NEVER Dive Without This | Garmin InReach Mini 2 Review

[@TheWanderingBlonde]

I agree. As a diver, I really don't need texting, weather, and pinpoints. If there was either a free or super minimal monthly cost for just SOS, I'd love that. I'm actually surprised DAN hasn't partnered with Garmin for a special subscription plan for DAN members. Several liveaboards I've been on issue Nautilus Lifeline's at the beginning of the trip and those don't have a subscription. You should do a comparison video between the InReach Mini 2 and the current Marine Rescue GPS.

[@CircleHScuba]

This is a great video idea. I agree with everything you’re saying too. In short, the marine rescue / lifeline type of set up is more of a local antenna sending a beacon signal. So the range is very limited and you hope someone is nearby to pick it up on their boat/ship.

[@Danong-v3w]

It means it's a useless device 😂

[@UNgineering]

i can imagine hiking for a week, getting lost, trying to send a SOS message and receiving a response "Your plan expired yesterday. Please renew your subscription and try again"

[@CircleHScuba]

That’s one of my biggest pain points. The idea that you can’t SOS without the plan is mind boggling to me.

[@ScarySpots]

@@UNgineering this is why I signed up for auto renewal

[@MarvinofMars]

I have used an E PERP in a bespoke waterproof canister on my dive rig since the mid 1990s. A twin frequency unit. This with a second canister that contain flares, and water dye packages. Further to this rolled up is a 1 man NATO mini raft, it measures 3inch diameter by 14 inch, it solely to allow a dry suit user to lye flat to sleep if lost. Also signal mirrors mad from mirror Perspex, and jon line ( if you ne to secure to an ocean buoy ( to avoid drifting) . Does this unit read Northern Hemisphere like GLONASS as GPS is much lower Latitude Sky Net system. Any object blocking the South like cliffs signal?

[@CircleHScuba]

That canister sounds amazing. I’ve been wanting to build out a kit myself with dye, waterproof matches, flares, etc as well. I’d love to see a pic of whatever you have if you still have it to give myself ideas! For sensors their documentation says it has GPS, GALILEO, and QZSS if that helps? It runs off Garmin’s Iridium Satellite Network which is low earth orbit. They say it’s the worlds largest commercial constellation and the fully meshed network is 485 miles above earth. I hope that answers your questions, but if not I’d reach out to Garmin directly as I can’t find anything else in their documentation.

[@germangarciafernandez]

Qué gran video!!! Entendí todo y la verdad me parece de las revisiones más honestas del producto que he visto. Coincido en las gravísimas fallas como exigir suscripción por el envío de una señal de SOS. Suscrito a tu canal , muchas gracias por el buen contenido.

[@CircleHScuba]

Thank you so much! I appreciate that. See you in the other video comments!

[@tunaman2200]

Very good video! Talks about a really good thing to have that isn’t discussed as much. Good mention on the insurance too.

[@CircleHScuba]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it

[@valise1794]

Jake is the reason, I always have a flashlight and signaling mirror on every dive.

[@CircleHScuba]

It’s an extremely important thing, especially for ocean dives or large lakes like the Great Lakes in the US

[@Surge1045]

Have you considered and/or compared the Inreach Mini2 to the Nautilus Lifeline device? I have the later (Gen1) and am considering also getting the InReach to have redundant systems. My hesitation in the cost ($475 all in) plus the monthly fee. The Nautilus (Gen2) is currently $200 and requires no plan whatsoever to use - no texting, and all that as it's just an emergency beacon.

[@CircleHScuba]

They’re really quite different. The lifeline is a beacon that allows people within a certain radius to pick up the signal (if they’re nearby) and find you. The Garmin is GPS so you don’t need anything nearby. I think they both have their uses but that’s why I went Garmin, a bit more flexibility there in a real “oh crap” moment. Plus I bring it with me hiking, camping, etc.

[@ScarySpots]

I have this for multiple reasons including diving, fishing and hiking and have it on automatic renewal. It saved me after I had a heart attack while hiking and no cell service

[@CircleHScuba]

What a testimony!

[@jabberwolf7348]

OK, so does it have a GPS on it ? I kinda like this idea for its main use ... but also to keep on luggage to keep track of where the luggage is if it gets lost ! I wonder if you can do the cheapest annual plan.. then upgrade to middle when needed, then back down to the basic, without an activation fee 🤔

[@CircleHScuba]

I’ve never heard of that use case for this as it’s so far from what it’s intended for haha. Maybe that would work? 😅 An air tag from Apple or similar product is loads cheaper and can serve that purpose. I know for the satellite portion it requires direct to sky, like, inside a building it’s unlikely to connect. I don’t know if the GPS works off local radio towers instead of true satellite comms, so idk if this would work to have it turned on inside of luggage in an aircraft or other vehicle. I assume not to be honest. But again that’s so far from an intended use case 😅

[@qcdsticks]

Loved the video. I have a quick question that you may or may not be able to answer. So I'm going to be getting my dive cert in the near future and start spearfishing with a buddy of mine who's been doing it for over 20yrs. He has a 16in Garmin fish finder/chartplotter which can pair with an inreach device. Theoretically If he had a inreach mini on the boat connected to the MFD and i surfaced and was separated is it possible that I could send a waypoint of my location from the inreach to his inreach on the boat and him be able to see that on his Garmin MFD and be able to navigate to my location

[@CircleHScuba]

So please don’t quote me on this as I don’t know for sure, but I believe that is possible if you’re within range to be connected to their inreach still, but that’s a FANTASTIC question for Garmin!

[@CircleHScuba]

Also thanks for the compliment! Glad you found it helpful 🤿

[@CircleHScuba]

I truly think every ocean diver should carry a rescue GPS / Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) like the Garmin InReach Mini 2 or a competitor. There are too many real, verified, stories of divers being left behind on ocean dives and a device like this can absolutely increase your chance of being rescued by a search and rescue team. Garmin InReach Mini 2 👉 geni.us/InReach-Mini2 Dive Case for InReach Mini 2 👉 amzn.to/44aRSSk Dive Insurance (DAN) 🚑 members.dan.org/buddy/2941965 DSMB w/ Spool 👉 amzn.to/3r8oSf8 Garmin Data Plans 🔗 www.garmin.com/en-US/p/837461 How to Use a Dive Compass ▶ kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5-qZGqIatl_f9U Jacob Childs Video ▶ kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKfanWeApM-Sbtk Dive Talk Reaction ▶ kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIrbmKCLh8SBaNU

[@kgal1298]

Honestly this is probably going to be one of my next purchases. Those movies of people just being left in the ocean scare the f out of me.

[@CircleHScuba]

Open Water was loosely based on the couple I mentioned, so I don’t blame you. Though that movie was in the Caribbean, not Australia, and then they made it super Hollywood… Honestly my first time doing an ocean dive that wasn’t just off the coast but actually a few hours out into the ocean, I decided I had to get something. It’s just too risky not to for me. I’m glad you found the video useful! Thanks for taking time to comment too!

[@jimziemer474]

The Garmin InReach is NOT a PLB. People do not know what they are purchasing. It’s really just a text messaging device. A true emergency beacon is a 406 MHz transmitter that also broadcasts on the 121.5 MHz emergency frequency. A real emergency beacon does not require a service subscription either.

[@CircleHScuba]

It’s not an ePIRB but if you google about it, a lot of people say it’s basically a PLB but two way communication instead. It does provide a way to broadcast location and have people locate you, so maybe that’s more marketing to try to get specifically terminology but truly, having done some research while making this video, I found multiple references to it being a PLB, but “better” due to two way communications. Not an ePIRB for sure, there’s other products like the Lifeline for that, but a way to be personally located, arguably yes? Curious your thoughts on that.

[@LouisianaNative13]

What about the iphone 14 pro max with sos and GPS. I wonder if you can buy a case for it that is waterproof. Just a thought

[@CircleHScuba]

Honestly I haven’t tried that feature with mine. I personally don’t wanna take my phone diving, even though I’ve seen camera cases for phones that do work really well, it’s just too expensive for me to risk a leak. I’m not sure how it would work in comparison in terms of features and such, but diving with $1000+ cell phone trusting a case vs a $400 garmin that can is made for outdoor use, I’d go with the garmin. It’s a good question though, maybe I can do a follow up on if some time.

[@prematheshdeva411]

I'll summarize that for you... It's a NO GO

[@Baasicstuff]

PLB same as a ship carries, I have one of these, when the shit hit the fan I want to press that button not some in reach BS and hope it connects. You wont hear about these as companies dont push them, these GPS in Reaches are outrageously expensive to use. Some will say they are not....well Im the retired one .... what do I know

[@CircleHScuba]

I call out the expense of the device, the dive case, and then the plans too in the video and I agree it's more expensive than I thought. The issue with a standard PLB like say the Nautilus Rescue is that its a radio frequency that you have to hope someone is nearby to respond to. In the case of the Nautilus one specifically, it's rated for a range of 34 miles in perfect conditions. Most people report you get about 10 miles. I would absolutely rather have a GPS connection over a shortwave radio in that situation. That said, I think ideally having both would be amazing if you can afford to, which is definitely an expensive bit of tech to carry on you. That way you can try a PLB with local radio first, and if its been an hour and you don't see anyone coming, I'd hit the GPS SOS. I think it's situational too. Oh and I'd also say that the PLB is great for diving alone, but I personally do hike and occasionally go camping, I've also been up in the mountains in cabins and such where there's no signal, out in the desert, etc. I plan to take my Garmin GPS with me in those situations, where the PLB alone broadcasting over radio isn't going to be super helpful. I think it's just slightly different solutions to a similar problem, and the more expensive solution (Garmin) is more versatile IMO. It's expensive, totally is, but I can do more with it and it will work when no one is around, so it was my choice when I was evaluating the competitive solutions (Like the Nautilus Rescue GPS).

[@Baasicstuff]

@@CircleHScuba Im under the assumption that the PLB1 by ocean signal, I own talks to 3 different levels of satellites, it also has a homing beacon. GPS is just GPS network, a PLB always connects, we dont find dead people with PLBs in their hands. If your PLB does not connect that litte Garmin will not also , the signal from the PLB is powerful, disruptive even and thats why it requires registration. The Garmin is a text device...which some need, or find useful, if you have money top burn, go for it but I only find the PLB to be mandatory in my eyes and it cant really be replaced with a GPS device

[@Tikki86able]

Can you set a waypoint before jumping off a boat and set another upon surfacing, and find your way back?....in case something happens with one's compass or currents or something else...😅

[@CircleHScuba]

Well boats don’t really stay in one spot super well. If anchored I guess, but you probably wouldn’t end up so far that you couldn’t even see them at that point. This may work though, it’s a good point and something worth trying I guess

[@Tikki86able]

@@CircleHScuba I'm asking because I'll be doing my first liveaboard in Egypt soon, and I just want to be prepared😅 but thank you for the fast respons!

[@CircleHScuba]

@Tikki86able anytime!!! That’s so exciting! Red Sea? Aggressor or another vessel? I want to do the Red Sea soon!!!

[@Tikki86able]

@@CircleHScuba red sea explorers..I can't wait! I hope you get to dive the red sea as well! Thanks for all the great videos!😁

[@CircleHScuba]

@Tikki86able please tell me how it is!!!

[@gray_wolverine63]

Hi Jake 👋🏼 my first question is, does Dan pick up the cost of a helicopter rescue, and if you didn't have Dan, how much would that be more or less and how much is Dan Insurance. Thank you

[@CircleHScuba]

Hey! First, I'm Thomas, haha. Jake was one of the guys I mentioned in the start of the video that had a recent incident of being left at sea. As for your questions, unfortunately I'll have to say a lot of "it depends" here. For Search and Rescue operations, it depends on where you are. For US Citizens, if you are just off the coast (I think it still has to be US waters, not international, but don't quote me on that) the US Coast Guard SHOULD be able to pick you up at no cost to you and instead the US Tax Payers pick it up. However, I'm sure there are situations where this may end up costing you something. For other countries, it can be whatever the local Search and Rescue group charges, how they do things, etc. Those policies change everywhere you go unfortunately, so it's always recommended to look it up beforehand, whether that's hiking somewhere remote, mountain biking, diving, etc. As for the cost, I've seen estimates of $4000 up to $15000 USD for Search and Rescue, and again I think there's just a LOT of variables so it's hard to put a single number on it. As for DAN, I don't work there so I would recommend you reach out to them. Their customer service is SUPER helpful. They have some plan information showing the "enhanced membership" benefits versus "regular membership" benefits on this page: dan.org/dan-membership-benefit-comparison/ Enhanced does list things like Global Security Evacuation, Search & Rescue Coverage, and additional benefits that are not part of the regular membership. For an individual in the United States, Regular Membership is $40 USD and enhanced is $75 USD as of the time of me writing this. They have discounted rates for family memberships. Like any other insurance, there is a detailed benefit guide that talks about all the things covered and not covered, but at a high level they state the following about their Search and Rescue Coverage: "If an Insured Member has disappeared while on a Trip, and the Coast Guard, local Police, or other National or International services responsible for safety at sea and/or search and rescue undertake a search in an effort to save the life of the Insured Member, DAN TravelAssist® will support search and, up to the Benefit Limit will be paid, for the expenses of the search and rescue effort."

[@gray_wolverine63]

@@CircleHScuba My bad. OK thanks

[@CircleHScuba]

@rockyhernandez6507 no problem at all! I hope the info helps! DAN is awesome when you call them, they’ll answer whatever question you have

[@jeffconley6366]

Also, very good to carry a strobe.

[@CircleHScuba]

Strobes, whistles, all good for sure, good point!

[@seaturtle7777]

Nice video on an important topic.

[@CircleHScuba]

Thank you again! Always happy to see you in the comments

[@seaturtle7777]

@@CircleHScuba Keep up the great work!

[@CircleHScuba]

I’ll try to!

[@ivoryjohnson4662]

I don’t plan on diving outside of CONUS or salt water but if I do either I appreciate this review

[@CircleHScuba]

Totally fair, and thanks for taking some time to comment again too (good to see you again!). I am taking mine on hikes, camping, and anytime I’m in an area with no cell service now. “Just in case” even though I’m not in those areas too often nowadays. That’s one thing that helped convince me is that it isn’t just for diving. Hope you have a good rest of your week!

[@ivoryjohnson4662]

@@CircleHScuba I am thinking it would be good for natural disasters too, if cell service went down. Now that has be thinking hmmmm

[@CircleHScuba]

@ivoryjohnson4662 oh dang I didn’t think of that yet either. Shoot, that’s a good point too!

[@Divewith.G.M_Official_Channel]

That's right here at the scuba shop I'm getting my dive lessons from they have this thing called alert Plus we're basically like it's an air horn for underwater and if you're stranded under there you can't find them you use it and then it will make them where they can hear you you know what I mean😊

[@Divewith.G.M_Official_Channel]

But I do like how this is if I'm way farther away from my group and I actually have to surface alone it will be really good if they don't hear my alert Plus oh and also did you know that it connects to your BCD inflater value so that's what I like about the alert plus but I do really like this device if the other one doesn't work you know what I'm saying😊👍

[@CircleHScuba]

Oh yeah the dive alert plus is great for signaling if they’re nearby, but this is more for if they aren’t nearby. People have been left at sea from getting separated like the two examples I gave and an alert plus may not have helped at all unfortunately. It would be better than not having anything though!

[@jeremymckane1211]

Just make sure you do not get the nylon string over the rubber gasket. I drowned my first inreach.

[@CircleHScuba]

Ouch, good point and good to remember and double check 😬

[@jamisusijarvi646]

You can write custom message without phone, only with inreach mini. But its not nice :D, but its possible

[@CircleHScuba]

I didn’t see an option, I’ll look again!

[@Yggdrasil42]

@@CircleHScuba You basically have to scroll through the alphabet using up and down buttons. Not the fastest way, but thankfully it has a dictionary for word-completion. So it's usable, and very nice to have in an emergency.

[@DidierWolfs]

Why would you take the risk of loosing the device in an emergency situation where you are stressed, by opening the case at the surface to turn it on ? It’s not the 1 hour dive that you had with it turned on that will shorten the battery life, knowing that if it takes 14 days to be rescued, then you’ll be in trouble way sooner :-)

[@CircleHScuba]

Well the SOS button has to be hit on the device itself, so either way it’s coming out of the case. It’s hooked onto the case by a lanyard though so it’s not likely to drop and sink. I then have the case attached via a retractor, so it’s really all hooked up. I don’t think I personally will be panicking if I decide I have to call SOS, more likely would be like “well crap, they really aren’t coming back to get me…” But it’s a good point regardless. I can leave it on in the case too.

[@DidierWolfs]

@@CircleHScuba Yes, I looked at it after my comment and saw that it has to be taken out of the case to use. The case is then only there to be able to carry the mini2 during the dive. Sorry for my previous comment :-). Some says it’s great to have both the Inreach Mini 2 + a plu like the nautilus lifeline or the like. So First using the PLB to reach the boats around and if nobody comes, using the Inreach, as the Inreach will involve serious rescue that could come from far away depending on where we dive; and before having them moving, it’s better to hopefully be rescued with the PLB. It’s a certain cost but our life has no value…! So yes, a 180 cm dsmb PER diver, a flashlight that can flash for a long period (the one I have can flash up to 100 hours or light up at 300 lumens to 20 hours), a primary AND backup light, a strong whistle, a mirror and eventually surface dye. The light can also be introduced in the dsmb and the flash would be attached on top of dsmb (so making sure the dsmb has a D-ring on top. Oh, and an Eezycut. I would avoid diving with a buddy that does not take security seriously.

[@CircleHScuba]

@DidierWolfs no need to apologize! I totally agree with everything you’re saying and all of those things would make it so much safer if you were left. I personally don’t know if I’d take ALL of those, but they are all really good for different reasons and I think two lights, a SMB, and then yes if you could have both an InReach and Nautilus Lifeline, and maybe also a whistle. Safety is important!

[@DeonPretorius-f9g]

Starlink should make something like this.

[@CircleHScuba]

That would be awesome too

[@josephdracula7487]

👍😎🤿🇵🇭! I’ve nothing negative against this device or on a positive I can agree as I have done some open water diving in remote places far from this country! I have always felt pretty confident with a dive torch or a mirror along with a tall DSMB. It is a driven thing to me to always keep my guide in sight! Now that I’ve kind of seen a bit more about the device I have to look more into it. This is a very good wake up call to protect your self and also to your video on what not to do after a dive I have seen some do exactly what not to do and how they get away with it I think is just plain luck or they hide symptoms from others 🤔 at this point I think I will continue with the proper etiquette during and after the diving! 👍Extremely good advice on this subject video 👍!

[@CircleHScuba]

Thanks Joseph!!! I think signal mirrors, torch, and DSMB are also fantastic and you should do that. If you can, a device like this is just even better though. As for the video on what to not do after diving, I totally agree it’s probably luck and I just don’t want to trust my luck 😂

[@sovites7941]

hello

[@CircleHScuba]

Hey there!

[@sovites7941]

@@CircleHScuba I can't wait to see the video

[@CircleHScuba]

@sovites7941 thanks! I’m excited too haha. 8 more minutes!!

[@CircleHScuba]

you'll have to let me know what you thought of it @sovites7941!

[@Mike-01234]

US Coast Guard doesn't charge for rescues at sea in the US anyway. Also DAN doesn't kick in anything until your personal insurance pays first when I got the bends in Florida my group insurance paid the 10k helicopter ride it was a private air ambulance. If I remember correctly when I reported it to DAN they said weren't even sure the insurance would be approved because I got the bends flying out on a commercial airliner after diving. Lucky for me my own employers insurance was really good back in 2010 I only spent $250 deductible rest was 100% paid. Insurance will pay for decompression treatment because it's considered an ER visit which most insurance pay 80% until you hit max out of pocket if your diving in the US. If you travel outside the US I would suggest looking at DAN's policy carefully your personal insurance won't work outside the US. You might want to invest in a travel insurance plan.

[@CircleHScuba]

These are some bold statements that I would hesitate to claim apply across the board. I’m not sure they’re true in all instances and have heard the opposite myself. I’m glad you had that experience in 2010 though, sounds very lucky and $250 with the rest paid is awesome insurance. I’m not saying you’re wrong, but I don’t know if you’re right in all instances based on everything I’ve ever seen or read is all I’m saying.

[@patmer2087]

I see Eddie Hall lost a ton of weight 😅

[@CircleHScuba]

Watch me pull a bus! 💪🤣 I can see some resemblance, hahaha.

[@observingrogue7652]

To me, the rescue fee is fair. Alot more fair then the tax system, because instead of us directly & efficiently paying for what we ACTUALLY use & support. Money is stolen from us, automatically through taxes, to pay for whatever the government & lobbyists want. Things like that, are why I want to live in a houseboat, hunting my own meat from the sea, and growing produce on an onboard greenhouse. And as Capitalist, I understand that services like a wireless plan cost money. But I would love for Garmin to justify the cost of just having the SOS button available, instead of charging everytime it is used. What does that money go to exactly? And I'm sorry, I had a great laugh at the Mr. Childs story. How the hell did they leave behind the INSTRUCTOR? DId every student think he was in the captain's room, and did everyone in the captain room think he was with the students? I shouldn't laugh, but that's Looney Tunes crap right there. And as an instructor, I can't imagine how you feel.

[@observingrogue7652]

And I know I shouldn't equate just swimming to just walking back to civilization or home, because on land, you dont really have to worry about drowning if you fall asleep. But maybe there should be a product or technique for sleeping in the water, and just navigating home instead of relying on such an expensive thing & service. I love personal-responsablity & self-reliance. Another reason I want to live on a boat.

[@CircleHScuba]

You should look up the DiveTalk discussion because they talk about what happened in depth with Jacob Childs. It still sounds VERY strange to me, but the captain of that boat messed up basically according to him and just royally screwed him. Again, Jacob talks about it in the interview with DiveTalk and I'd refer to that for details. It definitely sounds fishy still to me.

[@CircleHScuba]

@@observingrogue7652ah and yes, I agree that at least the SOS button being free would be good and I understand a fee for a staffed call center, just wish there was a free option solely for the SOS Beacon aspect.

[@observingrogue7652]

@@CircleHScuba I'll check out the DiveTalk later. And honestly, I'm more interested in personal beacons, like in Subnautica, to mark my future houseboat and PWC, then something like that Garmin device & service. That Childs story is another reminder to me to rely on myself. Even put in fail safes and backup plans, so my future self can't kill me.

[@CircleHScuba]

@@observingrogue7652 yeah the beacons are also good, just a slightly different use case and limited in other ways while having some pros as well. Do your research (as I know you will haha).

[@wildsurfer12]

I’d ask myself what on earth my dive buddy was doing before using this.

[@CircleHScuba]

What if you and your dive buddy come up and you’re both alone? That’s very much something that’s been documented happening to folks, unfortunately.

[@jaredwhite489]

Going underwater with something that needs a satellite to communicate 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@CircleHScuba]

I’m not sure you understand the point of the device, but yes. It’s 100% okay to take underwater with the proper dive case and means you can be rescued if you surface completely alone. Which has happened unfortunately many times, like the stories I mentioned at the start.

[@Danong-v3w]

SOS still needs a subscription? It means it's a useless device 😂

[@CircleHScuba]

It’s definitely not useless, but yeah I wish that part was free.