In 2019 during a liveaboard scuba diving vacation in the Maldives, there was a situation on a popular diving spot that required the use of my Nautilus LifeLine GPS VHF marine radio so we could be located and retrieved back to our diving boat.
The main larger boats are often using smaller boats or skiffs, called Dhoni’s, to take divers to and from the dive sites. I was part of a small group of five divers and we had a wonderful wall drift dive just off a small island. Once on the surface we realized the current had taken us further than planned and we were about to be swept around the island land mass that was adjacent to our dive sight. The challenge was that many boats of different sizes were now between us at the surface and both our Dhoni and our main boat.
The member of the crew who led the dive was a new dive instructor, they had us stay close together and just tried to keep a few of the divers calm as they were showing signs of stress and anxiety for the situation. Some divers were starting to call out that they were going to try to surface kick to the island. The situation was starting to get interesting!
Using my Nautilus LifeLine GPS VHF radio that I had already calibrated and tested with the main boat early in the week, I was able to calmly call and speak with the captain, describing our location and situation. Five minutes later the Dhoni access boat picked us up and brought us to the main boat. Nerves were calmed and the other divers thanked me for have the foresight to carry such an important piece of safety equipment on my dives. Over dinner we shared our adventure with the other guests. I only dive if I can ensure I’m taking my Nautilus LifeLine along for the ride!

Spencer Lawes

Spencer Lawes