Safety Equipment - Not really covered in OW course

[Searcaigh]

I actually carry two spools.

One has only 6M of line on it and is permanently attached to my SMB, main purpose for safety stop marker if I am not coming up the anchor line, although I sometimes shoot it on an anchor line if I want the boat handler to know I am coming up and have my coffee ready

The other spool has 30M of line and is in my BC pocket for other uses. If I have to shoot my SMB from below 6M then I use this one attached to the other and I also have a physical marker when I reach 6M

 

[DivemasterDennis]

While there is some discussion of safety equipment in all PADI classes, you have just illustrated that we learn much more as divers by "doing." When diving on a divemaster led dive, I would always carry a small cutting tool ( no bayonet necessary) , a safety sausage, and a whistle. You don't need the spool to deploy the sausage- it is more for surface signaling when in those situations. When diving independently, from shore or a boat, always use a dive flag- either on the boat or on a line. I also add a light beacon, would have a reel for my safety sausage. I never use dye, but a surface float ribbon can be good, in additional to the sausage. The sausage is visible at distance from boats, the floating ribbon visible from aircraft. A dive flag on a float is not necessary (usually) when diving from a boat. If it is,, the boat will provide. Otherwise, when you dive on your own, you need to have all these things. Finally, as to a light (like a flash light) I carry one on every dive, not as a safety measure ( though it has obvious safety applications) but to look in cracks and crannies, and to illuminate things to observe their true color. I suggest you carry a light on every dive, even if its a small one. And of course, for night dives, use an electric (not chemical) tank light.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Diver0001]

Could somebody be so kind as to explain the difference between spool and reel to a non native speaker, they both traslate to the same word in German

To explain it to a German speaker.... a "spool" is just a round wheel (like a wide flat diabolo) where the string is wound up around the center . A "reel" is a device with an axle and a handle to wind it up.

Both are used in Scuba diving but a "spool" cannot easily jam or tangle and therefore they are used in situations (like launching a dsmb) where jaming and or tangling can become a problem. For example, if you are launching a DSMB and the "string" gets caught in the axle then you will be pulled up because it will stop turning. A spool *has* no axle and therefore it cannot jam while it is unwinding.

Reels are used in applications like laying out guide line in wrecks or other poor-visibility situations where very long lines are layed out slowly and wound back onto the spool slowly as well. In that context it's handy to have a reel because you can hold onto the handle when winding/unwinding and it's much easier to handle if things are moving slowly.

R..

A spool:

A reel:

 

[Diver0001]

I actually carry two spools.

One has only 6M of line on it and is permanently attached to my SMB, main purpose for safety stop marker if I am not coming up the anchor line, although I sometimes shoot it on an anchor line if I want the boat handler to know I am coming up and have my coffee ready

The other spool has 30M of line and is in my BC pocket for other uses. If I have to shoot my SMB from below 6M then I use this one attached to the other and I also have a physical marker when I reach 6M

I do something similar but my dimensions are a bit different. My "spool" has 30m of line on it (it could have been 20) in order to be able to launch the dsmb from any deco-stop long enough to deal with it. In practice I've never launched it from under 15m but I still like to have the option.

If diving on a wreck I also carry 2x 50m wreck reels with me. So does my buddy. That should be enough to navigate any wreck especially if we're seeing it for the first time. If it's a *really* big wreck and we want to go deep inside then we'll take specialized reels with us. I think I have a picture of myself under the ice in the Czech republic holding a reel with 250m of line on it, but that's very unusual.

R..

 

[0garibaldi0]

Ok, I got a really cheap 8' safety sausage for $8 from Sport Chalet. (And it's easy to see why it's cheap) No spool yet. I saw a guy on YouTube getting his spool all tangled up.

A 4.5 watt Fantasea flashlight that also has a flashing feature.

Safety shears - since the island I'm going to doesn't allow knives which I read on a post here.

Dye. I couldn't find the floating ribbon Divemaster Dennis was referring to, but that would be better since I would assume you could use it over and over again.

Unfortunately, Hurricane Irene may affect our diving so I'm not sure how much diving we'll even get in.

 

[bkotheimer]

I see you're a SoCal diver. When diving at home, you'll find that the boats here don't do a lot of live pickups unless you end up a looonnng way from the boat for some reason (or diving somewhere like on the rigs). So shooting an SMB on a typical recreational Catalina dive will just make you look silly, even if you do it right. So unless you need it for your travels, you're right that the spool can probably wait.

The SMB is cool, though, for that very occasion - when you surface and find that you have drifted very far from the boat and cannot get back to it (due to current, etc.). Happened to a couple of us once at Farnsworth and we did exactly that - inflated our SMBs and waited for pickup.

I understand that in some other parts of the world with lots of current and boat traffic you risk your life surfacing without shooting the SMB from depth first. But not so much in the quiet coves of Catalina and the Channel Islands.

 

[D_B]

floating ribbon is the the Rescue Streamer ... Rescue Streamer Survivor II

Note: the amount of gear could rapidly get out of hand so the idea of tailoring the gear to the area/conditions your diving is a good one

 

[buddhasummer]

I always dive with a 3ft SMB, spool, Knife, light, whistle and mirror. If possibility of current/drifting/open ocean or night diving I then in addition to also carry a Safety/Emergency pocket containing a strobe, shears, dye, Dive Alert LP horn and a 6ft SMB. Am also looking at the Rescue Streamer if it will fit in my Emergency pocket.

 

[DevonDiver]

Note: the amount of gear could rapidly get out of hand so the idea of tailoring the gear to the area/conditions your diving is a good one

I agree...well out of hand!

What about a full survival raft?

Halcyon Survival Raft

 

[davetowz]

2 most important safety devices I believe a novice diver should have are a timing device that will live through a dive and a DAN membership. Cutting device..shears or knife, compass, and whistle are probably next. When first diving...an OW C-card is only a license to learn, these tools will help you in the environments that you should be in while establishing the fundamentals...buoyancy, not using hands to swim, not getting completely lost, situational awareness, buddy awareness...and so on... Too many divers want to go fast...and I understand, slow down, enjoy some dives, practice the basics. After you feel comfortable and are ready to get on a boat start looking into SMB or DSMB and get on a boat and dive more. My opinion the most useful safety device for a new diver is diving more, preferably with a mentor who can help you develop beyond the intent of an OW course.
-- just my opinion, based upon observation and screwing it up when I started diving and wanted to do the Doria the week after my OW C-card hit the mailbox.