| A basic concept in most rescue diver | | | | you are shopping for dive gear. |
| courses is self rescue to keep your self | | | | Snorkels |
| from being lost at sea dive, training is | | | | You want to get me worked up try telling |
| important but should it happen having 4 | | | | me why you are such a pro that you don't |
| pieces of scuba diving equipment with | | | | need a snorkel! What a load of smelly |
| you will make you chances of being | | | | poop, with the exceptions of night manta |
| rescued significantly higher and they | | | | dives, or penetration dives on silt |
| are useful tools on most adventure scuba | | | | layered wrecks or caves, I always have |
| diving trips. Like the Boy Scouts say | | | | my snorkel attached to my mask! I have |
| be prepared! | | | | been in flat seas more than once with no |
| Plastic Whistles, Safety Sausages, | | | | wind, and came up with a thunderstorm |
| Snorkels and a Light. | | | | that was over the horizon at the start |
| The 4 best things to have are a loud | | | | of dive, whipping up 2.5 meter seas in |
| plastic whistle, a long safety sausage, | | | | 45 minutes. If you come up away from the |
| a snorkel and a light. The good thing | | | | boat or the boat can't see more than 100 |
| is this dive equipment will all fit in a | | | | meters, you could be in for an |
| dive pocket quite easily, and are | | | | exhausting 20 minutes or more fighting |
| relatively cheap dive gear to buy, so | | | | for breathe while swallowing and puking |
| there is no reason not to have them. | | | | Neptune tea. |
| Plastic whistles | | | | A Pocket Light |
| Plastic whistles don't rust and they | | | | A LED pocket light is very handy for |
| don't run out of air to sound them until | | | | looking in holes in the day time for |
| it becomes moot. Sound carries a real | | | | pipe fish and crabs and nudibrachs. I |
| long way on the water, especially at | | | | am especially drawn to extended battery |
| night. Most modern "BCD's" Buoyancy | | | | life that the LED's provide, most go |
| Control Devices have one built in, | | | | almost 8 hours before you need to change |
| usually attached to the low pressure | | | | the battery, this could be the |
| inflator, right next to where your mouth | | | | difference that gets you found if you |
| is. Another option is air powered horns | | | | are a drift on the open ocean at night. |
| also attached to the low pressure | | | | They can be used in a couple of ways, |
| inflator mechanism in a variety of ways. | | | | placed inside the safety sausage which |
| Air horns are even better at producing | | | | will stand out as a beacon for a long |
| signal, put are not fool proof as they | | | | way at night, again elevated, moving and |
| are mechanical and can have any number | | | | out of place will get it seen. The 2nd |
| of things make them non-operational, and | | | | way is to point it at boats, planes and |
| you will eventually run out of tank | | | | helicopters and do the classic SOS, Save |
| pressure to sound them. 50 bar of air | | | | Our Souls, 3 long, 3 short, 3 long. |
| will give you a lot of bursts, but as | | | | Remember do this by moving your hand |
| the pressure in the tank decreases, so | | | | over the lens, not by turning the switch |
| does the volume. | | | | on and off which heightens the |
| Safety Sausages | | | | possibility of an equipment failure when |
| Safety sausages are mostly orange with | | | | you need it least. |
| some being yellow. Searchers can spot | | | | Military, rescuers and commercial |
| these on the surface from a long way off | | | | vessels, including high flying |
| for 2 reasons, one they are orange which | | | | commercial flights will all respond to |
| instinct makes you pay attention to as | | | | an SOS if they see it, if fact, are |
| it is usually associated with danger in | | | | required by maritime law and tradition |
| the wild. The 2nd reason is that they | | | | to respond if it does not put them or |
| are out of the water, in the air, and | | | | their ships in danger. With the long |
| can be made to wave which further | | | | burn time of a LED you should get one |
| increases there visibility; again humans | | | | maybe even two nights or more out of the |
| are hard wired in our reptilian brains | | | | batteries. A light turned on pointing at |
| to see things that move for food and | | | | a boat in the day time can be seen for a |
| safety. The main draw back is that they | | | | long way off, and when the batteries die |
| can not be seen at night unless, they | | | | you can use it as a mirror in the day |
| are illuminated some how. As they have | | | | time to flash people a long way off to |
| no movable parts or batteries they are | | | | bring attention to you including planes |
| Kiss simple provided they don't have a | | | | and helicopters. |
| leak, and even with a leak they will | | | | As usual the best defense is a good |
| float so can still be seen from the air, | | | | offence, keep the software in your head |
| or decks on boats that are elevated. It | | | | engaged, stay within your dive abilities |
| also a good idea as a diver to mark | | | | and training, be aware of strong |
| where you are coming up at so boats | | | | currents, monitor local weather |
| doesn't run over you. Many safety | | | | forecasts, keep your dive gear in good |
| sausages will also have a plastic | | | | order and plan your dive and dive your |
| whistle attached to sleeve that stores | | | | plan . These will always be your best |
| them, a good feature to look for when | | | | bet from being Lost at Sea. |