[Paddlewise] Flares & Night-time Safety

To be seen on the surface of "lumpy" water, many divers carry a bright
orange inflatable tube approx. 4 ft. long (often called a safety
sausage...don't go there...). Under normal conditions, the tube is deflated
into a compact roll about three inches in diameter (clips to BCD). To use
it, the diver wanting to be seen simply unrolls the tube, inflates it via a
mouthpiece until it is rigid and holds it up for additional visibility. For
added visibility in night-time and lower visibility use, some of the tubes
have a small see-through pocket near one end for holding a cyralume light
stick. While this is no substitute for the longer range flares and lights,
it is a cheap, useful safety device that, combined with a good whistle, can
be easily added to your arsenal of essential "see and be seen" devices. 
(BTW, there are several dive lights on the market which are waterproof,
compact, have tightly focused, bright beams and include a wrist lanyard so
they can't be easily dropped/lost. I really like the ones marketed by
Pelican and by Underwater Kenetics. )

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