Never get in the water with a reel or spool unless you have at least two cutting devices. As you learned, don't inflate anything that's physically attached to you.
Signal tube deployment : going up with the device! scary...
- Thread starter houlejon
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
I like babyduck's suggestion, but it only works if you have sufficient air in your bc. I think having a buddy at hand is the key to safe deployment. BTW, this skill, like others, is developed with practice.
DivemasterDennis
DivemasterDennis
I have a 6' Zeagle with both the duckbill bottom fill and an oral inflate tube. I put a partial breath in the tube via the oral inflate, which gets it slightly buoyant, and out of the way. Then I hit it with the octo. Recently in Cozumel my group was caught in a down current at 90'. Once we were clear of the major effects of the current it was deployed from 74'. I figured if the current returned/persisted, the extra lift would be handy. I filled it 100% at depth, it must have: A. Burped all the way up. and B. Shot out of the water like a Poseidon missile. It has 100' of line, but at the rate it was ascending and stripping line, I had my doubts, lol.
Griffo
Contributor
One of the funnier things i've seen underwater involved an SMB.. I'd promised not to tell however..
I was doing at course with an insructor and two DMT's. We were at around 12m (40ft) at the beginning of the dive. The instructor had found a bare patch of sand for us to do some skills. As is normal practice in this area, he started to put out an SMB to mark our position, then decided that one of the DMT's should do it. He signalled to the DMT next to me to blow the bag, and we started on a skill.
A moment or two later, I heard the reg purge, then a very abnormal sound / scream. I spun around to see the DMT dissapearing rapidly towards the surface in a massive cloud of bubbles. Really all I could see was his fins going mad and this big bubble cloud. The instructor and I looked at each, and burst out laughing. I assumed that the DMT had somehow managed to get himself caught up in the line, and eventually he re-appeared looking very meek.
As it turned out, he had just bought this SMB, and it came with a 5m (15ft) strap rather than a spool. We were at 12m, he had a 5m strap... And as it was brand new, he didn't want to let go of it. Yep, he decided to hang on rather than lose his new SMB.. I think the paying out he got over the next 2 days as I recounted the story to everyone several times sunk the lesson in
I was doing at course with an insructor and two DMT's. We were at around 12m (40ft) at the beginning of the dive. The instructor had found a bare patch of sand for us to do some skills. As is normal practice in this area, he started to put out an SMB to mark our position, then decided that one of the DMT's should do it. He signalled to the DMT next to me to blow the bag, and we started on a skill.
A moment or two later, I heard the reg purge, then a very abnormal sound / scream. I spun around to see the DMT dissapearing rapidly towards the surface in a massive cloud of bubbles. Really all I could see was his fins going mad and this big bubble cloud. The instructor and I looked at each, and burst out laughing. I assumed that the DMT had somehow managed to get himself caught up in the line, and eventually he re-appeared looking very meek.
As it turned out, he had just bought this SMB, and it came with a 5m (15ft) strap rather than a spool. We were at 12m, he had a 5m strap... And as it was brand new, he didn't want to let go of it. Yep, he decided to hang on rather than lose his new SMB.. I think the paying out he got over the next 2 days as I recounted the story to everyone several times sunk the lesson in
Some easy guidelines for using an SMB.
Use a spool, not a reel. Less potential jam hazard ( jams can occur in several ways ), easy to operate and store.
Do not attach it to your self or BCD.
Inflate the SMB with the right amount of gas ( 1/2 @ 30 ft, 1/3 @ 60 ft, 1/4 @ 90 ft, etc ) to prevent uncontrolled ascents, the gas expansion will do the rest.
Pre inflate the bag (just enough) so the top end is up and cannot get entangled anywhere which will leave you room to handle the spool and the inflation tube / duckbill
When above you all is clear ( verify for yourself) inflate and let go. You should be able to let the spool unwind by itself without holding it.
If stuck let go...
Have your buddy pay attention to what you do and be at the ready to assist.
If you can't do it alone, don't do it... you need more practice
SMB Deployment - YouTube
Use a spool, not a reel. Less potential jam hazard ( jams can occur in several ways ), easy to operate and store.
Do not attach it to your self or BCD.
Inflate the SMB with the right amount of gas ( 1/2 @ 30 ft, 1/3 @ 60 ft, 1/4 @ 90 ft, etc ) to prevent uncontrolled ascents, the gas expansion will do the rest.
Pre inflate the bag (just enough) so the top end is up and cannot get entangled anywhere which will leave you room to handle the spool and the inflation tube / duckbill
When above you all is clear ( verify for yourself) inflate and let go. You should be able to let the spool unwind by itself without holding it.
If stuck let go...
Have your buddy pay attention to what you do and be at the ready to assist.
If you can't do it alone, don't do it... you need more practice
SMB Deployment - YouTube
Griffo
Contributor
ChelleULL
Registered
Great thread! I am just beginning my journey to the advanced cert, and had my Deep class last night, and wreck coming tomorrow. The pool session marked the first time I have used a reel or an SMB.... absolute mess lol. I had all sorts of issues with the reel. Blowing up the sausage wasn't a problem, my biggest issue was with letting out all the line from the reel. Obviously, I have a lot of work ahead to get comfortable using it (and the SMB) before I do the check out dive, and I intend too spend a lot of pool time on it. Reading this, tt sounds like I need to check out the spools instead of a reel.
Edit: I just found this on youtube and had to laugh... this is what I'm talking about lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPN4PAHJPG4&feature=related
Edit: I just found this on youtube and had to laugh... this is what I'm talking about lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPN4PAHJPG4&feature=related
That vid was both funny and painful to watch! A reel or a spool seems would have been an improvement. Good thread, thanks, I need to get practicing this skill.
bj139
Contributor
A previous comment was made to fill the SMB with air from your BC at your safety stop. If you are properly weighted you will have no air in your BC at your safety stop. At this point, all my BC air is in my drysuit. Sometimes I have a few rocks in my waistband, if I have underestimated weight. Just an example of how all factors are interrelated. Especially the rocks.
I just bought a 10 ft SMB and tried it at my safety stop. I tried to use the BC inflator but the hose would not go on the fitting so I used my alternate. My wreck reel had too much drag and I was pulled toward the surface, remembering to exhale. My momentum carried me to about 5 ft. I later found the BC connector locking ring must be pulled back to get the BC hose on the fitting. On the next dive I used a jump reel with less friction and the BC connector and reel worked fine.
The 10 ft SMB was inflated about halfway on the surface from 15 ft. This is OK and will reduce the chance of a boat running you over if they are looking where they are going. You can surface and finish filling the SMB to show your boat where you are. It is not necessary to fill it completely at depth. I have been told that bigger is better even if you can't use it all at once.
I just bought a 10 ft SMB and tried it at my safety stop. I tried to use the BC inflator but the hose would not go on the fitting so I used my alternate. My wreck reel had too much drag and I was pulled toward the surface, remembering to exhale. My momentum carried me to about 5 ft. I later found the BC connector locking ring must be pulled back to get the BC hose on the fitting. On the next dive I used a jump reel with less friction and the BC connector and reel worked fine.
The 10 ft SMB was inflated about halfway on the surface from 15 ft. This is OK and will reduce the chance of a boat running you over if they are looking where they are going. You can surface and finish filling the SMB to show your boat where you are. It is not necessary to fill it completely at depth. I have been told that bigger is better even if you can't use it all at once.
I only have 5 metres of line attached to my SMB which is weighted at the end, so I unwrap all the line whilst hanging at 5 metres safety stop, inflate the bag with my occy and I make an "O" shape around the line with my finger and thumb while it deploys. Then as the weight comes into view I should be hanging at exactly the correct depth. :cool2:
Similar threads
