dye pack if I had air search in the immediate area looking for me as aid to them spotting me sooner. I chose to include one because it really doesn't take much space. I guess you have to draw a line somewhere, thought about an orange yard bag or some sort of streamer but I only have so much room!

 

[Oyster Diver]

I carry a 4ft orange marker bouy, that has 50lbs of lift. I also carry a lift bag so if you see the marker bouy (which is reserved for oh S*&% moments) you know I have an issue and maybe a problem. Additionally, I carry chafing gear and a spool of heavy nylon line. If I ever get left behind, the search is going to start where I was left so I want to still be there.

The chafing gear is homemade and consists of 5ft of nylon rope run through flexible plastic tubing with loops tied in each end. So if I need to deploy it I tie the chafing gear to the wreck, run the line from my spool through the loops, clip the marker bouy to the line from the spool and inflate the marker bouy. When the line stops playing out I tie the line and cut the spool off to take with me. After I get to the surface I hope I haven't paid the dive op yet.

 

[DandyDon]

I have everything on the list on every dive except for the Dive Alert.

$40, see post #1. Can be heard for miles even if you're too far away or waves too large for you to be seen, or the boat is looking in the wrong direction. Small enough to sit in the palm of your hand before being attached.

 

[Bottomfeeder Brodie]

i use a 7ft sausage / 50 lbs lift , freon horn, 2 whistles, 2 knives, surface dye, reel, mirror, flashlight, 2 glow sticks and a pony everytime i enter the ocean offshore ( pony is for extra air for bag and bc in case of leak)

 

[Bottomfeeder Brodie]

oh....my DAN info is on my tank

 

[reefduffer]

A 6' XS-Scuba safety sausage in a mesh bag. Stuffed into the same mesh bag are a whistle, signal mirror, and small glotoob strobe, and about 8' of #48 braided line with a plastic clip to serve as a buddy leash. All tied together so as long as the sausage is clipped to me, the rest is as well. Oh, and I added some SOLAS tape to the sausage.

I made a similar kit for my wife/buddy, and made up two more I gave as xmas gifts for my diver in-laws. Just clip the one bag somewhere out of the way every dive, and don't think about it.

 

[Hickdive]

I have a folding flag for when I'm outside of or could potentially drift out of a relatively confined area, otherwise I have my dSMB and a couple of torches.

Anyway, this topic comes around a lot so here it is again for those who may have missed it before; how effective are typical surface signalling devices?

Diver location trials: Results

 

[diver 85]

I just recently(within a year) have added my old whistle(had it attached to my very 1st BC in the past), a mirror(actually an old dvd disk), a SMB(with finger spool no less, lol), & started carrying a small flashlite all the time(it's attached to my UW camera housing for shooting under ledges & small caverns)........hmmm....I guess old age is getting to me.....also, actually deployed the SMB on 3 or 4 dives last week in Cozumel---man, I felt like a real diver for once in 23 years.......

EDIT: forgot to say DD, added a folded up white garbage bag to a BC pocket.....man, I'm for sure a R.D..........

 

[divekraz]

I've mentioned this safety item before but I've never heard anyone say they carry a vhf radio. My wife and I each carry a 7' sausage, dive alert whistle, regular whistle, flashlight, dye pack, mirror, reflector patches on our BCD, 6' safety leash, and a vhf radio. I had a dm in Mexico making a bit of fun to another dm about the amount of safety devices I had. My comment to him is what if we come up and the boat is gone, would he rather be with me or someone else without all the stuff, he chose me. The vhf radio and otter box you can probably get for around $75 total. I went with radios rated to a 5' depth for 30 minutes which were just over $100 and the box was about $20. The otter boxes we use have been to 130fsw repeatedly over the past 4 years (250 dives) without a leak. On various drift dives I've had the captain tell me how far away he could easily hear (dive alert) or see (sausage) and It wasn't shockingly not very far. My idea was a vhf radio will cover about 5 miles line of sight. In most cases you will probably see the boat but due to waves, current, etc. can't get to it and they might not be able to hear or see you unless someone is looking in that direction for some reason. If that happens just pull out the radio and call them. For the price and what it can do it seems to be a very cost effective safety device. If your far away from the boat you can call any other boat in the area or air plane over head. Cheaper than a ebirb and you don't trigger a search by the coast guard if you call someone on the radio. Just my opinion.