davita wroteI seem to be getting rather negative responses to my idea.
1. Hermit #36...of course a cellphone signal would be needed. In the area of diving, in and around Bali, is it 'impossible ' to get a signal? My experience is that people talk on phones on ferries between the islands all the time, so some cell signals and internet must be available...at least some of the time.
2. balibule #37...I'm not advocating a fail-free system..simply a possible cheap alternative to nothing.... or something very expensive. Most divers, I suggest, already have smartphones..so there is no extra cost.
The Nautilus needs someone similarly equipped to receive the DSC VHF message. Therefore, if you say it is in use in Indonesia then the 'system' cost must be way higher than US$299. That is the cost for one unit. If one diver has one unit...as in ghostbusters..."who yu gonna call?"
As I said, diving is something I know nothing but we have just had a dinner party and one guest is a PADI holder. He says that his licence is to 130ft. and no ziplock bag would withstand that pressure. I therefore accept that such a simple idea as mine may not be suitable for the professional. He also said many divers coming to Bali are novice, and never go anywhere near that depth.
Nevertheless, I wonder if those Japanese survivors experience could have been ameliorated if one had taken a smartphone in some modified ziplock, which survived the dive they contemplated, so they could have sent their GPS position to the rescue people...or anyone who could help. They went diving at 1pm on Friday and never re-appeared. They were reported missing at 7pm on Friday. They were discovered this afternoon (Monday) on a reef close to Nusa Penida shore....wow! if only they had a cellphone!!!
I recall our esteemed member markit, on another thread, tell a harrowing tale of his Xing between the Gili's and Amed. This brings my mind to....could a smartphone, wrapped in a ziplock, with a 1 touch APP to SOS Search and Rescue...in case of ferry incident/boat sinking/fishing accident......work?
You only need one unit for the emergency signal with your GPS coordinates to be sent out and be picked up by BARES or similar. Of course, if they had a cellphone their chances of being found would have been much higher as well. I also agree that it's easier to, if you were to dive tomorrow, get a cellphone than to buy a Nautilus. I do think that the cellphone has more limitations than a Nautilus which would be my preferred rescue tool.
Some Liveaboards in Indonesia use the Nautilus already. They don't bring a cellphone under water.
Also, if I would have a diveshop in Bali I would invest in getting myself a Nautilus or cellphone in hardcase or similar and display the fact I use this on all my dives on my website.
