Wreck diving and lighting

[davidctomlinson]

I'm going to Coron in two weeks and plan on diving as many of the wrecks as possible in three days. I've bought primary and secondary lights, but was wondering about something a diver told me. He said to buy a marker/strobe for to hang on my tank. I understand this is a safety thing: wrecks can get dark and you can get hung up/tangled. So, I've read people saying that a strobe should be used for this, and others say no.

The question: should I use a strobe (like an OMS Strobe) or a steady light (like a UK mini dive beacon light) for a tank marker for wreck diving?

Thanks for any feedback.

 

[Doc]

To be used for... what precisely?

If you get into a mess, to signal others? I guess it's worth a try.

They are great for marking yourself for night-time surface recoveries. If it really goes bad, a helicopter with night vision can find you instantly. Best to have it rigged to the top of your SMB marker for height.

But to be flashing during the dive or while you have no issues? No. It would really serve no purpose.

If you are entangled, a "tank marker" might have gotten you in that position, or would just as likely be hard to reach and activate.

Fun story: A night dive in warm-water/pretty-fish territory. The DM marked the boat by hanging a flashing strobe on the mooring line. Towards the end of the dive a line of divers were trailing some guy like puppy dogs who had a blinky light on his tank yoke.

 

[diver 85]

Will you making any nite dives???....

EDIT:-I see you're off line right now-------so, if you do, some outfits put their markers out(marking the boat) with strobes & don't want the divers to be wearing any strobes...ie The Fling......Just a thought.....

 

[rongoodman]

I think a strobe on your tank would annoy the heck out of divers close to you in the water. A small colored tank marker might make it a little easier to identify you among other divers on night dives, otherwise, I don't see much point in one.

 

[Mayor]

Good primary with some reflective tank names. If your going inside the wreck I'm sure you would follow your training and run lines. Maybe a strobe to mark a down line if there are many options would be ok.

 

[Scuba.com]

A strobe gets really annoying to others. I like to use the Princeton Tec Eco Flare although any small marker light like this will do the trick for you!

 

[gzscuba]

Since this is the new divers forum, I feel compelled to post the generic warning/reminder about overhead diving and wreck penetration.

If you are going to be diving around the outside of wrecks and just want to peek in from the outside, then all you need is lights, if that. The suggestion of a tank light (you can also use a chemical glow stick) is standard operating procedure for night dives.

However, it sounds like you are thinking about doing a wreck penetration (where you actually swim into the wreck). You should not be doing this unless you have taken a class where they teach the appropriate techniques for wreck penetration. Given the number of dives in your profile, I'm going to guess that you're not wreck certified (though I could be wrong). If you don't have the appropriate skills & equipment, you can get into a lot of trouble very quickly.

Sorry if this sounds preachy, but divers getting into overhead environments without appropriate training is a pet peeve of mine.

 

[DevonDiver]

If you're asking this question because you plan on doing wreck penetration... then please be advised that wreck penetration is an especially hazardous activity for divers, and causes far to many fatalities every year. The primary reason for these fatalities is because divers do not get appropriately training and then fail to use the proper procedures to mitigate the higher risks inside wrecks.

A strobe light is not needed for wreck penetration. It has little use outside of night, or limited visibility diving. Inside a wreck, it would be a liability that could actually hinder effective communication by torches.

You need to use proper line procedures... and this will mean you have planned and prepared with your buddy/team to cover all eventualities and contingencies. You should know where your buddy and other divers are within the group on the line...so strobes have no value.

Have you addressed more important issues, such as:

Line drills
Redundant air
Non-silting fin techniques
Lost diver drills
Zero viz drills.

Any questions, please ask

 

[knowone]

And another quick one, is your beam may not penetrate very far or
illuminate much, other than you and your immediate surroundings
due to various particulates hanging around even without diver silting.

 

[Mayor]

On a single tank I would not even think of going into any overhead. If your lead to believe different then for sure your training would be in question. Talk to a tech instructor about the dive an see what training and gear is required. At the very least you will understand your limits better. When that little voice in the back of my head starts talking I tend to stop and listen.