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#51828
DiverGuard - Anyone have this yet?
Greg - 1/13/2014 11:32 AM
Category: Equipment
Replies: 18

I just saw an ad on DiveBuddy (I guess they’re advertising with us through Google ads) for DiverGuard. Their product looks pretty interesting and I was wondering if anyone is using this yet.

It’s a device that seems to replace your standard low pressure inflator hose and gives off a high pitched alarm if you stop breathing for 40 seconds OR you’re breathing erratically. If it senses that you’re not breathing and you don’t push the reset button within 20 seconds, it will automatically inflate your BCD and float you to the surface.

Here is a snippet about this device from their website:

"DiverGuard® is based is on the scientific principle of indirect monitoring. Our system measures a diver’s breathing status by monitoring gear parameters beyond DiverGuard® — parameters which are affected whenever breathing status changes. Specifically, DiverGuard® monitors the intermediate pressure air in the scuba air regulating system, in order to evaluate the diver’s breathing."

What do you all think of this device? I always like it when new and interesting tech is introduced to the diving industry.
#8046
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Rich-D-Fish - 1/13/2014 12:10 PM
I’m not so sure I would be comfortable having an electronic device in the "water" with me that could take over the controls of my power inflator and "float" me (try ROCKET) to the surface. I had this happen to me once by accident thanks to sand in my rental bcd inflator valve, which would have killed me had I been deeper.

Another situation we can debate would be "where" would you prefer to be if you did pass out unconscious and not breathing, underwater in the cold waiting for rescue, or on the surface with the bends and possibly and overexpanded lung from rapid decompression? If I were shallow and near the dive boat and potential rescue it might work out perfect for me. If I were without a buddy or hundreds of yards away from the boat or shore it probably wouldn’t make a difference either way. Maybe someone with more medical knowledge can chime in on this line of thought? I’m no expert by any means.
#757
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havoc - 1/13/2014 12:13 PM
I think that’s really awesome and potentially dangerous. To have a device like that malfunction and shoot you to the surface is a scary thought. I like the idea but would wait a while and thoroughly test before adding that to my bag.
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LatitudeAdjustment - 1/13/2014 1:08 PM
"If it senses that you’re not breathing and you don’t push the reset button within 20 seconds, it will automatically inflate your BCD and float you to the surface."

I’m pretty sure every time I frame a picture I hold my breath more than 20 seconds, around hammerheads that flee when you exhale as long as I can. I can’t picture (pun) any photographer using this plus it sounds like an accident waiting to happen.
#51828
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Greg - 1/13/2014 2:01 PM
From LatitudeAdjustment: I’m pretty sure every time I frame a picture I hold my breath more than 20 seconds
The alarm goes off after 40 seconds of no breathing, then you have 20 seconds after that to disable the alarm before it sends you to the surface.
#51828
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Greg - 1/13/2014 2:06 PM
From Rich-D-Fish: I’m not so sure I would be comfortable having an electronic device in the "water" with me that could take over the controls of my power inflator and "float" me (try ROCKET) to the surface.
This is the very first thing I thought of when I watched that video. I knew some other smart scuba divers would pick up on that.

I’m not so sure this is a bad thing though. The device could operate as another instrument to help decrease the risks when scuba diving. As scuba divers, we practice situations when our instruments fail. So in this case, divers should be prepared to unhook the device from the low pressure inflator hose and manually inflate the BCD to control buoyancy. So as long as your comfortable with the technology you’re using underwater, the benefits should out weight the detriments.
#8046
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Rich-D-Fish - 1/13/2014 2:44 PM
From Greg: divers should be prepared to unhook the device from the low pressure inflator hose and manually inflate the BCD to control buoyancy.
Right after the near accident I mentioned above with the stuck inflator valve, we took apart the inflator to find the sand and clean it all out. Even though the sand was gone I tried to unhook my LP hose in shallow water to be better prepared in the event it happens before. I couldn’t unhook it! Two other strong men tried and couldn’t unhook it either. Maybe it was just this particular quick-disconnect, but we found the same problem with almost every "cheap" quick-disconnect we tried that day. This is the same connector that I see on 75% of the cheaper BCD’s out there. I won’t name brands. The very next day I went out and bought myself the most high end BCD I could find, and sure enough the quick disconnect was beefier and popped open with just the lightest pressure.
#7367
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UWnewbee - 1/13/2014 5:33 PM
This seems pretty much the same theory as the PASS system thats mounted on the harness of a SCBA
#28736
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RAWalker - 1/13/2014 6:06 PM
My thought is that this isn’t about saving your life. since it doesn’t inflate until after 60 seconds of no breathing. Then as mentioned you get rocketed to the surface. If you weren’t already dead from a coronary underwater the trip up from depth would give you DCS on top of the original problem. This system is about returning remains to the surface and giving your family something to bury.
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daz88 - 1/14/2014 6:31 AM
Don’t like anything "automatic"! the cause more problems than the solve, the potential for something going wrong with this is too great. Having something automatic is for the people that do want to learn how to do something. LatitudeAdjustment ....I’m right there with you! RAWalker ...."This system is about returning remains to the surface and giving your family something to bury." that’s what I was thinking, it’s about all it would be good for.
#51828
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Greg - 1/14/2014 7:50 AM
One thing is clear, we need companies like this to keep innovating in our industry. Humans are not meant to be underwater. We can not physically adapt to the underwater world without technology. So I’m all for any new technology that keeps our industry moving forward. Keep the great ideas and inventions flowing!
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RichKeller - 1/14/2014 4:33 PM
I do not think I would be comfortable with something like this unless there was a quick and easy wat to shut it off if it malfunctioned. The best application I can see for it would be solo diving.
#8046
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Rich-D-Fish - 1/14/2014 11:31 PM
From OtherHalf: Both divers suffer from Barotrauma and die on the surface.

Point well made. I’m sold. Keep me away from that device. Yikes!
#757
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havoc - 1/15/2014 7:06 AM
From OtherHalf: Both divers suffer from Barotrauma and die on the surface.

Well played. Makes it much more of a reality when you put in into context. Well done.
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John_giu - 1/21/2014 5:46 PM
Automated Lung over- expansion?
#783
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dontdiveenuf - 2/03/2014 3:41 PM
10 out of 10 points for innovation. 1 out of 10 points for something that makes sense. I’m giving them 1 point for having the idea of signaling when a diver (may be) in trouble. And I do like the idea of a device for returning the body to the surface; kind of like the solution of putting a stake in the coffin lid to make sure that everyone who is buried is actually dead. Sorry, that was macabre.

What about a device that alerts Diver 2 when Diver 1’s breathing seems to be in trouble? Of course, the audio portion is useless to anyone else in the water, since we generally can’t tell direction based on sound u/w (although if we’re always aware of where our buddy is maybe that wouldn’t be necessary).