PLBs Can Save Your Life

[Tug]

DATREX EMERGENCY WATER 8 LITERS, 64 BAGS PER CASE, 125 ML PER BAG | Datrex

Pretty much the standard in marine applications. But it's just water, around $0.70 a bag.

I hated having to do inventory of those.... I always lost count halfway through the lifeboat

 

[MargaritaMike]

DATREX EMERGENCY WATER 8 LITERS, 64 BAGS PER CASE, 125 ML PER BAG | Datrex

Pretty much the standard in marine applications. But it's just water, around $0.70 a bag.

I like this. 8 to a liter. ~2# / liter (can use instead of lead) and it's functional weight. At $.70 / packet + S/H it's a bargain if you are in the water for any length of time. Thank you

Cheers -

 

[MargaritaMike]

I'm wondering how they survive the pressure of depth. Would a ½ liter bottle, which weighs about 18-19 ounces be better? They are a lot cheaper. I don't care if it is purified as long as it's not salt water. I can even handle some algae in it.

Cheers -

 

[DandyDon]

I think ACR got the infection off of their site ok, finally.

I like this. 8 to a liter. ~2# / liter (can use instead of lead) and it's functional weight. At $.70 / packet + S/H it's a bargain if you are in the water for any length of time. Thank you

They're packets of water. Wouldn't they be neutral?

I'm wondering how they survive the pressure of depth. Would a ½ liter bottle, which weighs about 18-19 ounces be better? They are a lot cheaper. I don't care if it is purified as long as it's not salt water. I can even handle some algae in it.

I think a bottle of water would work fine. The small amount of air would be at risk of crush, but negligibly - wouldn't it?

 

[MargaritaMike]

I think ACR got the infection off of their site ok, finally.


They're packets of water. Wouldn't they be neutral?


I think a bottle of water would work fine. The small amount of air would be at risk of crush, but negligibly - wouldn't it?

The website says they weight 4 oz. is where I got the weight, but you are probable right. Water in water should be neutral and maybe positively buoyant in salt water because it's fresh water. However, being in a container will probably make a difference. I'd be interested to know for sure, but don't know how to test it. Any suggestions?
Thanks for the response.

I like your idea of a thread with items available, source(s), approximate cost (including shipping), and a rating of some kind regarding cost effectiveness and usefulness. It could also categorized in areas like PLB type equipment, containers, lights, radios (could be combined with PLBs), (D)SMBs, etc. Or maybe a thread for each category. No discussions - just item, source, cost, rating.

Just my $.02

Cheers -

 

[DandyDon]

Water in water should be neutral and maybe positively buoyant in salt water because it's fresh water. However, being in a container will probably make a difference. I'd be interested to know for sure, but don't know how to test it. Any suggestions?

I avoid single serving water bottles, but have some experience. In a cooler with ice melting turning into water, they don't float much. Just the air inside. Drop one in the ocean and see how high it floats. Certainly not negative.

Or maybe a thread for each category. No discussions - just item, source, cost, rating.

Yeah, with a forum mod to approve new postings needed.

 

[BRT]

I like this. 8 to a liter. ~2# / liter (can use instead of lead) and it's functional weight. At $.70 / packet + S/H it's a bargain if you are in the water for any length of time. Thank you

Cheers -

Fresh water will float in salt water. Add more lead.

 

[Dan]

I still prefer to carry Fun Pops than a water bottle. The 2.5 Oz (75 ml) Fun Pops tube has nice form factor to fit inside my BCD pockets, low sugar content (17%) for quick energy boost while floating in the water and yet high enough water (83%) to keep you hydrated. I fit 10 of Fun Pops tubes (750 ml) in my right BCD pocket with my DSMB & spool and another 6 of them (450 ml) in my left BCD pocket with my PLB1 canister & PAB.

If I put water bottles in those pockets instead of the Fun Pops tubes, I may have to empty half of the 500 ml water bottle & crush the bottle thickness to half thick of the original bottle thickness so it can fit into my BCD pocket because it’ll sit right next to my integrated dive weight pouch. That drops the water quantity to 500 ml (250 ml in each pocket) compare to 1200 ml of Fun Pops.

Besides I can have something to kill the time, like thinking of what flavor & color of Fun Pops should I take next, while waiting for the rescue while floating in bright sunny day in the next 2-3 hours. If I take one for every 2 hours, that would take me 32 hours to exhaust all 16 tubes. The PLB1 battery would last about 24 hours. So my target of how much water I should carry is inline with how long the PLB1 signal lasted.

It’s easier to ration those 16 Fun Pops than 2 half-full water bottles too.

 

[seeker242]

Just received word on ACR summer promotion rebates. June 15 to July 15. $50 mail in rebate on ACR/Ocean Signal Epirbs and $25 rebate on PLBs. Not as good as past promotions, but better than nothing I guess.

 

[tursiops]

The water packets weigh esssential nothing if just placed in water. But inside a closed container they replace air, so add their full weight to the container. It is not the weight of the packet that matters...it is the removal of buoyancy that matters.