Crack bottles and such....wtf?

[Rechno]

Mentioned before: Kent Tooling
CO2 Surface Marker Buoys from Kent Tooling Diving Products

When ordering cartridges you need to be sure to get the right size. Common are 12g and 16g (as can be seen in the link as well)

 

[kelemvor]

Interesting idea. Like others here, I've never seen one or even heard of it. Seems simple enough. Having to replace the bottle after every dive seems like it would get super expensive super quick..and since they're not refillable, quite a bit of waste involved.

I've got a bunch of those bottles, they're used to clean out my propane mosquito trap. I also remember using those bottles in reebok shoes back in the early 90's. Yes.. it was a dumb gimmick in the shoes.. I was 13.. what do you want from me?

 

[Diving Dubai]

Interesting idea. Like others here, I've never seen one or even heard of it. Seems simple enough. Having to replace the bottle after every dive seems like it would get super expensive super quick..and since they're not refillable, quite a bit of waste involved.

Everyone's getting confused between the CO2 nastiness and a proper crack bottle

A crack bottle comes in either DIN or yoke, and you charge it from your full cylinder IIRC its a 0.6l bottle so 0.02CF of gas and they are 232bar rated

No wastage

 

[Edward3c]

Why did the Crack Bottle get used in place of a CO2 cartridge.

Before the use of SPG or Octopus regs it was possible to be OOA, especially if the J-valve had accidentally been pulled. A solution, the small ABLJ[1] cylinder used to provide buoyance could be used to breath off.

I remember being trained to do this as part of elementary training in the 1970s.

The good old days; I’m glad they're no longer with us.

1. Adjustable Buoyancy Life Jacket

 

[Graeme Fraser]

Interesting idea. Like others here, I've never seen one or even heard of it. Seems simple enough. Having to replace the bottle after every dive seems like it would get super expensive super quick..and since they're not refillable, quite a bit of waste involved.

I've got a bunch of those bottles, they're used to clean out my propane mosquito trap. I also remember using those bottles in reebok shoes back in the early 90's. Yes.. it was a dumb gimmick in the shoes.. I was 13.. what do you want from me?

Plagiarising Crocodile Dundee "that's not a crack bottle... THIS is a crack bottle!!!"

 

[Rechno]

If it es a SMB that is in constant use I would also go for a crack bottle IOT avoid the waste and cost of refill cartridges.
However, I like the CO2 version for my emergency SMB. It takes less space than the crack bottle and the whole SMB easily fits into my thigh pocket.

 

[PBcatfish]

Why is this such a thing in the UK and never made it to this side of the pond?

My old sherwood jacket had one, my old USD horse collar had one, some of the life jackets I currently use on my sailboat have them. They do exist in the US. The issue I had with them was that the thin membrane of the puncture surface would rust out from salt water & they would sometimes self deploy. At depth, that can be a disconcerting event.

If you do get a CO2 cartridge, be sure to get the correct size. They are often rated in grams. There is a wide variety of sizes available. The life jackets I currently have, vary from 16-38 grams.

The only horse collar that I have seen with a true crack bottle was a Fenzy. I believe that they were a military grade variant. google "Fenzy" & you should find plenty of info.