You'll find a torpedo float works much better if you are going to tow it around; less drag. A DSMB is probably the worst choice to mark your location if you are moving around. But I'm sure you'd rather repeat the mistakes others have learned....
Should I dive in shallow waters without a certification?
- Thread starter Tyler najib
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The thread had pretty much ended before a second prospective self-taught diver restarted the discussion. This suggests people are finding it via Google search, so we can at least hope our efforts are not wholly in vain.
wildcat99s
Registered
yeah. Your probably right. but i'm going to try it out when i go a little deeper to get some practice deploying it underwater until i'm able to get my buoyancy and hoovering mastered. I don't mind a little drag at the moment especially while i'm practicing. But if it's a hassle, then i'll look into getting a torpedo or other type of SMB
Mike1967
Contributor
wildcat99s
Registered
lol. Yup. hoovering. Sucking everything up. but meant hovering.
It’s not the blob that creates the drag, but the line. Getting a DSMB deployment wrong from only 5m can still kill you. BSAC teach this skill as part of core training.
Simple calculations suggest this is not the case. For example, a 3mm by 30m line presents 0.09 m^2 area to the current, whereas a typical DSMB presents perhaps 10cm by 1 m (submerged) or 0.1 m^2 area. In addition, rarely are you towing a 30m long line, and the currents are often stronger near the surface. All together, the line contributes, but is definitely not the sole source of drag.
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