Dive Alert Devices: Enhancing Safety On The Surface

Just as dangerous as those in the air might be surface mishaps. Fortunately, MITRE has created prototype means of prevention for these. Attach Dive*Alert PLUS to your BCD power inflator or breathable/inflator then press the activator button underwater for subterranean signalling or forcefully on the surface for a loud surface signal explosion. Always exercise great caution not to point Dive* Alert at people; it is quite loud.

Dive Alert

A diver lost or unconscious on the surface must find a quick means to draw attention and be rescued. Usually encouraged to carry numerous audible and visual surface signalling devices, including a whistle and inflatable signal tube (sometimes known as a "safety sausage"), divers are advised to Many divers also carry an air horn, which has the benefit of being loud enough to be heard across a distance larger than a basic whistle. One more recent creation is a gadget known as a "Dive Alert." This little pneumatic gadget sounds a piercing surface and underwater signal using the gas in a dive tank. Attaching the Dive Alert to the low-pressure inflator line with quick-connect/disconnect hose couplings quickly installs it in a dive tank. It is small, light weight and doesn't interfere with the scuba tank's or the power inflator's normal running condition. The Dive Alert may sound a surface signal blast with a push of a button that covers a mile or more. One can even use it to signal a buddy underwater. A potential lifesaver might be this basic, easy-to-use surface and subsurface signalling tool. dives have always signalled their emergency to fellow dives or a pick-up boat using whistles and surface marker buoys. A diver may go undetectable and become a victim of the circumstances, though, if they are asleep or unable to blow a whistle or if their SMB is absent for some other reason. By allowing the diver to notify their need for rescue at the touch of a button, the Dive Alert removes this possible issue. Apart from a whistle and a Dive Alert, most divers also carry an inflatable surface-signaling gadget called a "safety sausage." Highly successful in drawing both visual and electronic attention, these brilliant neon orange or pink tubes can be inflated with mouth or using air from the regulator. To colour the surrounding area and increase the visibility of the divers to boats, some also carry a hand-held flare or a little container of dye markers that may be dropped into the water. The Nautilus LifeLine, a gadget that lets a diver send a signal from a GPS-enabled PDA or smart phone that digital selective calling receivers on boats in the nearby neighbourhood may detect, is another creative solution that might one day be more generally available. The red emergency button on the gadget can be triggered to send an alert and position data to the Coast Guard for help locating a missing diver or to a local boater. Given where you dive, ask a PADI Dive Professional which tools might be most helpful for you. Having these tools and not depending on them is preferable than depending on them and not having them available. Not forget to practise your rescue signals; keep your signalling equipment charged and in good operating order.