mask, goggles or nothing?

[Mullins]

Just look at dolphins, whales or seals! Do they have some equipments or suits, or do they pack or take warm-ups? No, all are NO.

I'd like to see them try no-fins though!

 

[trux]

Perhaps using fluorescent tags would be a good idea then.

 

[Mullins]

Tags with little flashing lights. And a fluorescent line.

 

[trux]

Tags with little flashing lights. And a fluorescent line.

Yeah, I saw mini scuba strobes in form/size of a pen - in a lot of 100 pieces they've cost below $2 USD if I remember well. They could be used both instead of the tags, or together with them. I think they were probably not rated to 100+ meters, but think that they would withstand the pressure anyway.

 

[TimoP]

Perhaps using fluorescent tags would be a good idea then.

Yes, it's a good idea in any circumstances!

Just yesterday they changed new fluorecent Exit signs in our office, it's really not something special having fluorecent signs. I often order to our customers traffic signs and security sign from manufactures, and I know those signs are not expensive. You can send them pdf-file of your own sign (like a fluorecent AIDA-tag), it's no problem. They can do it easily and cheap. Here is some standard fluorecent signs and tapes:
http://thematking.com/business_industry/architectural/stairtreads/3M/6900-HPPL.htm
http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?66666UuZjcFSLXTtlxMVMXTyEVuQEcuZgVs6EVs6E666666--
("3M Luminous Film 6900, Chemical Characteristics: • Resists mild acids, mild alkalis, and salt spray. • Excellent water resistance.")
Marine IMO Safety signs
(text in last link: "Printed using Class A photoluminescent pigment material, these signs will glow for a longer period of time. These signs are produced exclusively for the Marine, Oil and Shipping industries to comply with SOLA Chapter III, regulation 9.23", price 3.19£ = 3.50 € = 4,5 $)

I can't see why a fluorecent tag wouldn't be a AIDA standard in future. Is there some reason that searching a tag at the bottom should be diffucult and a little risky? Safety is number 1 in diving, so why it is not so with the tag?

Okey, I and Jome will do testing it in very dark Finnish open waters, altough we have mask torch and bottom plate lamp anyway. I've also (traffic sign) stick-on reflection labels in my bottom plate. We do here our deep divings in Black Holes :blackeye not in Blue Holes. There is no sun light deeper than 15-20 m. When you first time have dived here deeper than that, you will hear they saying to you "Congratulations, now you have seen The Black Side!"

Yeah, I saw mini scuba strobes in form/size of a pen - in a lot of 100 pieces they've cost below $2 USD if I remember well. They could be used both instead of the tags, or together with them. I think they were probably not rated to 100+ meters, but think that they would withstand the pressure anyway.

That's today's style. I think Jome likes very much this kind of testing. Yes, we both are engineers...

Bill S. is coming here for a AIDA judge course in the end of May, maybe he'll get a fluorecent AIDA-tag after course... even with Jome's strobe lights

 

[efattah]

At the AIDA World Cup in Montreux, Switzerland, in 2000, they used glow-in-the-dark chemical lightsticks as the 'tag'. Perfect idea. Too bad I had a packing blackout at the surface and never got to the bottom!

 

[TimoP]

At the AIDA World Cup in Montreux, Switzerland, in 2000, they used glow-in-the-dark chemical lightsticks as the 'tag'. Perfect idea.

So, we already have 3 good and cheap solutions for easy searching for a tag!
There are lightsticks just for diving, so it's not problem to use those in salt water. Some dives 120m deep nowadays...so the high pressure is one thing to check.
Some links concerning chemical lightsticks for diving:
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightstick"]Glow stick - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
Dive Light | LED Dive Light | Scuba Dive Lights: at JoeDiverAmerica.com
Cylume Chemical Light Stick 15cm (6) [A025] - The Scuba Doctor Dive Shop - Buy Scuba Gear & Scuba Diving Equipment
This last is for heavy duty diving with a (metal?) ring for an easy attach to a string or lanyard.

There are lightstick rings, too. It would be easy to put it to your arm (around). I'm not sure there are that kind of ring for diving. In DNF and FIM there is a risk, that you can loose and drop it, when coming up. But that risk is with any tag, anyway.
BTW, there is lightstick rings for neck, too! The size must be big enough for big heads, like mine . There is not much time to try on and find your size at the bottom plate ...hmmm...different colors for different sizes?...or some streching part in a ring?... damn, an engineer has always one or more suggestions to any problem...