Best Surface Marker (safety sausage)

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Hard to qualify for a "best" SMB. SMBs are pretty simple things I wouldn't get too wrapped around the axle on. Look for something 4-6' long (longer ones start to get a fair bit bulky and the very long ones can be tiring to hold vertically) and fits your price range. If it just needs to be an SMB (deployed on surface) and not a DSMB (deployed from depth) there's no need to mess with having a spool or needing a dump valve.

If they require them find out what requirements they may have for minimum size or color.

The DAN unit is a popular unit, although their web store shows closed for a few days.

For a very simple and basic 6' SMB there's this one for $27: 72 inch See Me Safety Signal Tube - Signaling Device & Dive Safety - Scubatoys.com It's yellow on one side and orange on the other.

If you want to go cheap and old school this safety sausage tube is $7. Used this to good effect 20+ years ago in the Sea of Cortez before SMBs were a thing. Not as convenient as an actual SMB but it works. You just have to keep the end twisted and held down to keep the air in.

DGX has their house branded 6' DSMB for $42. You'd need to supply the spool and double ender boltsnap ($25) if you want to use it as a DSMB. Otherwise you can simply use it as an SMB for now and then add a spool later for DSMB use. The DSMB gives the advantage of working as both an SMB and DSMB. The SMB can only be an SMB. Yes, technically you could send an SMB up as long as you account for air expansion as it rises so it doesn't pop, but it's easier to just carry the right tool for the job.
 

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