Crack bottles and such....wtf?

[BoundForElsewhere]

Get a co2 bicycle tire inflator.

 

[moose_grunt]

https://www.makospearguns.com/Carter-Spearfishing-Float-p/csf.htm

oooh, even better price.

 

[KenGordon]

Why is it I'm having a great deal of difficulty finding a retailer to sell me a CO2 powered DSMB? I can find some limited info from the UK but nothing from North America, are they illegal?

I'd be grateful if someone could shed some light on this.

Aquatec UK do them. They use the same threaded 16g CO2 cartridge as bicycle tyre inflators.
It isn’t really a replacement for your AP crack bottle as you need a load of cartridges and the DSMB is much smaller. They are generally used as a backup - if you are having a bad day and need a backup then the simpler the better. I have a couple but I am slightly more likely to use a similar backup which is inflated from my drysuit hose.

 

[Wathdoc]

Look at the dsmb/smb section from kent tooling, plenty using co2 and crack bottles. For BCD's using crack bottles look at AP valves in Cornwall.

 

[michael-fisch]

What do airline flotation vests use? There has got to be a source for the cartridges.

Michael

 

[Diving Dubai]

That's the type I already have. They're know colloquially as, crack bottles. The problem is that I need a new bottle and as far as I know, they are only available in the UK

I feel your pain. I use one extensively - I replace my crack bottle every 5 years rather than get it tested. My new one is currently in the UK and will come to me when my wife finally gets to fly back when the covid restrictions relax. Actually I replace the whole thing because after 5 years (in the heat of the Middle East) the DSMB itself is starting to break down - leaking air from its seams. That said it gets used hard and my current on has done more than 500 deployments

I personally would not go to CO2 because of the faff of carrying cartridges vs refilling the bottle off your cylinder. Keep checking that stock and chat to AP

 

[Diving Dubai]

Because it’s a horrible idea. Learn to shoot a DSMB manually

Nonsense. I use one. My current one has made over 500 deployments since we shoot DSMB's ever dive. I have a new one in the UK waiting to be shipped to me

They are very fast to shoot. Unfurl, a quick 1/4 twist of the bottle and it's on its way - especially useful if like here there is a lot of current and time really is on the essence. Litterially from un clipping it's no more than 10 seconds before it's on the way up.

Whether you shoot from 15' or 160' it always arrives on the surface as a fully inflated 6'tube. rather than those who manually inflate from 15' and get a pathetic limp DSMB at the surface that can't be seen.

And yes I can shoot a conventional DSMB, I also teach others how to't travel with my crack bottle unit because the one disadvantage is the bulk and the weight (as well as the expense)

 

[Ripley]

Not sure what to understand with "cracked bottle".
I suppose the cilinder itself? 1,5 l?
Or not...

 

[KenGordon]

Not sure what to understand with "cracked bottle".
I suppose the cilinder itself? 1,5 l?
Or not...

Yes, the cylinder is known as a crack bottle as you crack it to inflate. They are 0.1 litres, so at 200 bar you get 20l which is a full DSMB.

OC they reduce the risk of cold induced freeflows, CC they make life a bit simpler. For travel you can replace the part on the DSMB which attaches to the cylinder with one that allows filling from a drysuit hose. They are quite popular here.

 

[Edward3c]

I’ve moved away from the crack bottle to an inflator nipple, see here, so much easier than messing round recharging the cylinder.

Like @Diving Dubai I find they only last a few hundred dives.