Quote:
Originally Posted by gibson1525
i for one find the tank banger an essential piece of dive equipment. in fact i carry 2 on every dive if one breaks or if people start to ignore just one banger i can use both to get peoples attention.
they work extremely well as i've noticed that i can get divers to come over that were so far away i couldn't even see them. after they swim 200' to reach me they are always pleased to see the squirrel fish that i have discovered.
one diver was so impressed that he came over and cut one off my tank so that he could have one for himself. i didn't mind that much since i had a few extras on the boat for just such an occasion.
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Great post - I carry two on every tank as well, but for me its just a matter of having the banger on each side of the tank so I can reach back with either hand as circumstances warrant. I hadn't considered the need for redundancy, so I guess I'll add two more to each tank so even if one breaks during a dive (or is taken by an impressed or jealous diver), I still have the option of using either hand. Depending on how I space them on the tank, it's possible they'll issue different tones . . . I can see almost coming up with a song or something akin to morse code but cooler . . . I'll have to ask the DM on my next dive to save 5 minutes dive briefing time for me to go over the morse-like signals I'll be using during the dive so my fellow divers are fully up to speed.
In all seriousness, they're cheap and if you want one or it makes you or your buddy more comfortable, there's no reason not to have one assuming you have a few bucks to spare . . . I'd just ask any who decide to have one to remember the previous posters' advice - there is a difference between use and abuse, and many divers find more than the very rare tap pretty annoying.