Sonar

[jencks23]

My team is looking into purchasing an affordable sonar unit and is looking for some input. Like everyone else we are on a tight budget as we only get alittle of the fire departments money. I have heard some decent things about the humminbird, can anyone offer some advice? Feel free to contact me off line or thru email and we can swap phone numbers if you wish. Thanks in advance

 

[Boater Dan]

We had purchased a Humminbird 1197C unit from Dive Rescue International and have found it to be a very acceptable low cost sonar unit. We have trained personnel with it and discovered a number of submerged vehicles, identified underwater structures, and other points of interest. I believe very strongly that we could easily identify a drowning victim within 10 to 15 minutes max of being provided a reasonable point last seen. You start out with a wider scan and identify the targets. You can close in the scan width and close in on those targets. After identifying likely targets, you can switch to the down scan option and have a much better image of the target. This is all based on the fact that we are dealing primarily with 30' and shallower water in our region.

While it is certainly not a $35,000 side scan unit, for approximately $2500, it is simply another tool in the tool box. I do need to caution, that the unit does take training, experience, some level of judgment to interpret the images, and good boat handling skills to effective utilize this tool.

One main item I like in utilizing this unit is that it provides us with some level of understanding what the bottom structure we are putting divers into. It is easy to identify trees and other items which provide potential entanglement hazards. Since in 98% of the dives we do, we have no prior knowledge of the dive site, this is a HUGE safety feature.

Given an unlimited budget, I would certainly go for the full blown side scan. Based on the budget that most volunteer teams work within, this is an excellent option. I do not have the scan images on this computer, but if you want to e-mail me, I can send you some scan images we have generated..

Dan

dan.felack@oberg.com

 

[BladesRobinson]

Dan's comments are spot on. Given a budget with adequate funds I would purchase a Marine Sonic system but for a team on a budget, the Humminbird systems can provide a team with some good information. Man made objects like submerged boats and cars are very easy to pick out. A submerged victim can be more challenging, especially if the bottom is covered with a lot of debris. As Dan says, it is a tool in the tool box.

Because we believe they have value to a dive team and increase diver safety, they are still offered for sale by Dive Rescue International. Call (970) 482-0887 for government pricing...

 

[Boater Dan]

I was at the FDIC Show in Indianapolis and spoke with the Lowrance rep. They now have a Side Scan Sonar that is competitive with the Humminbird. I saw some of the images that he had on his computer and I have to say the images were better than those we get with the Humminbird. If you are looking for an entry level sonar, I recommend comparing both units. I believe that either unit will provide good results, but based on the images I saw, I would have to give the edge to Lowrance right now.

Just FYI!

DAn

 

[jencks23]

Thanks for the input, we still haven't purchased a unit by will be doing so in the near future

 

[mstueven]

For the money, I would vouch for the Humminbird as a great budget-conscious choice. Glad to hear that DRI offers them at government price.

We purchased one a couple years ago and definitely a welcome addition to our dive and water rescue operations. Narrows down areas to search quickly and gives you a good picture of what you're getting into before you get underwater.

 

[ReefGuy]

I'll echo the comments on the Hummingbird. We purchased one about a year ago, and it has been a godsend. One of our members (the oldtimer who actually performed hull inspections on the arc) is in the process of writing an article on how we use it and have adapted it to our purposes. The article will be in psdiver soon.

If you're on a budget (and who isn't), the hummingbird is a great tool.

 

[Upstate Scuba OWI]

Our Humminbird 1198 SI Combo with the optional 1kw Transducer arrived and installed yesterday. If your budget worried read more.... Doing my own research I found the Dive Rescue International was the most cost effective unit. I submitted to the county purchasing person to get it from DRI. However the county person was able to contact West Marine and open a Wholesale account with them. By doing so we were able to get the basic 1198 SI unit for $2200, the high powered 1 kw transducer for $353.18, and additional 30 ft transducer cable for $51.17 after shipping our final bill was $2614.30. I love DRI but there are even cheaper ways to get a Humminbird model.

 

[Upstate Scuba OWI]

A Humininbird 997c was used to locate the victim in this recovery.

ANDERSON, S.C. -- Early Tuesday afternoon, dive crews found the body of a teenager who drowned in a lake over the holiday weekend.
The body of 18-year-old Ri'Shun Sullivan was found near Darwin Wright Park at about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. The information about finding the body was withheld until all of his family members could be notified.
Matthew Littleton, with Anderson County Technical Services, said they got the call about the drowning just before 3 p.m. Monday. Littleton said Sullivan was swimming with friends who were using a large foam flotation device.
Anderson police Sgt. Tony Tilly said that Sullivan knew how to swim, but had become fatigued. He said that the friends had been in the water for about an hour. He said Sullivan was holding onto the ropes around the swimming area when he went under a couple times and then failed to resurface.

This is what the friends were floating on
"We're gonna miss him. We're gonna miss him so much," said Mary Lasenbery, Sullivan's aunt. "We're just at a loss for words. We just never thought it would happen this way."
"We just had somebody come by the house who was with (Sullivan) and said, you know, he drowned and (rescuers) were looking for him," said Lasenbery. "We lost our grandmother in October of last year and if (Sullivan) is gone, he'll be with her. So, we know he'll be well taken care of because he was just a good kid. Good spirit, good heart just do anything in the world for you. He's a good guy."
Sullivan was a Greenville High School student. His family said he was supposed to attend his sister's graduation from Greenville High School on Tuesday.
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Read more: Drowned Teen's Body Recovered From Lake - Greenville News Story - WYFF Greenville

 

[pantheraba]

Good work by those involved...sad to see a life cut short.