CPRC
Contributor
I am shopping for my first SMB. Many are weighted, others are not. Are the weights truly effective at helping keep the buoy erect at surface while attached to one's line or is the effect negligible and a waste?
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I bought an smb that is manual fill (me blowing into a tube). I wish I had bought one that can be filled with my reg, or spare reg. I never gave any thoughts to being weighted, as I would only need to keep tension on my reel. Offering/using it as a PFD, I would prefer no weights. I look forward to the posts from other divers.
Stop blowing it up orally.
If you use a drysuit pull of the lpi hose and fill it up. If you don't disconnect the lpi from your bcd and fill it up. If you are nice and neutral when you do this then it won't cause you any problems. And even if your buoyancy is a bit dodgy - you can use the smb to hold yourself.
You might not get away with this on some courses with some instructors. But it will make life an awful lot nicer for you generally when diving. Once you start diving in nasty conditions and using big boy smb's then it's what you will have to do anyway.