Can anyone advise?

Steve

I have never seen this item so can't comment on it's suitability but it might be worth looking at Scubuzz underwater 2 way communication system.

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decoweenie

IMHO, buddy-line while scootering in zero viz is an invitation for the full CF. Might as well tow each other...

The easier solution is to scooter side-by-side and make sure to match your scooter speed to your buddy's via prop adjustment (or the latest X-scooter feature, electronically).

Again IMHO, this is all common sense...

The level of separation distance between scooter buddies should be dictated by the visibility: better viz allows greater safe distance.

The scooter team is not going full-steam ahead in bad viz anyway, so why not reduce the stress level by prevention by matching scooter speed, close close to your buddy, signal to buddy before turning from path...

K.I.S.S... (you know what that means)

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"...after a while you get bored offering advice to a bull that like to keep butting the fence with its head rather than walking through the open gate..."

- Rebreather World PM

Jim Brown

What is CF? Sorry, don't know all the terms.

Interesting you bring up KISS. I knew before I suggested it that buddy line concept would provoke a response from someone. We individually strive to be as slick and tangle-free as possible, therefore, how could we possibly consider something like a buddy line? Borders on blasphemy.

I've participated in and supervised hundreds of buddy-tethered CCO2 dives in zero visibility under horrible conditions including environmental, man-made, and object hazards. The buddy line has solved many more problems than it has caused. So from a risk standpoint, the buddy line always wins, if the objective is to keep buddies together.

Have used OTS and other comms systems, bone transducers, all have their limitations and none equal buddy line from KISS standpoint.

But there are counterpoints to everything in the risk assessment world... I would not use buddy line in narcotic environment, and would not use it if I could use other, similarly simple methods (such as laying guideline, using rally points). Would not use as crutch.

Now we're talking about ourselves and our experiences which is really the only context we have for information sharing. I think OP was talking about horizontal transit between a wreck and the shore. In this format tethered scootering could work. Would recommend rehearsal in benign environment first.

Regards, Jim Brown

decoweenie

Jim,

I think you are absolutely correct there.

And, to be honest, I don't have hundreds of dives in the environment you described. May be a few, but unintentionally since it basically defeats the reason why I dive in the first place - to see things u/w...

However, this type of forum is perfect to get balanced input from multiple sources based on individual experience and background. Then we debate to death to fit the context of the original question...

CF = cluster ****.

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"...after a while you get bored offering advice to a bull that like to keep butting the fence with its head rather than walking through the open gate..."

- Rebreather World PM

GKAM

Spyro,

I think there are a few things to consider here. It is near impossible to identify the sound direction while u/w. The distance travelled is also very hard to determine.

A signaling device will only let you know that your buddy can year you. It cannot be used for much more in bad viz.

The air horns and similar gadgets you attach to your DF are IMHO nothing but trouble. More failure points and more money on a gadget that will usually not last more than a dive season. I'd stick to the u/w rattle as a low cost option or I would invest on a sonar device that gives me direction and distance u/w.

One suggestion is the UWATEC NeverLost. These were a commercial flop (due to high cost) and can be picked up at reasonable prices second hand.

Another suggestion is the DesetStar tracker. Sport & Scout It seems much better than the UWATEC.

/George

ΥΓ. Ρίξε κανένα πράσινο blob αν σε βοήθησα.

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leptonyx

I smell some FFm talk there ;-)

Seriously guys, if you have FFM's on and comms installed and everything, and you get separated from your buddy in low to zero viz, what are you going to say? "I'm over here"? ;-?

As much as I like diving FFM (and I can proudly say that I have done so for 8 years now, as part of my job) the use of u/w comms are usually overrated.

First, signal quality is not always great - not even with a static telephone line to the surface - so in a messy situation it can actually make it harder to stay on top of the situation when somebody is trying to relay a message through a comm connection which is not clear. So this often adds more to the confusion than it is really helpful.

Don't get me wrong, u/w comms are great - but in most cases to monitor a diver's breath while he/she is at work, and to relay some simple and basic message like "time to come up, coffee's ready".

So if you want a low-tech, fail-safe, adjustable way to keep in touch, get a buddy line and do some drills.

Whether you want to call it "DIR" or "KISS" or "my way", one thing will alway stay the same: more gadgets = more distraction = more potential problems.

decoweenie

If you read the original question, the answer is "Stop!"

__________________
"...after a while you get bored offering advice to a bull that like to keep butting the fence with its head rather than walking through the open gate..."

- Rebreather World PM

leptonyx

Oh, right... and then?

"Turn around, I'm over here... no wait, I will come to you... where the f*** have you gone... did you get my "stop"... hello...??? hello...???"

BANG!!

Diver swims into his buddy's tanks.

"Oh, there you are..."

decoweenie

All of the comedians are coming out tonight...

__________________
"...after a while you get bored offering advice to a bull that like to keep butting the fence with its head rather than walking through the open gate..."

- Rebreather World PM

leptonyx

Don't get me wrong, comms are great, and way better than tugging signals on a line (p.e. "turn right": two pulls, "turn left" five pulls! and so on)

But IMHO comms do not solve the problem of staying (physically) in touch with a buddy. Of course it can still be great to hear each other after you have lost contact, and you certainly can coordinate your movements better (p.e. "I am shining my torch in the SW to W sector where I last saw you...")

But if you have to go from half mask to FFM and from there to FFM+comms just to achieve that, I am not sure it will always be worth the investment, just to be able to say "stop"...