You Have to Be SEEN to be Rescued!

Safety signaling devices are critical!

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Why You Need It

The open Atlantic is not the best time to start to figure out just how you are going to attract the attention of the dive boat that is now 1/2 mile or more away.  You must think about this possibility before you get separated from the boat in the open ocean and just how you can survive the ordeal - and you can.  Divers spend thousands of dollars on dive equipment, camera gear and other toys, but often nothing on some simple primary equipment that just might save your life. 

There are many very easy to carry items that truly can save your life by making it possible for the dive boat, Coast Guard or other searchers to spot you in the water.  After all, finding you is the real problem, picking you up once you are seen is the easy part.  Think for a moment about the target a diver floating in the water presents.  Even with your BCD fully inflated, generally just your head and maybe your shoulders are poking out of the water.   Your head is about the size of a coconut and that isn't very much to see from any distance.  Now add some wave action and a few whitecaps into the picture and it becomes almost impossible to spot your head as it bobs up and down in the ocean.  To add to the problem, most dive gear isn't very bright, with the blues and blacks that are so popular blending right in with the sea.  Unless you are going to be assaulting the beach with the SEAL team think about adding some bright colors to your gear.

What follows is by no means a complete list of what might work and there may be additional things you can carry that might improve your chances.  The mere possession of any of this equipment is no guarantee that you will be rescued, but preplanning and carrying some signaling devices goes a long way to making your rescue even possible. 

What You Need

Part of the requirement for diving from our boat is that the divers have some  safety signaling devices with them; a whistle and "safety sausage".  This is the absolute bare minimum that a diver should carry on any ocean dive as you must be able to make an audible signal and improve you chances of being seen.  We keep extras on board and hand them out all the time to divers that are not prepared.  

Minimum Mandatory Items:  Whistle and a Safety Sausage (SMB)

Audible Device - you must have at least the whistle, preferably both the whistle and the air horn.

Whistle Standard plastic whistle - It's only as loud as you can blow, but it always makes noise.  Some can be heard up to 1/2 mile or so in good conditions.

Dive Alert Air Horn The Dive Alert attaches to the BCD hose and uses tank air pressure to make an ear splitting shriek that is heard for some distance.  But if you are out of air, nothing - so  you still need the cheap plastic whistle.   The Dive Alert is the best audible device available and we believe in them enough to use them on all our loaner gear.  The Dive Alert can also inflate your SMB if you hold the valve of the SMB tight against the horn and push the button.  Ask and we will demonstrate this little known feature.

Visual Signal Devices

You have to be seen to be rescued!

There are many devices that can help you out, some are very low tech - but work, others are high tech and work great but rely on batteries.

 

SMB  One of the best visuals you can have is the "Safety Sausage" or often called a Surface Maker Buoy or SMB (Also called "Tubes" "See Me Buoys" Etc..).    Rolled up and clipped to your BCD it just hangs there out of the way.  Inflated, it stands up and can be spotted a long ways off.   Don't be cheap. Get one made out of heavy material with good snaps etc.  There are dozens of SMB's on the market now so pick a good one.  The better ones have reflective tape and some even have attachment points for lights.  Dive Alert makes one model that has LED lighting inside the sausage so the whole thing lights up!  High winds can make them lay over and not stand up straight, but the color is the thing.   Try it out before you are in the ocean to make sure you know how it works.  I usually carry two! Clip it to you before inflating!	The Rescue Streamer The Rescue Streamer is a very simple device that is a rolled up piece of plastic that is high visibility orange.  it simply floats on the water attached to the diver and helps the searchers locate you.  It improves the chance you will be  seen from the bridge of the boat or from the flight deck of the Coast Guard Helicopter. Attach it to you before deploying!
Heliograph Heliograph is the technical name, but small plastic or stainless steel mirror is what it really is.  This one is made by ACR but there are others on the market too.  A very low cost item, it can really get the attention of searchers if used properly,  The sun has to be out for it to work - won't work on overcast days or at night.  You need to take a few minutes and practice with it so you get the flash going the right place when you need to.  Available at most Dive Shops or Marine supply stores	Signal Flares There are divers that carry small hand launched flares in their BCD pocket for emergency signaling on the surface. They work best at night and most are not guaranteed water proof to diving depths but some do survive a season of diving.  I have taken my food storage vacuum bagger and sealed them inside.  Carried this way they have lasted for at least 100 dives in my BC pocket.  Don't waste them until you know a rescuer is nearby and have a back up plan too...
Chemical Light Sticks Cheap and easy to use, once it gets dark even the glow from a light stick will make you stand out like the Fourth of July as it is really, really, dark at night on the sea. The down side is they are sometimes already activated when you rip them out of the package so don't count on them as a primary device.	Dive Lights Carry a small flashlight with you on every ocean dive.  The new LED ones are extremely tiny but have a good strong beam and long battery life.  Nothing like a flashlight beam pointed at the searching boat or aircraft that says, "Hey Guys! I'm over here!"   I carry two lights on almost every dive...Think about it.
Strobe Light On a dark and stormy night, there is nothing like the flash of a Xenon Strobe.  Get one that is small, waterproof and relatively inexpensive.  But you must maintain the batteries.   Available at most Dive shops and Marine supply stores for not too much $, but make sure its depth rated.	Lift Bags A lift bag can be used to attract the attention you need.  One helped me get located many years ago, in the time way before someone thought up the SMB.   You have to attach it to you somehow or it will go away and open bottom bags may need attention at the surface to stay inflated.

The High Tech Solutions