john cootes
Registered
I have a distinct feeling that the answer to my question is already posted somewhere, but this is such an extensive and comprehensive site that I feel it would take half a lifetime to access all the information contained herein.
During a recent trip to Fiji, my daughters and I were impressed by a makeshift "attention-getter" that had been devised by our dive master. It was a simple metal cylinder, into which he had sealed some type of ball-bearing, and when shaken (violently?) it produced a distinctive and quickly identifiable sound. Naturally, it attracted a response from the whole group and in an instant our Dive Master had our complete attention.
Some time later, during the dive, I was fortunate to spot a beautifully coloured Lion Fish lurking in a small cavity and attempted to let my daughters know. They were cruising a few feet (meters) in front of me, so it took quite an effort from this usually very conservative and energy-saving senior citizen to reach her and bring her back to my exciting discovery. It then occurred to me that there must be a better way of attracting their attention underwater, and I began to think of ways to duplicate our Dive Master's ingenious little gadget.
It was then that I also decided to consult my more knowledgable fellow divers at
Scubaboard. So here is my question (after that rather long-winded introduction!!!):
Does anyone know of a commercially produced "gadget" that could serve the purpose of attracting a fellow diver's attention without too much physical effort?
Could I also share with you one of the prized memories that we brought back with us from Fiji: Our divemaster was cautioning us against any sudden movements in the event that we sighted a SHARK during our dive. He then went on to outline what he described as a carefully researched and well-documented "shark drill".
"If the group is approached by a shark that looks menacing or in any way dangerous, please immediatly form a tight circle..... around your Dive Master!!" (I know you've probably heard it before, but if was a first for me and I laughed quite raucously!)
Hope someone can recommend an attention-getting device, and I look forward to your replies. JOHN COOTES - Lake Macquarie, Australia
During a recent trip to Fiji, my daughters and I were impressed by a makeshift "attention-getter" that had been devised by our dive master. It was a simple metal cylinder, into which he had sealed some type of ball-bearing, and when shaken (violently?) it produced a distinctive and quickly identifiable sound. Naturally, it attracted a response from the whole group and in an instant our Dive Master had our complete attention.
Some time later, during the dive, I was fortunate to spot a beautifully coloured Lion Fish lurking in a small cavity and attempted to let my daughters know. They were cruising a few feet (meters) in front of me, so it took quite an effort from this usually very conservative and energy-saving senior citizen to reach her and bring her back to my exciting discovery. It then occurred to me that there must be a better way of attracting their attention underwater, and I began to think of ways to duplicate our Dive Master's ingenious little gadget.
It was then that I also decided to consult my more knowledgable fellow divers at
Scubaboard. So here is my question (after that rather long-winded introduction!!!):
Does anyone know of a commercially produced "gadget" that could serve the purpose of attracting a fellow diver's attention without too much physical effort?
Could I also share with you one of the prized memories that we brought back with us from Fiji: Our divemaster was cautioning us against any sudden movements in the event that we sighted a SHARK during our dive. He then went on to outline what he described as a carefully researched and well-documented "shark drill".
"If the group is approached by a shark that looks menacing or in any way dangerous, please immediatly form a tight circle..... around your Dive Master!!" (I know you've probably heard it before, but if was a first for me and I laughed quite raucously!)
Hope someone can recommend an attention-getting device, and I look forward to your replies. JOHN COOTES - Lake Macquarie, Australia