New safety device - useful for freedivers??

[chrisun]

Dear buddies,

this is a link to a survey about a new safety product (I developed the survey in the framework of my Bachelor's Thesis) - divers who are from Australia or from the USA can help determining the market potential for the product by taking part:

http://ww2.unipark.de/uc/UniPF_Ungerer_BuddyWatcher/

Well, I'm not sure if such a product is useful for freedivers... but I thought it might be interesting to get some of your opinions about it, since many of you probably do have a scuba diver certification as well...

THANK YOU

 

[trux]

Interesting. Is there any information available about the device, or is it still just something hypothetical in the phase of theoretical preparation? For freedivers it would of a big interest, if the size was not too big, and if it permitted monitoring buddies depth (and eventually ocation). Especially it would be attractive for freediving depth competitions and trainings, if it were rated to depths over 100m.

 

[chrisun]

Thanks for your reply!!

Well the product is currently developed in Germany. Unfortunately I cannot provide you with all technical information at this point of time...
Depths is not 100% sure yet, in any case sport divers depth will be guaranteed, possibly 70 meters. But maybe more, depending on further analysis!

Concerning the size: What would be too big for you, for instance?

 

[trux]

Well the product is currently developed in Germany. Unfortunately I cannot provide you with all technical information at this point of time...

Perhaps just some basic information, then? What it exactly does, and how? Does it show the depth, the location? One-way system, or a bidirectional system? Or a central boat-unit with terminal for the buddies? What is the communication mean (optical, ultra-sound, radio?), what is the maximal distance where the communication still works? Does the device include also functions of a common diving computer, or will the diver have to have both?

Also, do you know that there is already such system - the UDI from UTC? Could you tell in what functions is the German system different or better? If it had similar functions and was smaller, it would be excellent.

Concerning the size: What would be too big for you, for instance?

The size is perhaps not as important as the streamliness, but basically some freedivers refuse using the bulkier diving computers since they feel they hinder them in their performance. But if it is cleverly built, or the main unit can be hidden under the wetsuit, and has low hydrodynamic drag, then it may be well accepted. For competitions one-way system would be fully sufficient (for monitoring the competitor at depth, and activating the counter-weight system in case of need). That would allow for a smaller device, and such that would not need to be in the vision of the diver.