59 replies to this topic

[shadragon]

One of my DIY projects is to make a SCUBA shaker like one I saw a DM use in the Red Sea. Yeah, I know I can buy them, but it is a fairly simple thing and I need something to keep me occupied.

My first attempt was made out of galvanized steel pipe with ball bearings inside. It looked great and sounded great on the surface, but was barely audible underwater. I suspect it was the plastic coating I put on it which is absorbing the sound. Picture here:



So it is time for the Mark II design. I will be basing this next version on an aluminum or stainless steel pipe with some sort of rubber covered end tips for watertight integrity with the metal in-between exposed for maximum metal contact with the water. However, what do I use for filler? Ball bearings? Lead shot? Hex nuts? I have no idea what should go inside although I am leaning towards hex nuts this time because of their irregular shape...

Anyone want to take a ball peen hammer or hack saw to their commercial one and tell me what is in there???

Seriously though, my first stop will be to go to the local scrap yard to see if I can find some aluminum or stainless steel pipe. I think it will be just as easy to make 3-4 once I get the design sorted. So if anyone gives me some solid assistance they ~may~ get their very own custom fabricated hand held, air cooled "Sha-Shaker" Mark II (Copyright 2007, All Rights Reserved) as thanks... It will come with a full lifetime warranty* and bring with it resulting bragging rights.**

* - Warranty void if Sha-Shaker comes in contact with water...
** - Not responsible for any incidental feminine fainting when they learn this item was once in Shadragon's own hand.

[finGrabber]

the one I have was found on a dive trip and at one point had been painted black. It looks like the material is copper so I wonder if the end caps were soldered on?

it sounds like there are 2 or 3 round metal objects rolling around inside. Both the end caps are 3 1/8th around...the body is a little smaller than that...and is 2 1/5 inches long

let me know if you need any other measurements! And I don't think anyone but my buddy and I can hear it underwater...Still, it makes it alot easier to get the buddy's attention when I see something cool

[PerroneFord]

Please don't do this. It's a bad solution to a fixable problem.

[finGrabber]

Please don't do this. It's a bad solution to a fixable problem.

OK,

so what's a better solution?

[ScubaHawk]

Please don't do this. It's a bad solution to a fixable problem.

Don't do what exactly?

[Walter]

I could be wrong, but I believe what he's saying is you and your buddies should be paying enough attention to each other that you should never need a noise maker.

[PerroneFord]

Bingo Walter.

[finGrabber]

I could be wrong, but I believe what he's saying is you and your buddies should be paying enough attention to each other that you should never need a noise maker.

I use a noisemaker to get my buddies attention to show him or her stuff I see...just because we are diving together does not mean they are looking at exactly what I am at all times and vice versa

[shadragon]

Bingo Walter.

I hear what you are saying and on a one-on-one buddy situation I agree 100%. However, as I go into DM training I may need to get several students attention without going over and tap them each on the shoulder. In some situations you need to get peoples attention now, not 5 seconds from now.

Shadragon's First Law of Diving: Better to have something and not use it than need it and not have it...

Edited by shadragon, 12 March 2007 - 11:33 AM.

[Latitude Adjustment]

I could be wrong, but I believe what he's saying is you and your buddies should be paying enough attention to each other that you should never need a noise maker.

Perrone has obviously never dove with a photographer and the bigger the camera the less attention they pay to their buddy!

[Moose]

Seriously though, my first stop will be to go to the local scrap yard to see if I can find some aluminum or stainless steel pipe. I think it will be just as easy to make 3-4 once I get the design sorted. So if anyone gives me some solid assistance they ~may~ get their very own custom fabricated hand held, air cooled "Sha-Shaker" Mark II (Copyright 2007, All Rights Reserved) as thanks... It will come with a full lifetime warranty* and bring with it resulting bragging rights.**
[/color]

If you want, I was thinking about making one of these as well. I'm glad I read this as I know that I need to do some testing. If you want to come up to the "Garage M'hal" one day, we could do a bunch of test trails.

First, we can do bench testing with a large container (re<hot tub>), then we can move onto the ponds outside.

I was just making some ice diving tools this weekend that I'm iching to try before the ice melts!

[PerroneFord]

Perrone has obviously never dove with a photographer and the bigger the camera the less attention they pay to their buddy!

Where do you think those underwater photos of me come from?

[PerroneFord]

I use a noisemaker to get my buddies attention to show him or her stuff I see...just because we are diving together does not mean they are looking at exactly what I am at all times and vice versa

Ok, I usually just touch my partner on the elbow or shoulder and point if I want them to see something. Usually, I am content to look at what I want, and let them look at what they want. Sometimes they aren't all that interested in what I am looking at, and vice versa.

[Moose]

I could be wrong, but I believe what he's saying is you and your buddies should be paying enough attention to each other that you should never need a noise maker.

While I can appreciate what you guys are saying (and it is 100% true and correct), there are times while diving in a non-recreational setting that teams of divers need to work together. Noise makers are very handy for this.

For example, when doing body recoveries, we may have to coordinate 6 people to bag and lift a single body. If there is a police investigation (foul play suspected) we may even have more than that*.

So, put 6 people in an area, all need to work together, also they all need to do their individual jobs and you can get into situations were something like this can be very handy. Note, we are also working in zero visibility much of the time. So a noise can be the only way to communicate effectively.

*= In case you want the breakdown, 2 people will swim the bag in place, 2 people will manipulate the body into the bag and zip it. 2 people have the lift bags and connect and lift the bag. If police are involved, we may have still and video photographers as well.

[PerroneFord]

Moose,

My instructor founded the underwater crime scene investigation program at FSU. He's done this kind of work with everyone from sheriff's offices to the FBI. And I've never seen him or anyone on his team carry a noisemaker.

Probably like most things, there are different ways to accomplish the same goals.

In terms of team diving, it is a hallmark of my chosen dive agency, and I think you know that. They coordinate some 22 people in the water at once (good visibility usually) with nary a noisemaker in the group. Again, different techniques.

In my own diving, I have dealt with corraling a team of five divers in a 3+2 scenario in several caves in N. FL. Not easy, but doable. What I find is if you listen you can hear each other breathe quite well. That is, unless we are on rebreathers.