Buddy call

[divingmoose]

We are looking into under water buddy call I have tank bangers in the past we've tried rattles and knife tank banging we've been practicing in case we ever need them.we would like to try an audible alarm the "buddy call" is new any comments or other suggustions.

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

I've had the dubious pleasure of sharing a liveaboard with a couple who had two of those.

Every 1-2 minutes they would sound off to call their beloved over to show their latest discovery.


Here a honk.

There a honk.

Everywhere a honk-honk.


Did I mention they were using them every 1-2 minutes?


Honk, honk, honk, honk, honk, honkity-honk-honk-honk...


It was quite possibly the most annoying device I have come across in diving. They were completely unware of just how much the other divers on the boat came to despise them for their noise-making antics.

So be warned that there are dangers to the overuse of noise-making devices underwater. For only emergency calls, like your have planned, they work ok- they do make noise.

Personally I've never found a real need to make noise underwater. I find agreeing, on the surface, to maintain contact and dive as a buddy team works just as well: agreeing to glance at your buddy and your surrounding every 30-60 seconds or so.

Cheers,
Rohan.

 

[RJP]

Here a honk.

There a honk.

Everywhere a honk-honk.

It was quite possibly the most annoying device I have come across in diving. They were completely unware of just how much the other divers on the boat came to despise them for their noise-making antics.

It's too bad for you I wasn't on that trip, as I assure you they would have become "self aware" rather quickly. If a little self awareness didn't do the trick, they would have quite likely found out how prone to failure those things are...gee it's amazing that something like that would suffer a catastrophic failure on only their third dive of the trip. And both of them failing at the same time. Go figure, huh?

 

[redacted]

I found one on an FGB trip this past summer. The potential for extreme annoyment is obvious. With a bit of apprehension, I'm going to give it to my wife. I'm still thinking about the appropriate usage fee. It really needs to be held for emergency use only. If not, it should be donated to King Neptune.

 

[Sas]

We are looking into under water buddy call I have tank bangers in the past we've tried rattles and knife tank banging we've been practicing in case we ever need them.we would like to try an audible alarm the "buddy call" is new any comments or other suggustions.

What do you need it for?

If it is for emergencies you can get some kind of horn thing that attaches to your BC inflator hose. A buddy has one and showed it to me underwater once, sounded like a duck. Not sure what it is called sorry. He has never needed to use this other than when he demoed it to me and he has it only for emergencies.

If you are getting one to signal each other just for non-emergency attention getting, I have to say "please don't". Work on your situational awareness rather than buying a noise making device.

Noise underwater is highly annoying and if someone spoiled my dive with a tank banger, rattle, etc I would bring it to their attention after a dive. I have never found I need to have a noise making device underwater. For a few of the emergencies I have experienced my buddies have been able to signal me with hand signs or grabbing me. For attention getting I often use light signals (when at night) or just tap them on the shoulder/tug their fin.

 

[divingmoose]

I agree the only thing I want to hear underwater is my own bubbles but my wife is still a newb and If it makes her more comfortable knowing she can be herd in emergences if they happen, Im all for that. Thanks to all for the input. she also reads your responses and we both agree its not a toy and would only be used if its nessasary Thanks

 

[Air On]

Has anyone with the honkers considered that each time you fire it off you waste a breath of air?
How badly will high air consumption between bad breathing habits and honking do to thier SAC rates?

I haven't had people honking on trips, but the rattles I've found to be annoying above and below water when people are playing with them.

In a lake it was pretty bad, in the ocean the natural noises like surf, shrimp clicks and what not can even overwhelm the bubble noise at times.