Nautilus Lifeline or perhaps this as an option?

grey2112 · Dec 31, 2013

I don't mind paying $299 for the Lifeline, but if what I read was true (no backlight so you can't work it very well at night) I got to wondering.

Why not buy a handheld VHF radio, with DSC/GPS, and a waterproof case (Pelican or other) rated to the depths I'd be diving? Would cost less, I would assume, and the range of the radio would probably be longer, and it could double as a backup VHF radio on the boat.

True, a little bigger but hell, I'm underwater with other gear strapped to me, so I can manage that.

Thoughts?

hellhole · Dec 31, 2013

Hm... Why can't u shine a torch light on it since u are going for a night dive?

grey2112 · Dec 31, 2013

hellhole:
Hm... Why can't u shine a torch light on it since u are going for a night dive?

Had thought about that too - a good option.

Doc · Dec 31, 2013

Any off-the-shelf case for a VHF to withstand 130' would present serious issues in terms of internal volumes of air needing to be offset by additional weighting. The Lifeline case is purpose made to contain the electronics with little internal volume taken up by air.

grey2112 · Dec 31, 2013

Doc:
Any off-the-shelf case for a VHF to withstand 130' would present serious issues in terms of internal volumes of air needing to be offset by additional weighting. The Lifeline case is purpose made to contain the electronics with little internal volume taken up by air.

Ah, good point - thanks.

socaljohn · Jan 1, 2014

I think the lifeline also has GPS.

Kevrumbo · Jan 1, 2014

grey2112:
I don't mind paying $299 for the Lifeline, but if what I read was true (no backlight so you can't work it very well at night) I got to wondering.

Why not buy a handheld VHF radio, with DSC/GPS, and a waterproof case (Pelican or other) rated to the depths I'd be diving? Would cost less, I would assume, and the range of the radio would probably be longer, and it could double as a backup VHF radio on the boat.

True, a little bigger but hell, I'm underwater with other gear strapped to me, so I can manage that.

Thoughts?

Sometimes I carry a handheld Uniden Mystic VHF/GPS Marine Radio, and I stow it inside my Sierra X-Scooter body (have to unscrew the antenna though to fit it all inside). I also have a McMurdo Fastfind PLB stowed inside a dive canister.

Stoo · Jan 1, 2014

The concept of the Nautilus is great, but I suspect in reality, it has a very limited range, due to the "line of sight" requirement of any VHS. A diver separated from the group in a 3' swell, will have limited ability to broadcast to a boat. A diver in a 6' swell, even less so. Better than nothing of course, but I think to assume that these things will reach a distant boat on a stormy night is wrong I suspect. Mind you, calling out when you first realize you're lost and when the boat is only a few hundred yards away and it probably works pretty well.

The PLBs are a better option if you're REALLY up the proverbial creek, but the best solution would be "both". Ugh

Scuba_Jenny · Jan 1, 2014

A Personal Locator Beacon is your best option. The prices are very comparable to the Nautilus, yet will work anywhere in the world, and have a strong enough signal to reach the satellites. The Nautilus has some pretty cool features, and you would do well to compare the Nautilus to a PLB to find what is the best for your situation. I would not carry a VHS radio, as you are limited to somebody hearing you on the other end.
Regardless of what you decide, remember that none of these emergency products work underwater. You have to deploy/use them at the surface, so check out buttons and antennas for construction and how they are turned on/deployed.. I would take the PLB for sheer emergency use over the Natilus, but probably both would be better, so you have the best of both worlds. It's been a few years since I was last up to date on PLBs, but at the time, the ACR brand was the best on the market.

grey2112 · Jan 1, 2014

I do have a PLB/EPIRB (ACR) on the boat - hadn't thought about taking it with me on dives. I sometimes sort of wonder, though, about my particular situation. Rarely do I go out on bad weather days, my wife is almost always on the boat (and she knows how to operate the boat, pick up divers, etc.) - I insist on everyone carrying a surface marker and sound device. We've had a few situations where the radio feature of the Nautilus would have been an extra complement or help, but wouldn't have made "the difference" in the situation.

I dunno - this may be a solution looking for a problem in this particular case.

Nautilus Lifeline or perhaps this as an option?

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