Safety equipment - PLB?

[Kevrumbo]

I am asking this question in this forum because this is where we will be diving for the next year or so.

We both have SMBs, whistles, and mirrors, I am wondering if we should look into a PLB. (You read these stories...it does happen...)

First off, I wonder if a "lost at sea" situation is remotely possible for us. We'd always be diving with a dive op, I'm sure in known dive locations...OK, I guess something could go wrong...the boat could sink, drift off, weather issues, maybe they don't have the safety equipment or procedures that we would expect in the US, add to that language barriers, ...so maybe...

Do PLBs work in these waters? If you are out there drifting, will there be a search team, a la the Coast Guard?

What do you guys (that dive Indo waters frequently) use?

Thanks,

Bill & Emily

McMurdo Dive Canister - Star Marine Depot

If you are a US Citizen, I recommend registering your PLB Beacon with NOAA -US Dept of Commerce
NOAA - Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking - Register Your Beacon
NOAA - Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking - System Overview

Also recommend registering with the US State Dept Smart Traveler Program, and noting that you will have a PLB registered with NOAA. . .
Smart Traveler Enrollment Program
-------
For a 2010 Wreck Expedition to the WWII Aircraft Carrier HMS Hermes off of east coast Sri Lanka, along with the waist belt mounted McMurdo Fastfind 210 PLB in Dive Canister, I brought a Halcyon Diver's Life Raft folded & stowed in a backplate pouch, and a Deep Sea Supply Hydration Pack mounted between the twinset cylinders.

We did a lot of drifting deco diving, and if the dive skiff lost sight of your SMB --you were essentially adrift in the Indian Ocean -->next land mass to the west being Madagascar some 3000 miles away. . .

 

[seeker242]

A PLB ALWAYS gets someone's attention. Prudence says you should probably have both to maximize the probability of rescue.

That's how it's supposed to work. However, because I am in the PLB/EPIRB business I've heard stories over the years. Stories of crappy third world responses to distress signals which sometimes amounted to no response at all, one of which was in Indonesia. Although, that was about 10 years ago. It's probably better now but probably still not as good as the United States, etc.

For registration of the PLB itself you can only register it with the country that the unit is programmed for and it should be programmed for whichever country you reside in.

 

[JohnnyC]

That's how it's supposed to work. However, because I am in the PLB/EPIRB business I've heard stories over the years. Stories of crappy third world responses to distress signals which sometimes amounted to no response at all, one of which was in Indonesia. Although, that was about 10 years ago. It's probably better now but probably still not as good as the United States, etc.

For registration of the PLB itself you can only register it with the country that the unit is programmed for and it should be programmed for whichever country you reside in.

I should have been more clear. Triggering a PLB won't necessarily get you an adequate rescue response depending on what third world Cletus is supposed to come get you, but barring malfunction, a high altitude EMP disabling the entire satellite network, or dropping it to the bottom of the ocean, it will trigger an alert with the authorities (where registered). What they do with that alert is dependent on many factors, but the alert will be sent and received. This is not the case with things like a SPOT or a Nautilus Lifeline.

I should also add that registration location doesn't mean it cannot be used worldwide, simply that the signal path is through the respective ground control station based on your country of registration, and they activate the appropriate rescue authorities. An example would be purchasing a beacon in the US, registering it in the US, but activating it in the Caribbean. The alert would be received by the NOAA or Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, who would then interact with whatever authorities had local jurisdiction over the location from where the alert was initiated.

 

[KeithG]

I should have been more clear. Triggering a PLB won't necessarily get you an adequate rescue response depending on what third world Cletus is supposed to come get you, but barring malfunction, a high altitude EMP disabling the entire satellite network, or dropping it to the bottom of the ocean, it will trigger an alert with the authorities (where registered). What they do with that alert is dependent on many factors, but the alert will be sent and received. This is not the case with things like a SPOT or a Nautilus Lifeline.

I should also add that registration location doesn't mean it cannot be used worldwide, simply that the signal path is through the respective ground control station based on your country of registration, and they activate the appropriate rescue authorities. An example would be purchasing a beacon in the US, registering it in the US, but activating it in the Caribbean. The alert would be received by the NOAA or Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, who would then interact with whatever authorities had local jurisdiction over the location from where the alert was initiated.

Spending a few minutes looking at this site International Cospas-Sarsat Programme will give you a basic understanding of how the system works.

 

[KeithG]

Spending a few minutes looking at this site International Cospas-Sarsat Programme will give you a basic understanding of how the system works.

A this link http://www.cospas-sarsat.int/images/stories/SystemDocs/Current/SD41-DEC15.pdf gives statistics about 2014 "events" (685 of them...)

 

[charlier]

I am asking this question in this forum because this is where we will be diving for the next year or so.

We both have SMBs, whistles, and mirrors, I am wondering if we should look into a PLB. (You read these stories...it does happen...)

First off, I wonder if a "lost at sea" situation is remotely possible for us. We'd always be diving with a dive op, I'm sure in known dive locations...OK, I guess something could go wrong...the boat could sink, drift off, weather issues, maybe they don't have the safety equipment or procedures that we would expect in the US, add to that language barriers, ...so maybe...

Do PLBs work in these waters? If you are out there drifting, will there be a search team, a la the Coast Guard?

What do you guys (that dive Indo waters frequently) use?

Thanks,

Bill & Emily

Bill and Emily
Full disclosure, my views is based on my limited experience working and diving in remote regions of Indonesia. Not all Indonesian dive ops have the same quality of safety and experience, so try to rely on safe and experienced ops. The Indonesian SAR and coast guard have a mixed record. My cynical view is that by the time the PLB/calvary gets in the scene in remote Indonesia or PNG, it is more likely for a body recovery. The best ops deal with a lost diver ASAP, and contact nearby dive and fishing boats immediately. More importantly, the best dive ops follow bubbles, so they can anticipate where the group will surface. If the RIB stays in one location or returns to the mothership, your safety might me compromised in area with strong currents.

I would consider carrying a compact emergency strobe light that lasts for 18-24 hours. Many divers have been rescued, even at night due to such emergency lights. On some dives, you might carry a Nautilus lifeline. The Nautilus does not hold up to well to daily use, but you might want to carry it only at specific dives sites. Many divers have opinions on this product, but wonder if they have actual and extended experience with it. Best diving in the coral triangle!

 

[seeker242]

I should also add that registration location doesn't mean it cannot be used worldwide, simply that the signal path is through the respective ground control station based on your country of registration, and they activate the appropriate rescue authorities. An example would be purchasing a beacon in the US, registering it in the US, but activating it in the Caribbean.

Not only that, there is only one option for registration anyway. If you purchase a beacon in the US, it must be registered in the US with NOAA. No other national database will accept it when it's programmed with a US MID code.

 

[billt4sf]

Bill and Emily
Full disclosure, my views is based on my limited experience working and diving in remote regions of Indonesia. Not all Indonesian dive ops have the same quality of safety and experience, so try to rely on safe and experienced ops. The Indonesian SAR and coast guard have a mixed record. My cynical view is that by the time the PLB/calvary gets in the scene in remote Indonesia or PNG, it is more likely for a body recovery. The best ops deal with a lost diver ASAP, and contact nearby dive and fishing boats immediately. More importantly, the best dive ops follow bubbles, so they can anticipate where the group will surface. If the RIB stays in one location or returns to the mothership, your safety might me compromised in area with strong currents.

I would consider carrying a compact emergency strobe light that lasts for 18-24 hours. Many divers have been rescued, even at night due to such emergency lights. On some dives, you might carry a Nautilus lifeline. The Nautilus does not hold up to well to daily use, but you might want to carry it only at specific dives sites. Many divers have opinions on this product, but wonder if they have actual and extended experience with it. Best diving in the coral triangle!

Thanks Charlie, that makes a lot of sense to me. I think we are always with a known reliable dive op: Geko, Mermaid, BlueMotion in Banda, Murex, etc. so far. I like the idea of a safety strobe, do you have any specific recommendations?

Thanks,

Bill & Emily

 

[CuzzA]

Bill & Emily,

I own the ACR ResQLink+ PLB and CustomDivers canister. I can't speak on the McMurado canister, but it's more than double the price of the CD canister and the CD is very compact. In fact if you go that route you may have to shave 1/16th of an inch off a portion of the antenna cover. This doesn't effect the PLB. There's plenty of meat on the antenna cover.

As mentioned, the Lifeline has its limitations. There has to be a receiving radio that is turned on and being monitored. The emergency distress beacon range is limited up to 34 miles. Diving here in Florida or other modern countries with an active marine presence I wouldn't be overly concerned. In a remote region with possibly old marine radios or few boats with radios at all, I would want a PLB. Maybe a Lifeline as well if you knew the op had a modern GPS capable radio.

Even still, 34 miles is a drop in a pool after a day of going MIA. Those search grids grow exponentially and who knows if other countries are as good as the USCG at trying to calculate wind and currents into their search area calculation. At least with a PLB, SAR will have your exact position.

As far as a strobe. I also own a GloTOOB. Green-Glo-Toob--AAA-Model-Battery-Included For their extremely small size they are quite powerful. The nice thing about them is since they are so small and light weight you can clip them to the top of your SMB. Not sure what SMB you own, but the ProBlue brand sold by PDM has a ring at the top for that exact purpose. They also have reflective tape. I like them because they have a lot of utility. Semi closed baffled bottom to inflate with a reg, oral or BC inflator hose for inflation and an over pressure relief valve. I carry a 6ft and 8ft. (Note: The ResQLink+ PLB has a built in strobe light that comes on when activated)

I also carry a mirror, mostly for bubble checks, but doubles for signaling and I carry a DiveAlert on a dedicated hose (Too bulky to use on my AIR2) as I found out once that a whistle is essentially useless from a distance of 1/4 mile. The DA dedicated hose is nice because I simply push it right on the SMB oral inflator and it injects a lot of gas, quickly. I basically just ran the DA hose along my SPG hose using a few pieces of bicycle innertube.

Anyway, that's my SAR setup. Hope this helps.

 

[scubadada]

Bill & Emily,

I own the ACR ResQLink+ PLB and CustomDivers canister. I can't speak on the McMurado canister, but it's more than double the price of the CD canister and the CD is very compact. In fact if you go that route you may have to shave 1/16th of an inch off a portion of the antenna cover. This doesn't effect the PLB. There's plenty of meat on the antenna cover.

As mentioned, the Lifeline has its limitations. There has to be a receiving radio that is turned on and being monitored. The emergency distress beacon range is limited up to 34 miles. Diving here in Florida or other modern countries with an active marine presence I wouldn't be overly concerned. In a remote region with possibly old marine radios or few boats with radios at all, I would want a PLB. Maybe a Lifeline as well if you knew the op had a modern GPS capable radio.

Even still, 34 miles is a drop in a pool after a day of going MIA. Those search grids grow exponentially and who knows if other countries are as good as the USCG at trying to calculate wind and currents into their search area calculation. At least with a PLB, SAR will have your exact position.

As far as a strobe. I also own a GloTOOB. Green-Glo-Toob--AAA-Model-Battery-Included For their extremely small size they are quite powerful. The nice thing about them is since they are so small and light weight you can clip them to the top of your SMB. Not sure what SMB you own, but the ProBlue brand sold by PDM has a ring at the top for that exact purpose. They also have reflective tape. I like them because they have a lot of utility. Semi closed baffled bottom to inflate with a reg, oral or BC inflator hose for inflation and an over pressure relief valve. I carry a 6ft and 8ft. (Note: The ResQLink+ PLB has a built in strobe light that comes on when activated)

I also carry a mirror, mostly for bubble checks, but doubles for signaling and I carry a DiveAlert on a dedicated hose (Too bulky to use on my AIR2) as I found out once that a whistle is essentially useless from a distance of 1/4 mile. The DA dedicated hose is nice because I simply push it right on the SMB oral inflator and it injects a lot of gas, quickly. I basically just ran the DA hose along my SPG hose using a few pieces of bicycle innertube.

Anyway, that's my SAR setup. Hope this helps.

No surface dye?