SubDuck...Mini HammerHead.....which one??

[RICHinNC]

OK....I have heard the DiveAlert signal divice on the surface and, yes, it will leave you deaf. But, underwater, it just blows a lot of bubbles.

DiveAlert, also makes two "underwater" signal devices as well. One is the Scuba Duck and the other is the Mini Hammerhead.

Both of these work well underwater.....especially the Mini....but has anyone heard either of these on the surface????? Would they get a boats attention 100 yards away???

I would prefer the Mini simply because it has many time the sound distance of the Duck.....but I would take the best of the two.

Anyone have any experience with these devices??? (not the shrill DiveAlert)

[Charlie99]

RICHinNC once bubbled...
Anyone have any experience with these devices??? (not the shrill DiveAlert) Both work well underwater. I've been around instructors that used the SubDuck and it was very distinctive and audible.

The MiniHammerhead is a bit louder underwater. On the surface, though, the MiniHammerhead is not even as good as a regular lung-powered whistle on the surface, and it's rather large and heavy. It might work at 100 yards, but then again simply yelling will work at that distance.

I bought a minihammerhead hoping to have a device good for both above and below water. It wasn't. So now I just yell into my reg underwater, and have a Dive Alert in my BC pocket if needed on the surface.

[RICHinNC]

thanks charlie.. DiveAlert indicates the Mini will kick butt distance wise underwater....but no mention of above. Under is my primary focus....but if the Duck works decently if both situations...i will go with the Duck.....

I just dont want the shrill of the DiveAlert.....I have a whistle in my bc pocket that almost equals it .....so surface is not my biggest thougt right now.

[JMD123]

I have a sub duck and love it...

[mleong]

Why not you consider the Scub Alert from Aquatec? IT works both under and above water.


mleong

[Wristshot]

Do you have actual experience with the Scub-Alert? I looked it up on the Aquatec web site and it looks good, but I just wondered if you (or anyone else here) has actually tried it above and below the surface.

Just asking 'cuz I wanna know,


Wristshot

[mleong]

I have not tried out the product. It is a new product just launch about 3 months ago. I contacted the manufacturer and they claim it worked well.

michael

[Warren_L]

I have a scub alert which seems to work pretty well under water. Not sure how far the sound carries at the surface, though, especially in rough conditions. I'd still prefer having a whistle.

[Gator Diver]

My instructor just used the back of his knife
and hit it against the tank....seemed to
work fine and did not involve any extra cost

[timhernandez]

I have both a Mini Hammerhead and a Scub Alert.

The Scub is much louder on the surface and will get the attention of a boat over 100 yds. away, as I found out this past diving season on the Great Lakes.

One of my buddies and I both bought the Scub Alert from a LDS. We were drift diving with a group of people and got separated at dusk. His Scub Alert was easliy heard by the boat, and others after he came up a bit of distance from the boat. We actually heard him before we saw his light on the surface.


The Mini Hammerhead is fine underwater but, does not carry like the Scub on the surface.


After the above incident, everyone I dive with went out and bought the Scub to ensure that we can hear each other whenever we need to.


Hope this helps,

-Tim

[DandyDon]

You are talking about the Scub Alert being loud, right?

thnaks, don

[Jeddah Aquanaut]

I use a sub duck here in Jeddah. I find it works above water and below just fine for my liking. If I were sooooooo far from the dive boat then there's the nifty safety sausage that connects to the dump valve on the lower left rear. I can inflate it with my LP inflator hose and don't have to take it out and inflate it manually. The dive boat is very good about keeping an eye out for errant divers on the surface, so we have no real need for an atomic-force surface only alert.

Only "problem" with sub ducks is that if more than one person has one, sometimes figuring out just who is quacking. Can sound like duck mating season sometimes, but otherwise good value for emergencies or just alerting other divers in the group. :madelf: :tree:

[DiveAlert Dave]

The SubDuck and ScubAlert are identical except for button shape and color. Both are made by the same Taiwan mfg and you can take the guts of one and put it in the other. Ideations never promoted the SubDuck as a surface signaler because a diver can yell louder and the DiveAlert is over 4 times louder.

[fishwatcher]

Ideations Inc.
www.divealert.com

Dive-Alert - Surface Signal Device 135db
SubDuck - Underwater Signal Device
Mini Hammerhead - More Powerful Underwater Signal Device
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Aquatec Inc.
www.aquatecusa.com

Sub-Alert - Underwater and Surface Signal Device 120db
Scub-Alert - Underwater and Surface Signal Device 120db

The Scub-Alert works the same as the Sub-Alert, but has a new look. Aquatec claims their product can be heard from 1/2 to 1 mile (1 mile = 5280 feet) away on the surface.

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Explanation of Decibels:

Measured on an Exponential Scale

A 10 db increase is 10 times more powerful and seems about twice as loud.

A 20 db increase is 100 times more powerful (10x10) and seems about 4 times as loud.

See: http://www.schoolscience.co.uk/content/4/physics/corus/sound/psch1pg3.html
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I've used the Dive Alert and it's plenty loud. The two occasions I've tried signaling the boat from about 150 feet away, they did not notice. Luckily it was not an emergency and the current was weak - I just wanted to signal them because I surfaced away from the boat in an unexpected direction. My experience may reflect the inattention of the crew rather then effectiveness of the Dive Alert, but you might want to make sure your dive boat knows you use an audible signal device before you dive!
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