6 left on Amazon Body Glove (Nautilus) Lifeline Handheld VHF Radio with GPS

[NDL_Diver]

For those interested, there are 6 of these left for $214. They are the original with VHF radio. Made by Nautilus.

https://www.amazon.com/Body-Glove-L...1-1&keywords=vhf+waterproof+marine+radio+dive

Al

 

[Dave Dillehay]

If I were you I would not pay a dime for them. I just threw the last 4 flooded ones we had away. They cannot keep a seal and why do you think Nautilus is discontinuing them. I called and asked them if they could replace them under warranty—NOT.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[scubafanatic]

If I were you I would not pay a dime for them. I just threw the last 4 flooded ones we had away. They cannot keep a seal and why do you think Nautilus is discontinuing them. I called and asked them if they could replace them under warranty—NOT.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

Thanks for the head's up. It seems such a shame that the 'Lifeline' isn't working out in the 'real world'. I wonder who, if anyone, will come up with a solid, yet elegant solution?

 

[MrChen]

I had concerns about them flooding when I purchased mine a few years ago, and it has yet to fail me. I don't do open water dives without it.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Good for you. We are professionals and tried to use them for multiple days on adventure dives in remote locations with high currents. Maybe got 4 or 5 dives out of each one before they flooded on their own (that means without opening the clam shell seal) and we could see water inside. Nautilus never seriously supported us or tried to make things right—but rethink why they are discontinued!

 

[cvchief]

I will give Nautilus if they are still under warranty, they will replace them. My current one must have 100 dives on it and it is still ok. I just sent Alison's back for her because it was coming on in emergency mode. They fixed it and sent it back. It has a crap ton of dives on it.

I did flood my first one and they replaced it. Alison first one flooded as well after the warranty and they replaced it at a deeply discounted price.

I don't doubt it needs redesigned for water integrity. I just don't think the unit or the company is quite as bad as Dave says.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Dear Chief, they just told me they CAN'T replace them as they are no longer in production. But we will give their GPS units a try for our Shark Cave dives…hoping that they have learned about sealing and we just have to have something way up there.

Dave

 

[cvchief]

Oh, well that's different. It *sounds* like they tried. The last one I sent back a month or two ago was able to be repaired and did not have to be replaced.

Look, I was a little ticked off with them too when I sent them an email and described the troubleshooting process I went through that failed to correct the issue and then they replied to my email suggesting the same trouble shooting process. I did ask them to READ my email and then they gave me an RMA. Then they were a little slow responding to inquires, which was a tad annoying.

Obviously the thing needs more of an O ring seal that you can pop out, clean and grease. Let's face it though, it is the most multi-purpose design out there. It just needs some work.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

But they are giving up on it…that is straight from them this week as I threw 4 of them away!

Dave

 

[Stoo]

I played with one one time and it was pretty obvious that the great limitation of them was the line-of-sight limitation (of any VHF). If you're in a big swell, at best, you might get a broken conversation going with a near-by boat, but if you're more than a few hundred yards away, I wouldn't expect much response. Of course, "some" might be better than nothing.

I have added a PLB/EPIRB to my kit finally. It's only useful if you are truly lost, so I hope never to use it.