Challenge Question

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There have been several posts about placing an initialed line arrow so that buddy knows you've exited (or at least the direction you went), in the event that you get separated and ran out of time/gas during lost buddy search.

Some have commented that it woudn't work well in zero viz, or poor viz, initials hard to read, might be confused with standard line arrow, etc.

So how about a line arrow with a minature strobe on it? Maybe a short-life battery too? Or the strobe goes off after 2 hours or some pre-programmed time, and a digital timer shows how long ago the "arrow" was activated.

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[curtschu]

We need a new purpose build cookie made. It needs to be Round like a non directional then on one side have a point to show direction but be distiguishable from a line arrow, Which should NEVER NEVER EVER point any way but out to the nearest exit, It should be White and about 3 inches around so you can write your inicials nice and big.
The only time you use it is to mark "This is Me, I found the line here and I am going this way." What do you think?

Curt

[Tony]

Like this?

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We need a new purpose build cookie made. It needs to be Round like a non directional then on one side have a point to show direction but be distiguishable from a line arrow, Which should NEVER NEVER EVER point any way but out to the nearest exit, It should be White and about 3 inches around so you can write your inicials nice and big.
The only time you use it is to mark "This is Me, I found the line here and I am going this way." What do you think?

Curt

sounds good to me! and I like that picture too!

I know arrows should point the way out, but when I said, "...the way I went," I meant that in no viz, lost line, found line, lost buddy, etc., the way out may not be too clear. so you put on a line arrow pointing the way you went, which you intended to be out, but .... I also assume that should swim a bit and discover you are going in, not out, well, then you turn and go back to your arrow and turn it around on your way out...

I guess the arrow means, "This is the way I went, believing it to be the way out."

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[curtschu]

Like this?

Yes that is exactly what mean

[Cindy]

I think you guys are just going to confuse yourselves and others. When I have been in that situation and marked a line in the way I have gone and turned around when I found I was going the wrong way, I simply picked up my arrow on the way out. If you are on the wrong line and have to leave a directional arrow pointing the wrong direction you should retrieve it on the next possible dive. If you leave a directional marker going the wrong way you are going to confuse divers, I don't care how you design it! There were already two divers that died in Madison because of an arrow pointing INTO the cave on exit. In the silt and confusion they reversed their track several times to check the validity of the arrow. They used precious air up that could have been used to complete their exit. Please do not do what you are planning to do.

The point of all this is to get people thinking and I am glad to see you doing that but please do not start changing markings in caves or lines because of what you read on a forum. One thing you really need to think about is that the way we do markings now was established for a reason. If you change that and one diver dies because of your actions can you live with yourself? CB

[curtschu]

I understand Cindy I agree I was trying to think of a way to have a VERY distinct marker that you would NEVER encounter under normal conditions
This is something a team that dive together all the time would work on together. I just don't like the idea of ever having a normal arrow pointing the wrong way.

[Webmaster]

How about a square instead of a circle? It's non-directional, and could easily be distinguished from a round cookie or an arrow.

If you wanted to use it to indicate direction traveled, just put a small tab on one side. Don't taper it, that's too close to an arrow.

[curtschu]

I like it that's the ticket yea yea.

[Daedalus]

Maybe instead of coming up with a new marker design modify the line arrows you use so you and your buddy can differentiate yours from every other arrow by touch. I drilled a hole in my line arrows and put zip ties through the hole so I can tell my markers by touch. If your buddy knows what your markers feel like and vice versa if you have a situation like this occur and you feel that unique arrow you know what happened.