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divemed06 once bubbled... What do you guys think of the Akona Sausage?
I'm not overly impressed. After I lost another sausage last August, I bought an Akona - bright yellow and wrapped up in a neat little pouch with a drawstring.
Last week off Yucatan, the boat lost us. While I struggled to get my Akona sausage out of it's neat little pouch, another diver unclipped his, loosened the vecro band wrapping it, and inflated it.
To add insult to injury, when I returned, I discovered I couldn't pull the valve out to infalte the sausage, so it's just as well the other fellow was so quick.
Yesterday, I trotted off to the dive shop where I bought the Akona. They managed to free the valve with a pair of pliers. When I got home, I replaced Akona's drawstring with a much longer one which will allow the pouch to fully open and, hopefully, ease the process of getting the damned thing out.
If I dove a full wet suit with mitts, I'd dump the Akona and let something else.
I have a reasonable safety sausage I bought off eBay for recreational diving - I beefed it up by replacing the pissy plastic clip with a SS boltsnap ziptied on (is there any other way? ), and then I added a loop of 1/8" bungee with a storm whistle threaded on it. The bungee loops around the rolled up sausage, which also got to keep the velcro strap.
My reasoning is that if you're going for your safety sausage, it's because you're on the surface trying to get someone's attention. So you'd be wanting the whistle as well, and it's one less thing to dig in the pocket for during an emergency. The boltsnap is a *LOT* easier to unclip than the miniature plastic suicide clips, which are really finnicky in cold water when you're wearing gloves.
I also carry a lift bag, but I'm about to replace both with a couple of 5' SMBs.
Scubaroo said... My reasoning is that if you're going for your safety sausage, it's because you're on the surface trying to get someone's attention.
Nope. If I am going for my safety sausage, I am at the safety stop, and I am trying to do to things:
- lure the boat into my general vicinity, and
- inform the boat of my actual location, so I don't get run down
I have my whistle ziptied to my BC so it is easy to find. I'm not sure I'd want it attached to my sausage, because if I dropped the sausage (accidents happen), I'd lose both my signalling devices.
I just purchased a safety sausage from DAN that has a radar strip in it. That way, if the sausage is not visible a search party can find me on radar. The range is 500 miles. I thought this was a great additional feature of DAN's sausage.
I just purchased a safety sausage from DAN that has a radar strip in it. That way, if the sausage is not visible a search party can find me on radar. The range is 500 miles. I thought this was a great additional feature of DAN's sausage.
That is a decent piece of gear. I like the latest generation. I use Halcyon closed circuits, but looking at DAN if I lose one.
One suggestion...don't store the whistle, mirror and glow stick in the markers pocket. I think DAN could improve the marker by doing away with the pocket all together.
Tim
"They called themselves Guerrilla Divers.
Composed of elite divers with Macho mentalities, back when men were men, and FEAR was a lispy companion of the common Man. It was a time before insurance liabilities, lawsuits or beauracratic regulation of the "sport". Guerrilla divers didn't need "Buoyancy Compensator Vests". In fact, "Anyone who needs a BC deserves to drown" was a popular adage. Exploration and the Hunt came first, excitement and fun followed. Safety was the stepchild of fitness, good reflexes and a cool head.
This was a time of great Adventure." www.sfdj.com
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), and then I added a loop of 1/8" bungee with a storm whistle threaded on it. The bungee loops around the rolled up sausage, which also got to keep the velcro strap.
Originally Posted by tamjohn
