40 replies to this topic

[DandyDon]

It should never happen, but it does. DAN will furnish Dive Tags for free, but hardly any boat has them, less using them. You get seperated from your buddy, or solo diving {some of us do}; you don't find your way back to the mooring line or you get swept out by current, and do a free ascent; and in the husttle-busttle onboard, you are not missed until later.

What do you carry on every dive...?

What else do you do...?

I thought it happened to me once, and the first thing I did was get mad at everyone onboard, but that didn't help. Got picked up by a six-pack of Okies, and they voted me off of the boat, but - my boat showed up.

You're in six foot seas. Now what...?

[kevininpo]

l have a permanent dive alert attached to low pressure inflator, plus my water weinie <safety sausage>. lt came in useful on a rippin drift dive...l was with a student and was at 60', where the current was about 1.5 knots...down at 90 though, where the rest of the group was, was goin about 4 knots...needless to say, the boat was about a mile away. 6' safety sausage and dive alerts had us picked up within 10 minutes on the surface

[Diverbrian]

I am old fashioned. I have a whistle and safety sausage. I should get something shiny to use as a signal mirror, but I haven't gotten around to it.

[chinacat46]

I have a safety sausage made of plastic which is about 10 feet long when inflated and a dive alert as well as an old AOL CD for signaling. Best use I've found for those AOL CD's they keep sending to you. I had to use the sausage and dive alert when I was in Belize. My buddy and I surfaced to locate the boat and he was unable to descend again due to ear problems so we signaled for a pickup.

Did anybody see the article yesterday about the diver who was stranded in CA for over 4 hours after the boat he was diving on left with out him? Boy did that sound like a screw up.

[WreckWench]

I am old fashioned. I have a whistle and safety sausage. I should get something shiny to use as a signal mirror, but I haven't gotten around to it.

See chinacat's suggetion for something shiny! Also D-Don did the same thing on one of my NC trips...I'll be doing the same for SD trips as well! But I think I'll bypass AOL and go directly to some cool label for SD. Anyone able to do imprinting on cd's that won't wash off???? If so I need you!!

[Diverlady]

Wow. You all have big sausages. Mine's only a little one. Perhaps I should get an enlargement done.
Other than a safety sausage, I have a dive alert, a whistle and usually carry an old cd for signalling. As chinacat46 said, it's a great use for all the ones AOL send!!

Diverlady

[WreckWench]

Wow. You all have big sausages. Mine's only a little one. Perhaps I should get an enlargement done.

I think that would be wise around here!!

And for the ocean too!!! Notice how even the Cozy DM's had BIG sausages and their signaling devices were pretty big too! (Just so you know I got that information from several reliable sources...unfortunately I was not able to verify it first hand! Or with any hand for that matter! )

[bandit]

Personal experience! Diving in Tobago, dive site Diver's Dream (now known as Diver's Nightmare). This is an open water uplift site 60-80', currents typically run 2-4 knots (can be more). We dive out of small fishing boats, entries are backroll. I was out with 4 German divers, dive master I knew well, and boat driver. The divemaster carries a float for the boat driver to follow. We enter without air in the BC, and kick for the bottom due to the current. Upon entry, one of the German girls dumped her weight belt. I was the only one that made it to the bottom. I hung out for a minute or two and then started up. Bottom current ran one way, surface current ran the other way. When I surfaced there was no boat. I deployed a 10 foot safety sausage and started blowing my whistle between waves. I took about an hour for them to locate me. They heard the whistle first. The 10 foot safety sausage was only effective once they got relatively close. I think a Dive Alert air horn is a good thing to have in these conditions. A pocket parachute on a spool could also work as it can get well up above the waves. Most mirror type devices will only be effective in flat water. I also carry a high powered compact strobe that can be attached to my Halcyon Super Sausage.

By the way, on a site like this, the only way to dive it safely is with two divemasters. One has to lead and always go to the bottom with a float. The other brings up the rear in case anyone has trouble. I now carry the float if I dive this site.

[Diverlady]

I found an article on the web where several different kinds of markers/signal devices were tested in the UK. It's a bit long but I think worth the read. I found the results quite interesting.

signalling device tests

Diverlady

[jextract]

I found an article on the web where several different kinds of markers/signal devices were tested in the UK. It's a bit long but I think worth the read. I found the results quite interesting.

signalling device tests

Diverlady

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing this with us.

[DandyDon]

Did anybody see the article yesterday about the diver who was stranded in CA for over 4 hours after the boat he was diving on left with out him? Boy did that sound like a screw up.

Yeah, that's what got me to thinking...

I'm big on redundancy and just-in-case stuff, and my new BC has two big pockets and 4 small ones, so I can haul too much if I'm not careful. I carry:

2 flashlights, even on day dives, so if it gets dark, I can keep flashing.

2 sausages - a 10 foot lightweight, and if it breaks, a regular 8 foot one.

2 whistles - a Dive Alert, and in case I'm out of air - a Storm whistel

2 CDs glued back to back

And I'll be prepared to drop weights to float higher. No one else think of that? Not right away, but if I'm not found soon, and I've got 20# or more I can ditch, then I can float higher in the water - easier to see.

Edited by DandyDon, 30 April 2004 - 02:59 PM.

[CuriousMe]

I have a 7 ft safety sausage attached to the lower dump valve on my BC....I went ahead and did it for a few reasons, the first being that I never use that dump valve, and this way I can have it deployed hands free (it's strapped onto my wing). I also have a 7 ft rolled up in a pouch....it generally stays in my dive back unless I need it. I do have a whistle attached to my BC as well. I hadn't thought about the cd's as a signal device.....that's a good one!

Peace,
Cathie

[jextract]

I hadn't thought about the cd's as a signal device.....that's a good one!

Me either ... does that work in real life?

[Diverbrian]

Jamie,

I have no doubts that it would work as well as an actual signal mirror. All something needs to be is shiny and darn near indestructable. That pretty well describes those CD's.

Like Dr. Bill, I have diving to be done. I'll be down to Whitestar Quarry getting a guy used to his brand new drysuit this weekend. Have fun y'all and don't do anything that I wouldn't do!

[DandyDon]

All something needs to be is shiny and darn near indestructable. That pretty well describes those CD's.

Oh, yeah - they break. That's part of why I glue 2 together back to back. When they do break, though, ti's still not as bad as a glass mirror...