1st time deploying DSMB underwater. Need feedback on issue.

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Interestingly the guide was using a reel which he sometimes attached to his BC when he was using both his hands doing something.

That is a very dangerous practice that should be avoided if possible. What would be a better choice is to temporarily hand the reel (or spool) to someone or if not in current just lock off the reel/spool and let it hang in the water column temporarily.

-Z
 
That is a very dangerous practice that should be avoided if possible.
This depends on the environment and is mostly based on a "what it" scenario that never seems to play out. In any event, keep a z-knife where you can easily reach it and you'll be OK. I clip both dive flags and SMBs to me all the time, laughing hysterically in the face of certain death! :D :D :D Like split fins: thou wilt not surely die!
 
So, having thought about this during the week with the feedback I got from you all, I now understand my DSMB better and how I should have used it in this circumstance.
When he decided to use his SMB to tie onto the anchor line and told me to shoot mine, I should signalled ‘ok’, but waited until he was finished with his task before doing so. That’s it. If I had done so, when he then swam to the anchor to check on it, which was swimming into the current, I would have have waited until this was done before shooting it. Shooting it right away then trying to maintain position while he tied of, then trying to swim with it into the current to the anchor wasn’t the correct move.
Shoot then drift with it as we ascend = a whole lot less work.
 
What you described is pretty common if somebody tries to tow an open-bottomed one… That’s why I like completely sealed ones where you have to blow the inflator. It’s really not meant for floating around behind you though; more for you staying stationary in the current and maintaining the same depth while waiting out a safety stop during drift dives.
 
Some smb is seal-sealed so large volume of water would not be able to get inside it.
Open bottom one is to be avoided for obvious reason.
 
Yep. I now understand the limitations. I don't recall seeing this issue mentioned before. If I did, I would have likely not have bought an open ended one, since I only intend to inflate orally via the nipple under water.
Before this revelation, I did have it in the back of the mind that I could use it as a marker while diving, pulling it along. I have another SMB (with no over pressure valve) which is sealed that I could inflate before the dive and use for that purpose if I need to.
 
I wouldn’t worry about it too much, I think most people don’t ever use them… One of my dive buddies who has done a lot of diving in the golf of Mexico on the oil rigs had never operated one before in his life and I had to take him through every step of it. Personally, I never used one or thought I would need one until maybe a few years ago when I was doing months of drift dives in the Philippines off of a speedboat that would find us down the line and get us back on board.. then it seemed like EVERYBODY had one, and for good reason... for a week I held out, thinking Inwas just special,and didn’t need one, then I used somebody’s and realized it made life a heck of a lot easier when everybody is drifting along hanging onto their SMB to stay at a constant depth at a safety stop.

So I went to buy one, only realizing they weren’t cheap - then the Korean guy who let me use his was ready to go back home and gave me his one... which I found out recently can’t be bought in the US (brand name: Argon) and wrote my name phonetically in Korean on it, along with a drawing of a sea turtle, which I thought was really cool of him. I still sometimes bring mine on dives in the gulf when I go spearfishing, but I haven’t really used it very much since coming back from Asia, since we go down and come up within the legs of the oil rigs. And the last couple of times that I’ve been blown off of a rig, I’ve just held up my speargun which has a wooden wing on the front of it to indicate where I was so the boat could get me.. although I’m actually inflating mine now to make sure it has no leaks before I head back to Asia on Monday.
 

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