Why not attach spool to DSMB before the dive?

[Wibble]

My primary DSMB is a 1.8m/6ft long self-inflating using two 16gr CO2 cartridges and attached to a metal reel with 100m/330ft of line, clipped off on my right-hand waist D-ring. This is very easy to deploy and does not need gas from drysuit nor bailout; diving a CCR means oral inflation is not possible unless bailed out.

My backup DSMB is a 1.8m/6ft Halcyon inflated using the drysuit inflator (or bailout) attached to an Apeks 60m/200ft spool and stored in my right-hand pocket with my spare mask and wetnotes.

My emergency/alert DSMB is small and yellow with a bungee loop to be slid up the other DSMB line to send up the pre-agreed signal to the boat skipper (e.g. deploy the drop tank) and is stored in my left-hand pocket along with a spare 60m/200ft Apeks spool.

If conditions require, a 120m/400ft cave reel will be hooked on to the rebreather.


All of the above are to facilitate deployment in cold water using a rebreather with thick gloves where it is extremely difficult to thread line through needles with no feeling in your fingers.

Everything is so much easier in warm waters where you’re not wearing multiple layers of thick underclothes, electric heaters, thick drygloves and undergloves.

 

[ChuckP]

As I've learned, its less about it jamming and more about the potential of it getting caught onto something (a boat) and dragged, which would take your finger with it. I was taught to never put your finger *through* the spool and instead hold it on the outside to let it go.

Afterwards, like you said, clip it off and let it hang in front of you.

In Halycon's case, they make the center small enough so you can't even put your finger through it if you wanted to (Halcyon Dive Systems)

So I deploy my surface marker bouy at 30 meters and I should manually unwind it instead of letting it spool off my finger?

 

[Dave Whitlow]

I read a lot of this thread and, while I appreciate that for penetration dives a spool has a purpose, I remain puzzled that anyone prefers a spool for deployment of an SMB in open water sea diving. A ratchet reel is easier to use, can be used to for hanging a bag of scallops, and can be of similar size. I find the idea of them not being connected is even stranger!

Almost all my diving is in tidal waters, and from a boat, so an SMB is necessary to help surface traffic avoid me, and help our boat track me as I drift. For drift dives an SMB is required at the start of the dive so the boat can track our progress in the current, and for wreck dives the requirement is to deploy the SMB upon leaving the wreck site. This enables the skipper to count the divers, and recover the shot when everyone has left the wreck, and then to follow the divers as they drift with the tide.

As an SMB is not optional, and will be used with my reel, they are permanently connected and are clipped to a D-ring on my wing/BCD. My big ratchet reel has 125m of line on it and an AP dSMBi attached, and kept tidy with a loop of bungee. I have a backup reel in my drysuit pocket (50m reel with CO2 dSMB, also with LP).

On a deeper dives wasting time at the end of bottom time adds extra decompression, for no good reason, so getting shallow quickly makes sense. Yesterday, at 47m I unclipped my reel, pulled the SMB out of the bungee, unlocked the ratchet, and opened the bottle to send the dSMB upwards. As soon as the SMB went I started my ascent, grabbing and releasing the reel to assist my ascent, and I arrived at 30m when the SMB reached the surface. Apart from the dive computer display, I can gauge the ascent speed by the size of bubbles tracking, and a lot of winding and few minutes decompression are saved by this. It's a bit of fun too!

 

[Allen-1]

So I deploy my surface marker bouy at 30 meters and I should manually unwind it instead of letting it spool off my finger?

No. Hold the edges of the spool between first finger and thumb and let unspool. If you need to let it go in a hurry you just let it go. What you want to avoid is having your finger through the spool and your DSMB or line getting caught by something else, like a boat , and being unable to get rid of the spool as the line’s being yanked

 

[ben8]

So I deploy my surface marker bouy at 30 meters and I should manually unwind it instead of letting it spool off my finger?

No, you can let it roll/spool off but you shouldn't put your finger *through* the spool's hole, but rather hold it on the outside

 

[ChuckP]

No, you can let it roll/spool off but you shouldn't put your finger *through* the spool's hole, but rather hold it on the outside

Well, you should buy equipment that fits what you need - my spolls are plenty big enough for even a gloved finger....

 

[ben8]

Well, you should buy equipment that fits what you need - my spolls are plenty big enough for even a gloved finger....

No, the whole point is that you shouldn't put your finger through the spool, not whether the hole in the middle is big enough. I mentioned the Halcyon spool because they intentionally fill up the hole so people can't do that.

 

[lukeb]

I understand not wanting to get pulled up to the surface if the line jammed on your spool while deploying a DSMB, and I agree with not putting your entire finger through it, but what is the issue with the thumb tip and finger tip like explained previously? I thought this was how everyone used a spool. If the line jams you just open your hand and the spool disappears...


(Also +1 for the ratchet reel and DSMB....so much easier on the ascent than replacing line onto a spool!)

 

[Wibble]

(Also +1 for the ratchet reel and DSMB....so much easier on the ascent than replacing line onto a spool!)

You do mean a self-inflating DSMB, either CO2 cartridges or a ‘crack’ bottle.

The main benefit of a reel is that you just let go and… it… just… stays… put. Spools need all that knitting lest you donate it to Neptune’s locker.

 

[Dave Whitlow]

You do mean a self-inflating DSMB, either CO2 cartridges or a ‘crack’ bottle.

The main benefit of a reel is that you just let go and… it… just… stays… put. Spools need all that knitting lest you donate it to Neptune’s locker.

This evening I dived with a goody bag hanging from my reel and dropped some scallops into the bag. It wasn't a great patch for rescuing seafood so no lift-bag was required to send up the bag and I ascended with the bag connected to the reel. I can't imagine attempting that simple exercise with a spool!