There are a couple of current threads about SMB deployment. Those, combined with the fact that I'm looking to buy one got me thinking about what I should be looking for in this piece of safety equipment.
If my calculations are correct a 6' sausage, with a 6 inch diameter (is that about accurate?) should have about 70 pounds of lift, when filled completely. The shop I frequent sells these, but they may have a slightly smaller diameter. They sell these with a bolt snap and no reel.
My thoughts for the sausage are primarily for surface signal, not lift of any kind (except in an extreme emergency) and I don't know that I'd bother deploying at any depth greater than my safety stop at this point.
My questions are:
Is the safety sausage ever considered "redundant lift" by any of you experienced divers a la "my BC failed, I have a sausage for lift if necessary"? If so do you buy a larger sausage for that reason or just for visibility?
What are the most "tried and true" methods people have of deploying at depth. I can see a lot of comments about being careful with buoyancy etc while deploying and it makes me think one of the best methods, at depth, would be to transfer air from your BC to the SMB a little and maintain a hold of the SMB until you could adjust your buoyancy properly. Oral inflation, direct from the reg, what are your preferred methods and why? Is one method typically easier for newbs to learn?
Are there any particular features you would look for in a sausage? IE a pocket for/with a whistle or a specific type of closure method or something?
Finally, what is your preferred method of attachment to BC? I was thinking just a couple bungies and a boltsnap to attach it vertically to my backplate. (IE rolled up and "longwise" strapped to the plate. The only other option I can come up with is butt mounted on the bottom of my plate-- am I missing some other choices?
If my calculations are correct a 6' sausage, with a 6 inch diameter (is that about accurate?) should have about 70 pounds of lift, when filled completely. The shop I frequent sells these, but they may have a slightly smaller diameter. They sell these with a bolt snap and no reel.
My thoughts for the sausage are primarily for surface signal, not lift of any kind (except in an extreme emergency) and I don't know that I'd bother deploying at any depth greater than my safety stop at this point.
My questions are:
Is the safety sausage ever considered "redundant lift" by any of you experienced divers a la "my BC failed, I have a sausage for lift if necessary"? If so do you buy a larger sausage for that reason or just for visibility?
What are the most "tried and true" methods people have of deploying at depth. I can see a lot of comments about being careful with buoyancy etc while deploying and it makes me think one of the best methods, at depth, would be to transfer air from your BC to the SMB a little and maintain a hold of the SMB until you could adjust your buoyancy properly. Oral inflation, direct from the reg, what are your preferred methods and why? Is one method typically easier for newbs to learn?
Are there any particular features you would look for in a sausage? IE a pocket for/with a whistle or a specific type of closure method or something?
Finally, what is your preferred method of attachment to BC? I was thinking just a couple bungies and a boltsnap to attach it vertically to my backplate. (IE rolled up and "longwise" strapped to the plate. The only other option I can come up with is butt mounted on the bottom of my plate-- am I missing some other choices?