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I'm interested to hear whether others are using strobes as aids to wreck 
penetration, and to initiate some discussion of their effective use and
drawbacks.

Background:  some wrecks, especially submarines, do not lend themselves to
using reels for penetration.  An example (which motivated this query) is the
USS Bass, a V-class submarine sunk in the mid-40's in 160 fsw off Block
Island.  To access interesting parts of the wreck, one must first enter a
tight hatch on the front bulkhead at about 150 fsw, where the wreck broke in
half.  One then can swim around a jumble of machinery in the engine room,
through another tight hatch into the galley, and another hatch into the
control room.  Although the Bass is a large sub, there is little room inside,
only one way in and out, and a lot of silt.

In the Bass, line reels appear to be more hazard than benefit, since the tight
quarters and twisty path around machinery tend to cause line entanglement.  The
"progressive penetration" technique, in which one familiarizes oneself with a
room before moving to the next room, seems more appropriate.  As an aid to
this,  we have started to use Ikelite C-Mark strobes at hatch entrances.
The strobes flash every few seconds, and their light cuts through even fairly
heavy siltouts.  They are not substitutes for knowing the layout of the wreck,
but seeing the flashing light certainly adds some comfort when deep inside a
wreck at 150+ fsw.

An obvious drawback of strobes is possible failure.  I have already had one
switch itself off.  If the strobe is clipped to something which moves, such
as an anchor line, the switch can bang against that thing and be turned off.
Moreover, batteries wear out, and although I have never had a strobe battery
die in mid-dive, I would guess that it just stops working (unlike normal
ights, which grow dim first). Finally, the Ikelite strobes tend to float, which
comlicates their attachment to things.

Can anyone else provide tips and/or tell horror stories about using strobes for
penetration?

John
jheimann@sc*.gt*.co*

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