Lost at sea signaling kit

[lackingcreativity]

Hi,
As i realize my diving is beginning to take place farther and farther from shore, some locations 110 miles out, I am beginning to think that just a whistle and safety sausage is not adequate for signaling. Can I get some advise on all of the equipment I should bring along to help me be located in the event I get lost that far offshore? Also, does anyone have some tips on a location to store this gear, other that my BC pockets?
Thanks

 

[vladimir]

This ought to do it:

McMurdo Pains Wessex Fastfind Plus 406 PLB EPIRB w/ Internal GPS

http://www.landfallnavigation.com/landfallnav/spwff1.html

 

[DennisS]

Here's a link, take your pick

http://www.equipped.com/signal.htm

I've been considering the see/rescue myself

http://www.seerescue.com/

 

[lackingcreativity]

Thanks for all the help

 

[cmalinowski]

doesn't it look like this guy's right arm fell off. I think they better get to him quickly.

 

[markfm]

Think I'd still go for the handheld submersible transceiver, unless I was truly lost at sea (waaay away from anywhere that other vessels go, and nobody knew that I was diving there, though that's a pretty suicidal approach to diving, IMO). Strobe for night vis, safety sausage for day, plus radio to do calls for help and guide search craft in (many have direction finders to home on a signal). The PLBs are cool, just not sure I could justify 3x the cost of a handheld transceiver unless I was middle of nowhere.
If you get one, check about needing a separate pressure can (save-a-butt tube) to store it in -- submersible is normally only to a couple of feet, not diver depths, so you need to put it in a sealed tube (that you can open when surfaced) for diving.

 

[Bill51]

Interesting and timely topic with the recent lost divers. A friend who designs radios and I were talking about investigating the market for a combination unit would include a transceiver for marine channel 16, aviation 121.5, a small GPS, and an EPERB in a submersible unit. Anyone have an idea what people would pay for such a unit if it had an integral snap down lid that protected it to 200 FSW?

 

[Doc Intrepid]

As i realize my diving is beginning to take place farther and farther from shore, some locations 110 miles out, I am beginning to think that just a whistle and safety sausage is not adequate for signaling. Can I get some advise on all of the equipment I should bring along to help me be located in the event I get lost that far offshore? Also, does anyone have some tips on a location to store this gear, other that my BC pockets?

Here's one site to peruse (there are many others):
http://www.tabula-international.com/DIV/SMB3.html

It's primarily aimed at liveaboards in the South Pacific, however, there are elements that are useful in a more universal sense.

In particular, check out the circumstances encounted by Larry Tackett on page 10. Within the last 12 months, the case of a similar disappearance of two individuals in the vicinity of Fiji was heavily reported on this board...not to mention Greg Mickey, who drifted to his presumed demise as of last Saturday off North Carolina.

It occurs perhaps a bit more frequently that you might imagine...

 

[mstevens]

Interesting and timely topic with the recent lost divers. A friend who designs radios and I were talking about investigating the market for a combination unit would include a transceiver for marine channel 16, aviation 121.5, a small GPS, and an EPERB in a submersible unit. Anyone have an idea what people would pay for such a unit if it had an integral snap down lid that protected it to 200 FSW?

What a cool idea. My willingness to pay would be predicated on size - if it's not really, truly small enough to take on every dive without displacing other important gear I probably wouldn't use it. I might go as high as $500US, but then I'd have to buy 3.

 

[Bill51]

What a cool idea. My willingness to pay would be predicated on size - if it's not really, truly small enough to take on every dive without displacing other important gear I probably wouldn't use it. I might go as high as $500US, but then I'd have to buy 3.

We were talking in the neighborhood of 4”x2”x1.5” and debating between having a true 406 EPERB or using DSC coordinate transmission of GPS info since a diver would typically be within VHF range of boat. Another idea we had that some dive boat operators may not like if they have secret sites is to be able to leave the GPS on while on the surface and have it store a series of waypoints every time you hit a button and then download all the data on a PC when you get home.