SMBs. How many, what colors, and why?

[*dave*]

I have 3' DSS pre-rigged on a finger spool that goes on every dive. It takes one breath to fully inflate and is used exclusively for deploying from depth.

If I'm diving off a boat or anywhere there is a chance of surface separation, I'll have a 5'-7' SMB for visibility on the surface. This I would inflate on the surface to make myself more visible for pickup in rough seas.

If I need to tie off to search, I'll bring a reel. If there's an unanticipated need to tie off, I can always use the finger spool. I figure I probably won't die right away if I tie off my finger spool with the DSMB attached.

 

[Insta-Gator]

6' safety sausage, orange one side, yellow the other. Stow in nylon+elastic water bottle holder from Wal-Mart on waist strap behind D-ring, next to BP so it's out of the way and doesn't flop around. Will look into a DSMB or lift bag soon to go with reel+160' orange line.

 

[Wookie]

I carry an orange one on recreational dives. It is a 6 foot SMB in a Dive-Rite pouch that hangs from the back of my backplate. I carry both an orange one and a yellow one on tech dives involving the chance of or planned deco. In that case, the yellow one is stowed in the pouch behind my butt, and the orange one is bungeed to my shallow deco cylinder, the 40 cu ft one. On my single cylinder non-deco dive rig, I have a finger spool clipped to my right chest d-ring. On my doubles rig, I additionally carry a blue manta reel with a cave cam for deploying an SMB from depth.

The briefing goes something like this. On any dive, if the boat or captain sees the orange SMB, I am under the SMB and you should come pick me up. There is no emergency, this is a marker so you can find me. If I have shot a yellow SMB, however, I have lost deco gas and I'd really appreciate it if you'd throw a divemaster in the water with a spare cylinder of deco gas. 50% is fine, or really, whatever is at hand, because I can't get to the surface safely with what I have left available.

The silly orange yellow ones (c'mon, make a damn decision) are treated on the Spree as orange.

 

[Wookie]

Per the international association of diving standards?? Whose standards apply?

String must have been trained in the UK. In the UK, yellow is for help, orange is a marker. I must have been trained in the UK also.

 

[koozemani]

6' safety sausage, orange one side, yellow the other. Stow in nylon+elastic water bottle holder from Wal-Mart on waist strap behind D-ring, next to BP so it's out of the way and doesn't flop around. Will look into a DSMB or lift bag soon to go with reel+160' orange line.

I'd love to see a pic of your walmart special. Never would have thought of that.

 

[Dsix36]

I carry 3 on all dives (yes even in the caves), They all orally inflate via the open bottoms.

My main one is a red SMB with a OPV, my backup is a red lift bag with a sealed vent, my third (Oh sh*t one) is a yellow lift bag with a sealed vent.

I keep my reels separate from the smb/lift bags and connect as needed. I talk to the captains on all boats and tell them my "color code", which is red = normal and yellow = HELP.

 

[koozemani]

String must have been trained in the UK. In the UK, yellow is for help, orange is a marker. I must have been trained in the UK also.

Per the international association of diving standards?? Whose standards apply?

And thus my question concerning colour. Do any certifying agencies teach meanings for specific collies, or are the simply self prescribed by region or country. As global as dive travel has become, is it something that should be standardized?

 

[String]

String must have been trained in the UK. In the UK, yellow is for help, orange is a marker. I must have been trained in the UK also.

Its far from just a UK thing. The USA is the only place in the world im aware that uses the opposite system. Certainly UK,Europe as a whole, Africa, Middle East, Asia and Australia the recommendation from all the technical agencies is orange == ok and yellow == help. Its also taught by several european agencies in recreational courses.

 

[koozemani]

I carry 3 on all dives (yes even in the caves), They all orally inflate via the open bottoms.

My main one is a red SMB with a OPV, my backup is a red lift bag with a sealed vent, my third (Oh sh*t one) is a yellow lift bag with a sealed vent.

I keep my reels separate from the smb/lift bags and connect as needed. I talk to the captains on all boats and tell them my "color code", which is red = normal and yellow = HELP.

Now we're up to three colors. But with yellow still being the "oh crap" colour.

 

[String]

The silly orange yellow ones (c'mon, make a damn decision) are treated on the Spree as orange.

They're banned in most inland UK sites for the confusion it calls. And the things make every boat skipper i know of come out in a severe episode of tourettes. You'll hear the swearing for miles.