How to float a strobe?

[rjack321]

That is definitely one option I was thinking of. The only thing I don't like about that idea - and it's minor - is the time it would take to deflate and stow it at the end of the dive, as you're starting/going up. Also, it would be potentially more drag than a smaller float. Meaning, if there was nothing to tie the leash off and I took, say, a lead weight down to anchor the strobe, a stiff current could pull on that SMB and drag the whole thing away.

Another option was a non-compressible float. I.e. a high-density foam thing. Maybe sized to be just a little more buoyant than the negative buoyancy of the strobe itself. I was thinking that would likely be pretty compact.

For the kinds of dives I have experienced where this setup would be useful, being able to quickly deploy it and clean up and stow it are somewhat important. Some of these dives would be NDL dives. Spending 5 minutes screwing with deploy and stow out of a 25 minute NDL would be non-ideal.

One of my old buddies would put a partly SMB on his anchor line. It of course expanded as they pulled the anchor later. If you are going up the anchor line there is no need to remove it unless there's some risk of getting blown off the line. From a propeller prospective under a moored/anchored boat is about as safe as you can get too.

 

[johndiver999]

I never tried this but, it probably would work.

Take a 8-inch ?? maybe section of 2" pvc pipe, buy the matching caps and glue together. I THINK this short piece of pipe will handle any reasonable diving depth. Attach the pipe/float to the strobe. Wrap the contraption with 15 ft of string around it with a bolt snap on the end. Secure the bolt snap with two loops of bungi which will secure the entire bundle.

When you reach the anchor, pull the elastic bands away, turn on the light, clip off the bolt snap to the anchor, release and allow the bundle to unwind upward.

You could probably experiment and fine tune the optimal length of pvc pipe necessary.

When you ascend, unclip the barrel snap and hold it. Climb up the anchor line and fly the strobe like a kite. When you get to the safety stop and have idle time, pull the line down and let the bolt snap sink and thus keep the line straight up and down.. Grab the light/float and then wind up the line and re-secure with the bungi loops that are permanently tied to the barrel clip loop. Then use the barrel clip to clip off to the harness D-ring. Should waste negligible time at depth to deploy and recover.

If there is too much current on the anchor line to allow freehands for wrapping the contraption, just keep "flying the kite" and hand it up to boat crew when you get to ladder.