Best signaling devices from the searcher’s point of view - update

[Rocketman3]

I got a ResQLink+ so I can be found if the boat loses me. (Its small enough to also take backpacking). To use it diving I got a Light Monkey canister. I am excited to see how it dives. Hopefully I never have to open it in the water to get the PLB out.

 

[Dogbowl]

@Rocketman3 , is there any chance you could take some pics of your ResQLink+ alongside your Light Monkey canister? That is the combo I want to get but not sure how they go together in terms of sizing, and how bulky it will be for carrying. How do you intend to carry it? Attached to 2” webbing?

Much appreciated if you can help! Thanks!

 

[Rocketman3]

Here are 3 pictures. I think this one is a 3.5 inches by 8 inches. I use a BP/wing, so it will go on my waist strap, just like a light canister would in a DIR setup. The lid is flat on top, also there is a small wire, so I don’t lose the lid when I open it.

There is a bit of extra room, my plans for it are: glow stick, snickers, and maybe a small pouch of drinking water.

 

[Rocketman3]

I just noticed, I didn’t use the clamps to put the lid on, they will go straight down when tightened. Also they have a little lock tab on them, so you have to push the tab in to pop the clamp. (That way you can’t accidentally pop them lose and break the seal).

 

[CWK]

During my current trip I was on Carpe Diem and Emperor Virgo. Am currently thinking of doing Carpe Novo and Emperor Serenity in May.

 

[CWK]

Oops. Forgot to mention that I don’t set MMSI.

 

[Dogbowl]

@Rocketman3 , thank you very much for those pictures! They are super helpful for me to envision what it looks like.

I see you got their 3” x 8” canister, and by the looks of it, you have plenty of room left over! They list a 3” x 8” one, and a 3.5” x 10.5” one, so I suspect you have the former.

Do you think the smaller 2.5” x 7.75” canister would work? Perhaps it might be just a tad tight? But if I had extra room like you, I could surely put other things in there too.

Looks like you need to buy the lids separately? If so, it becomes quite an expensive canister! Oh well, it is what it is.

 

[Rocketman3]

I think they go with outer diameters so mine is a 3.5” Call them - they were very helpful!

I like the lid keeper - cause if I ever need to open it in the ocean, the lid is the last thing I will be worried about.

 

[Jay]

Thanks @Dan_T, great post and excellent timing.

Great topic & great list! It basically matches my own.

I was one of those divers who didn't think I needed all of that...till I was left at sea by a trusted dive shop with a group of divers in the Bahamas as a storm started coming in early. We saw boats in the distance, but no one was able to see our SMBs over the high waves. Later on, they also said they didn't hear our whistles or see our mirrors either. Luckily, we were found after an hour & a half. But it was a very long hour & a half where we began thinking the worst. I vowed that this would never happen to me again. It's fairly avoidable & a stupid way to die (or even begin to worry that you may die or have to endure being adrift for so long). <shudder>

I too was one of those divers who was 'light-side' safety equipment wise but no more after a similar experience to the above (from a searcher's perspective ...FWIW, here's a bit on that: Ignoring clear briefing instructions and diving 101 rules. close miss.

One topic / question I would like to raise is that of swells and D/SMBs. Similar to the post above the DSMBs were extremely hard to spot in a near 2m swell. This would say to me that a buddy pair would massively boost their chances of being seen if they split up such that one was on the wave's crest and the other on the trough - and maintained contact via rope / carabiners.

 

[Dan]

Thanks @Dan_T, great post and excellent timing.



I too was one of those divers who was 'light-side' safety equipment wise but no more after a similar experience to the above (from a searcher's perspective ...FWIW, here's a bit on that: Ignoring clear briefing instructions and diving 101 rules. close miss.

One topic / question I would like to raise is that of swells and D/SMBs. Similar to the post above the DSMBs were extremely hard to spot in a near 2m swell. This would say to me that a buddy pair would massively boost their chances of being seen if they split up such that one was on the wave's crest and the other on the trough - and maintained contact via rope / carabiners.

Good point about spreading (staggering) the divers into 2 groups in a half wave length apart. I need to remember that.