Whistle or Dive Alert?

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rds4640

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Which would you prefer to have clipped off in your left pocket, a Storm Whistle or a Dive Alert? Advantages of a Storm Whistle is it can't corode or break. Advantages of the Dive Alert is it is LOUD. What do ya think? And don't say both because I have enough in there already.
 
rstark:
Which would you prefer to have clipped off in your left pocket, a Storm Whistle or a Dive Alert? Advantages of a Storm Whistle is it can't corode or break. Advantages of the Dive Alert is it is LOUD. What do ya think? And don't say both because I have enough in there already.

I prefer to have the whistle clipped off. Having the DiveAlert clipped off in the pocket would require a very odd hose routing, since none of my hoses are convenient to my left pocket.

(IOW, why not have the DiveAlert installed? If life is sucking badly enough to need it, I'd rather not have to fish it out and futz with engaging it.)
 
rstark:
Which would you prefer to have clipped off in your left pocket, a Storm Whistle or a Dive Alert? Advantages of a Storm Whistle is it can't corode or break. Advantages of the Dive Alert is it is LOUD. What do ya think? And don't say both because I have enough in there already.


I have both...The whistle is clipped on just in case there is no air to drive the DiveAlert.

Since the DiveAlert installs in-line with your inflator...I don't seem to understand your question....

Do you have a combined inflator/octo??

If so, then you are correct...not to have it installed, because during phone conversations with the DiveAlert outfit, they hinted at not installing it on a combined octo/inflator rig...but that was a while ago...so maybe they're thinking on this may have changed by now :)


Paul in VT
 
I've got a whistle clipped off in my left pocket on the same bolt snap as my car key.

Lately, I've been thinking about adding a Dive Alert to the same snap for that special "drivin' my Peterbuilt through the ocean" level of sound, but am curious to know what the DIR answer to this is. (I'm assuming that's what you're looking for since you posted this in the DIR forum.)

Christian
 
PaulChristenson:
Do you have a combined inflator/octo??

If so, then you are correct...not to have it installed, because during phone conversations with the DiveAlert outfit, they hinted at not installing it on a combined octo/inflator rig...but that was a while ago...so maybe they're thinking on this may have changed by now :)


Paul in VT

I'm assuming that since the question is in the DIR forum the answer is no ... or else the question was asked in the wrong place, since the DIR configuration does not allow for the use of the combination inflator/octo.

FWIW - I carry a whistle in my pocket.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
 
Whistle.

Task loading is a funny thing. Ever try to do anything in a real hurry under a tight time limit? Notice any fumble-factor?

My experience with snotty situations is that they occur real sudden-like, and they're a come-as-you-are proposition.

By the time you dig a Dive Alert out of your pocket, fumble around and unclip it, undo your hose, attach the sucker, etc. ..., your moment of opportunity may have passed you by and that's if you didn't drop the thing and watch it slowly sink out of reach.

If I were going to put myself into a situation where I thought there was a chance I'd need one, it would already be attached.

YMMV.
 
What is the DIR answer to the Dive Alert on the LP inflator hose?
 
Doc Intrepid:
Whistle.

Task loading is a funny thing. Ever try to do anything in a real hurry under a tight time limit? Notice any fumble-factor?

My experience with snotty situations is that they occur real sudden-like, and they're a come-as-you-are proposition.

By the time you dig a Dive Alert out of your pocket, fumble around and unclip it, undo your hose, attach the sucker, etc. ..., your moment of opportunity may have passed you by and that's if you didn't drop the thing and watch it slowly sink out of reach.

If I were going to put myself into a situation where I thought there was a chance I'd need one, it would already be attached.

YMMV.

I agree with the assessment below that it introduces a failure point (though an easily removable one), but I'm not convinced of the task loading arguement...

My feeling is that a dive alert is not typically a quick deploy emergent device (but I have never used one so what do I know). I would imagine that if it's use is required, the boat is realy far away or even out of sight and there would be minimal time pressure.

Maybe I'm wrong...if someone is in sight of the boat and quickly drifting away...?
 
jagfish:
My feeling is that a dive alert is not typically a quick deploy emergent device ...... I would imagine that if it's use is required, the boat is realy far away or even out of sight and there would be minimal time pressure.
I have read many incident reports where a diver has surfaced with medical or DCS problems. In those cases ready access to an easy to use signalling device would help. This is true even if the diver has a buddy with him since that gets boat assistance faster while leaving the buddy free to assist the diver in need.

Extra failure points need to be weighed against the potential value. A backup regulator / octo adds a failure point, but most divers agree that the value outweighs the risk of adding an extra failure point.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

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