Frequently asked questions
1. What’s the underwater range of the Buddycall or how far away can one get from a buddy or group and still be heard?
  • In open water, most people can clearly hear it from a distance of 100 feet / 30 meters, some a bit less and for most a lot farther.
  • In shallow sheltered water up to about 15 feet in depth, most can hear it clearly up to 150 feet / meters.
  • As is true with all audible devices, the wearing of a hood diminishes the effective range of the Buddycall. Buddycall is designed for warm water "hoodless" diving and not for cold water diving while wearing a hood.
2. Does it work as an above surface signaling device?
  • The Buddycall is audible on the surface for a distance up to 50 feet depending on surface conditions.
  • Good for getting a buddy’s attention if they’re close, but it’s not designed as an above surface signaler and shouldn’t be relied upon as one.
3. What’s the Buddycall sound like?
  • Click the fish to listen
4. What effect does the Buddycall have on fish?
  • None, it has no affect on fish. It’s believed the sound frequency is above what fish can hear.
5. Does the Buddycall scare or attract sharks?
  • Testing has been carried out in New Zealand and the Bahamas with a variety of sharks and it has zero effect. It’s believed this will hold true for all sharks.
6. What happens if the maximum depth rating of 110 ft / 33m is exceeded?
  • The unit can leak, rendering it useless and voiding the warranty.
  • At 134 ft of depth the top of the case collapses, destroying the unit.
7. Does the Buddycall work if a diver is wearing a hood?
  • Marginally, wearing a hood greatly deminishes it’s range. It’s like trying to hear something while wearing earmuffs and it really doesn’t work.
8. How does the switch operate?
  • Press the button and the unit will turn on and run continuously until you turn it off again. You control the length of the signal. Use a short burst to get someone's attention, or leave it on for hands-free signaling in an emergency.
9. How long will the batteries last?
  • With the supplied batteries it will run continuously for up to 20 minutes which is good for around 60 dives. When it's time to replace the batteries, doing so with quality, silver oxide batteries will approximately double the run time.
10. What type of batteries does the Buddycall use?
  • It uses three 386-button type batteries or their equivalent. Equivalents include: Bulova 260;Citizen 280-41; Duracell D386; Energizer 186/386; IEC AG12; IEC LR43; Maxell SR43W; Panasonic SP386; Seiko SB-B8; Sony SR43W; Timex H; Toshiba SR43W; Various L1142; Varta V386
11. Where can the batteries be purchased?
  • From your dive shop or variety / drug stores in N. America. Examples: Rite Aid, Walmart, K-mart.
  • Electronic shops everywhere like Radio Shack or Dick Smith.
  • Alternatively, buy then online in your area; search Google or Yahoo for “386 button batteries”. Examples: www.amazon.com; www.batteries.com; www.lowcostbatteries.com
12. When not in use what’s the best way to store the Buddycall, batteries in or out?
  • Short term or between dives, simply back the battery cover off one turn or until it stops working so it doesn’t go off accidentally in your gear bag. Don’t forget to tighten it back up before diving.
  • Long term storage, remove the batteries.



Includes: 3 batteries,
wrist strap and BC attachment.