Diver location markers.

Frosty · Jun 10, 2014

hey Folks feel free to shoot this dumb kiwi down here.
I've been wondering what would be involved in haveing locator "pingers" somehow fitted on the rig or tank of divers going off a dive boat.Basicly a very simple GPS locator. on the boat would be the receiver with the location of diver 1-30 on a gps screen.
i apreciate the cost currently would rule it out but is that the only reason its not a feasable idea?

victor · Jun 10, 2014

Well GPS would not work underwater so this option would only work once the divers had surfaced.
If you are using line of sight radio communications from the senders back to the boat then the issue is that divers are very low, frequently below any wave heights so your communications windows are very small, e.g. only when the unit is at the top of a wave and the boat is also at the top.
Another option might be to use Sonar, sound travels very well underwater. Surface noise will be a problem when the divers are on the surface as would other noise sources, boat engines, breathing, etc.
Can you automate the system to get a good enough direction for say a dozen divers in the water, some in buddy pairs, some seperated. What would be the range, etc.
Interesting idea, particularly for locations like Indonesia, challenging locations with high currents and low population densities.

dbulmer · Jun 10, 2014

How about a low cost alternative?: divers proficient in the use of SMB/DSMB.

Once I'm in the water I want the freedom to go where I want and the DSMB does that.

If a device tracks your location underwater that would appear to help safety but my worry is that the device might be expanded to include other information under the pretext of safety but might be used to restrict the diver in some way by some regulatory body.

iluvtheocean · Jun 10, 2014

look into the Lynx computers with the transmitters....

Kharon · Jun 10, 2014

dbulmer:
If a device tracks your location underwater that would appear to help safety but my worry is that the device might be expanded to include other information under the pretext of safety but might be used to restrict the diver in some way by some regulatory body.

Like in Grand Cayman. You have trouble if your computer shows a depth below 100 feet (their artificial limit). What bushwah!

Damselfish · Jun 10, 2014

Kharon:
Like in Grand Cayman. You have trouble if your computer shows a depth below 100 feet (their artificial limit). What bushwah!

When and where did you last experience that? Things have eased up there over the years.

Frosty · Jun 10, 2014

thank you

Phil_C · Jun 10, 2014

As iluvtheocean has said look at Liquivision computers -

https://www.liquivision.com/lynx-specifications.php

the Lynx uses ultrasound not radio waves to transmit tanks pressure data and will monitor up to ten tanks - maybe useful if you are a DM with students - but also it will give you a direction and range to where each tank sender is in relation to you. No use for your own tanks, but could be used if your buddy has got a sender and you have paired with his tank as well as yours. Could also be used if you leave a drop tank somewhere and need to find your way back to it, but I am not sure I would want to trust that to get back to air I might need. They also market a boat mounted sender unit to be hung beneath the boat to guide you back to it.

I researched them when I wanted a new computer, and it looked a good setup if it works as marketed. In the end I went with Shearwater for a new computer so never tried it out.

Phil -

diversteve · Jun 10, 2014

DiveTracker SCOUT - saw someone with one of these once - he tied it off on the boat ladder and used it to get back.

or
http://www.utc-digital.com/index.asp

or
Navimate - GPS for Divers

The next product (now being designed) will answer the many requests to be able to keep track of diver locations from the dive boat.

Diver location markers.

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Frosty

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victor

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dbulmer

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iluvtheocean

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Kharon

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Damselfish

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Frosty

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Phil_C

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diversteve

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