A murky dive changed my view on surface-only communication

I always thought extra hand signals were a waste for jobs with good radio contact. Last week, stirred up mud killed my visibility and the surface link dropped out. My buddy's signals were the only thing that got me oriented. Now I argue for always having a backup plan, but some guys say it just complicates quick tasks. Where do you all fall on this?

3 comments

3 Comments

abby8861mo ago

Wait, your radio actually died in the mud? That's terrifying... markschmidt calls it planning for a movie, but that's a real problem that just happened to you. I'd never dive without a backup way to talk now.

dylans231mo ago

Remember how quickly visibility dropped? That's why backup signals matter even for quick tasks. Who wants to be stuck without a way to communicate?

markschmidt1mo ago

Honestly @dylans23, that sounds like planning for a movie disaster. For a quick job in a known area, packing flares feels like overkill. Most people have phones that work fine even in some bad weather these days. Carrying extra gear for every little trip just turns a simple task into a hassle.