DSMB Requirements

[MacLir]

Hi all. I am hoping for some clarification from experienced folks regarding required use of DSMBs on Red Sea liveaboards. We are planning a family trip next year for either the North/Wrecks or St Johns routes. Due to experience levels in the group (1 entry level Tech, 2 PADI AOW, 2 PADI OW), we are not considering the BDE route as we consider it beyond our collective skill level.

This will be our first trip to the Red Sea. We have not picked a boat yet. Prior liveaboard/land based diving has been New England US, Carrib., Hawaii and similar. All have boat diving experience well in excess of 30 dives.

I have seen conflicting posts on SB and elsewhere as to whether deployment of a DSMB at depth is required for the above itineraries. I have some experience with DSMB deployment, but only in limited training contexts; the rest of my group has no experience. All of us are, of course, familiar and comfortable with inflating and using SMBs at the surface.

Can anyone advise on what the standard practice/expectation is regarding use of DSMBs on Red Sea liveaboards?

Thanks!

 

[stepfen]

Actually I find that the most difficult part of practicing DSMB releasing during dives is that once launched, it is quite difficult to pull it back down for a second try as the air inside it expands and it becomes quite buoyant on the surface. Hence in order for the diver to do several trials during a dive, usually he/she needs to surface (remember to finish any SS before surfacing), empty the DSMB, pack it properly and descent again to try again. That's usually not so practical. Another way, if there are a lot of divers available is one of them to stay on the surface to empty the DSMBs, pack them, and send them back to the submerged divers for more practice.
Finally yet another slightly more advanced method is (for practice) to put just a bit of air in it and let it go. The DSMB will (hopefully) go up and if the amount of air in it is small enough the diver should be able to pull it back to depth for a second try. Diving (a bit) overweight helps here a bit.
Good luck

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Actually I find that the most difficult part of practicing DSMB releasing during dives is that once launched, it is quite difficult to pull it back down for a second try as the air inside it expands and it becomes quite buoyant on the surface. Hence in order for the diver to do several trials during a dive, usually he/she needs to surface (remember to finish any SS before surfacing), empty the DSMB, pack it properly and descent again to try again. That's usually not so practical. Another way, if there are a lot of divers available is one of them to stay on the surface to empty the DSMBs, pack them, and send them back to the submerged divers for more practice.
Finally yet another slightly more advanced method is (for practice) to put just a bit of air in it and let it go. The DSMB will (hopefully) go up and if the amount of air in it is small enough the diver should be able to pull it back to depth for a second try. Diving (a bit) overweight helps here a bit.
Good luck

Try the 3 foot/1 meter skinny DSMBs. You can pull those down easily with finning down a bit

 

[Gandalf-the-Diver]

Actually I find that the most difficult part of practicing DSMB releasing during dives is that once launched, it is quite difficult to pull it back down for a second try as the air inside it expands and it becomes quite buoyant on the surface. Hence in order for the diver to do several trials during a dive, usually he/she needs to surface (remember to finish any SS before surfacing), empty the DSMB, pack it properly and descent again to try again. That's usually not so practical. Another way, if there are a lot of divers available is one of them to stay on the surface to empty the DSMBs, pack them, and send them back to the submerged divers for more practice.
Finally yet another slightly more advanced method is (for practice) to put just a bit of air in it and let it go. The DSMB will (hopefully) go up and if the amount of air in it is small enough the diver should be able to pull it back to depth for a second try. Diving (a bit) overweight helps here a bit.
Good luck

For practical purposes, I find I practice this only once on a dive, at the end. Each dive, I try to use a different method of inflating my DSMB. From using a stage 2, to using a LP whip, to using my exhaust gas. I have a Hollis DSMB that is inflatable by the inflator valve, or from the btm and self sealing. Using exhaust gas works very well, deeper. One or two breaths and your DSMB will be fully inflated on surface.

 

[JustSurfaceInterval]

Actually I find that the most difficult part of practicing DSMB releasing during dives is that once launched, it is quite difficult to pull it back down for a second try [...]

Will you ever get the same starting condition?
I, personally, need to re-train the moves i have to do before the thing goes up: get it out of the pocket, check that it is fixed, remove the straps, inflated and let it go at the same time, ...
It was not on my curriculum when learning, so i used YouTube to find the way that best suits me. In terms of strapping and in term of handling.

 

[Carlos Diver]

Carried one all through the Red Sea trip. Only deployed it twice. Once for practice and another in a congested area. Just ask the DM to let you practice on the first few dives, they wont/shouldnt mind. Most will even offer you pointers and help you on the boat before you try in the water.

For comparison, when I was in the Maldives in January, both trips requested you deploy your SMB on the first dive of the trip.

 

[scubajasonr]

I am just back on shore after a family liveaboard in the Red Sea last week. Requirement was for every diver to carry a DSMB, and to launch it on the first dive. I don’t think anyone really checked that we did this, but part of the reason was to make sure everyone’s kit worked. Both my kids (17 & 14) sent their’s up, we do practise this in the pool. I didn’t see if the other kids deployed theirs in the checkout dive.

This trip was fairly easy diving and generally with a guide with the dive ending back at the main boat, so I only had to use mine once during the trip. On other Red Sea trips I have used it a couple of times a day for zodiac pickup.

We were told on this trip that if we didn’t surface by the boat we had to put a SMB up so that any boat traffic could see us.

Given how quickly currents can change, and how hard divers can be to spot in waves I would always carry one when diving.

 

[Searcaigh]

Given how quickly currents can change, and how hard divers can be to spot in waves I would always carry one when diving.

THIS

There's no point leaving it on the boat or in your dive bag.

Where I regularly dive, if you don't have a DSMB you're likely to be picked up last.

 

[Lorenzoid]

This trip was fairly easy diving and generally with a guide with the dive ending back at the main boat, so I only had to use mine once during the trip. On other Red Sea trips I have used it a couple of times a day for zodiac pickup.

On the dives that were form a zodiac, did the liveaboard ask you deploy an SMB from depth, or was it good enough to deploy it once you reached the surface? The OP seemed concerned only about being able to deploy from depth, especially if the liveaboard somehow required this. It's preferable to deploy from depth if there is boat traffic, or to deploy it at safety stop depth so as to give the zodiac some advance notice, but I would imagine that is not something a liveaboard could require their divers to do. Like the OP, many divers have difficulty with that skill.

 

[MacLir]

On the dives that were form a zodiac, did the liveaboard ask you deploy an SMB from depth, or was it good enough to deploy it once you reached the surface? The OP seemed concerned only about being able to deploy from depth, especially if the liveaboard somehow required this. It's preferable to deploy from depth if there is boat traffic, or to deploy it at safety stop depth so as to give the zodiac some advance notice, but I would imagine that is not something a liveaboard could require their divers to do. Like the OP, many divers have difficulty with that skill.

On the dives that were form a zodiac, did the liveaboard ask you deploy an SMB from depth, or was it good enough to deploy it once you reached the surface? The OP seemed concerned only about being able to deploy from depth, especially if the liveaboard somehow required this. It's preferable to deploy from depth if there is boat traffic, or to deploy it at safety stop depth so as to give the zodiac some advance notice, but I would imagine that is not something a liveaboard could require their divers to do. Like the OP, many divers have difficulty with that skill.

Yes, Lorenzoid is correct, the concern is with the deployment from depth since 4 of my family members have never done that.

Another question has come up: post-dive, do the zodiacs use portable side ladders (like they do on small boats in Cozumel) for getting folks out of the water and back into the boat? Particularly interested in practice on Emperor or Blue O Two trips. Reason is we have one member with mobility issues due to arthritis. They have no problem getting back on the dive boat via ladder or zodiacs via side ladder, but pulling up into a zodiac (as I have seen in some locales) without that would be an impossibility. We have asked the liveaboard offices, but the answer has not been forthcoming, I think due to translation issues (having that problem with a few questions ).

Thanks for all the prior answers and consideration of the additional question!

 

[Parlem]

Yes, Lorenzoid is correct, the concern is with the deployment from depth since 4 of my family members have never done that.

Another question has come up: post-dive, do the zodiacs use portable side ladders (like they do on small boats in Cozumel) for getting folks out of the water and back into the boat? Particularly interested in practice on Emperor or Blue O Two trips. Reason is we have one member with mobility issues due to arthritis. They have no problem getting back on the dive boat via ladder or zodiacs via side ladder, but pulling up into a zodiac (as I have seen in some locales) without that would be an impossibility. We have asked the liveaboard offices, but the answer has not been forthcoming, I think due to translation issues (having that problem with a few questions ).

Thanks for all the prior answers and consideration of the additional question!

Hello! I have some lower back issues myself and one year ago I did some research into which Red Sea Liveaboards use zodiacs with solid aluminium ladders for getting in after dives. Unfortunately, it's not a long list. I don't think any Emperor boats had them. Don't know about Blue O Two. Scuba Scene had them but, alas, we all know how that ended. Another boat with ladder-equipped zodiacs was Blue Planet's MY Blue and MY Red Sea Explorer, which is the boat I eventually opted for. The latter turned out to be a superb boat, actually.

Please note that this was one year ago (things may have changed since) and my research was far from comprehensive (there may have been other boats which I simply never learnt about).

Why no more liveaboards fit a simple, retractable aluminium ladder on their zodiacs is something that baffles me. The cost is almost negligible and for older or less fit divers it can be a godsend.

I hope this helps.