Never leave a diver behind

[sdiver02]

If dive boats operators can't manage to do a simple head count they should quit and go draw welfare. Manifest equals 18 people, Lets see we can't move the boat until we count 18 people. If they can't count how many people they have on the boat OMG. This is an offense that everyone that is working on the boat should go to jail over. For maybe like stupidity.reverse kidnapping, manslaughter. The Spree & Fling have a great system for liveaboards.


THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR LEAVING ANYONE AT SEA

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

Many people buddy up on the boat when they come solo. When they hit the water it is another story. Its called meet you back at the anchor line.

You know an operation that lets you dive alone?
They should have assigned you a buddy or attached you as a third before letting you in the water.

That or stick to shore dives... If the local law allows it.

Personaly I think you need to be assigned buddies before being allowed on the boat and be buddied shore to shore.

 

[ekremer]

For now I think I'm going to make this a little project for myself. However Let me say one final note on RFID. It has been in the industry for a long time now. Wal-Mart and the Federal Government use it as their primary way to track inventory.

Also people who were historically considered not computer savvy like livestock farmers have made use of the technology.

 

[Windwalker]

I don't think you understand how RFID works. The cards each person has does not have an energy source. Instead The radiowaves cause a voltage in the tag allowing it to send out a signal.

Close but not entirely true. RFID Tags work by interrupting the electric field of a reader, The fields are sort of "Close in" meaning that an RFID field that would encompass a whole boat would take a whole lot of energy. Most RFID Readers are near proximity (couple Inches) or gateway (looks like a metal detector). HOWEVER. If you put the reader at the entrance/exit this could work nicely as RFID's are REAL cheap and each RFID has a specific non-changable ID. You could also use the RFID to track how many times a diver has traversed each portal. (the info can be stored on the tag or the central computer)

If you want to play around with RFID technology thinkgeek.com has a kit with about 15 RFID's a reader and a book that tells you how to make your own.

Problems with computers and salt water are another issue entirely.

 

[ekremer]

With the little research I have done a lot of little receivers placed around the area I think should work.
A quick search came up with this:Long Range RFID Reader for Asset Managment Model R500 SP
I think its a passive reader but not 100% sure yet.
and if money is no object the first thing I thought of was this for a computer:Fully Rugged Computers - Panasonic Toughbook Reliable Laptops

Though I am sure I could develop a cheaper more specific solution based on a gps housing.

 

[Windwalker]

Yea... Would love a Panasonic Toughbook.. Those things are Tasty!

The RFID reader sounds like the best bet yet. You could incorporate it with a Tag and waiver system.

That Long Range one you link to is CHEAP! I am going to have to buy one just to play with.

Although its for the 450mhz jobbies.. not the 2.4Ghz ones that are more common.

 

[ekremer]

These have a good range in the 2.4ghz spectrum:
Linux adds flexibility to "long-range" RFID readers
Does Linux have a tablet Distro?

 

[merxlin]

If dive boats operators can't manage to do a simple head count they should quit and go draw welfare. Manifest equals 18 people, Lets see we can't move the boat until we count 18 people. If they can't count how many people they have on the boat OMG. This is an offense that everyone that is working on the boat should go to jail over. For maybe like stupidity.reverse kidnapping, manslaughter. The Spree & Fling have a great system for liveaboards.


THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR LEAVING ANYONE AT SEA

Ho hum. Say it loud then it sounds like fact. There are two other threads going over certain incidents and the causes and possible causes- go boat bash over there. This thread was until now about how to make the system better, because mistakes are made. Sometimes divers aren't left, but only by luck. I believe the consensus was that head counts don't work. Count 1 person twice, and although you thought you had 18, you really have 17. That is the point of this thread.

Care to elaborate on the system you think is great on those two boats?

 

[Barracuda2]

OK, I've read all 11 pages of this thread; Cruise ships us the "swipe the ID card" any time you leave or board the ship. First, to make sure you are who you say you are; and second, to know who is or isn't on board. They can keep track of 3000 guest this way. What would be the "chink in the armor" using this method on a dive boat of, let's say, 24 divers? Each diver is issued a card that he puts in a secure place after he swipes and before entering the water, then swipes it again when he gets back on board. The capt. reads the computer count to make sure all have swiped and are on board. Please be reasonable and realistic with whatever you come up with as the "chink".

 

[peterbj7]

I have been on dive boats in the Red Sea where several boats moored next to each other and divers got back onto the wrong boat. No way a head count would work there. At my dive centre we identify each individual diver by name, which is the only safe thing to do.