DSMB size - is 6’ overkill ?

[hroark2112]

Some places like Florida require DSMB use on nearly every dive, not just when things go pear shaped. Drift diving is the norm in many locations, so you shoot a sausage when you're coming up to let the boat know where you are to come give you a ride home. Also lots of boats will have tech divers doing drift deco, so you're hanging from a 6' sausage while you do your stops.

As far as inflating on a rebreather, just dump your wing into the sausage and let it fly. If you need more air in it the bailout reg is the easiest method. I'm not a fan of using the dump and inflate buttons at the same time, just in case something goes wrong I'd prefer not to end up with a huge buoyancy shift.

I love the Manta reel for deep deployment and deco hangs. I have collected a few over the years.

 

[outofofficebrb]

$80? Are you kidding me? For $80 I could get a nice double-walled stainless steel travel mug and have $50 left over for an electric kettle.

That’s what I thought as well. And then I tried it. Not gonna lie, it’s definitely a luxury item. Not needed. But i love it. I have a cabinet full of hydroflask, yeti, zojirushi, Klean Kanteen, and Nissan Thermos travel mugs. It’s great going skiing and 4 hours later your coffee is still hot. Those are great for that. At work...i like the ember. Thermoses keep my drinks piping hot - often too hot to drink. I cool them down and they are the perfect temp for a while and then they crash down in temperature quickly after that. I can now sit at my desk and have first and last sips exactly how I like it now. No fuss. No microwave. No reboiling water. Or walking across a 90,000 sq ft building for any of that. (I’m lazy!) I use the thermoses in my cabinet for when I’m not at home or at my desk.

 

[Marie13]

A regular sized mug (like the Ember) is too small for me. I drink hot tea like it's going out of style. The travel mugs work just fine for me.

 

[caffeinedreams]

The "hose hat" came standard on my DSS BP/W LPI hose - one of those things you don't realize how much you appreciate until you have it. Makes it super simple to detach and reattach the inflator hose under pressure.

Can't believe they'd charge that much for a bit of plastic though.

 

[Trailboss123]

Thanks, I’ll do a search for that thread.

Just realized it was another thread regarding BC failure and using a DSMB for redundant buoyancy that I was thinking about-- You will find my post here: What kind of SMB for redundant buoyancy?

I did however start another thread on DSMB's with a poll question. Found here: Have you ever deployed a delayed surface marker buoy or been taught how to?

 

[Ghetto Diver]

Or you could take the easy way out and just purge your octo into the bottom of a "semi-closed" one. For extra easy have your buddy hold the spool.

I use a 6' semi closed and octo for for inflation.
I dive mostly wpb and jupiter and send it from depth upon ascent using a spool. Takes less air to lauch, and when at surface it is fairly full. Make my way up keeping line semi tight so its standing tall.
Spool and dmsb are connected as a unit. I have it bungied together through left shoulder and waist D rings to stop it dangling. A simple pull of a loop and its off.

 

[ajduplessis]

In this case bigger is better.

 

[Neilwood]

OK, I"ll add a slightly different point of view. If you are deploying a DSMB then things are usually not going too well.


What has yet to be discussed is DSMB with a rebreather. So what my buddies and have came up with is 1) use you bailout reg to inflate or 2) hold the dump and inflate buttons of your LPI at the same time and inflate the bag.
Hope that this helps.

The first part is definitely not true - most boats in the UK will ask you to have a DSMB and use it at your stop so they know where you are for manoeuvring purposes and how long you are likely to be (time for your safety stop).

Most rebreather divers I have heard on this subject appear to prefer DSMBs with crack bottles (either air or CO2). The air one can be filled of a tank whereas the CO2 ones are a one time shoot and dispose off (they are pretty cheap though). That way they can blow the bag and not worry about buoyancy swings- they just open it and let it fill (they all have OPVs to prevent overfilling).

 

[tomcatbubba]

From personal experience I would get the tallest possible. I was blown of a dive in Costa Rica off the Bat islands a few years back. The boat didn’t see me for a bit because the swells were pretty bad. I was using a 4 footer. I’d go 10 even if it was bulky.

 

[woodcarver]

Bigger is better, but a good compromise is the 6'. Most of the boats in Cozumel want you to deploy at depth, which is much easier than at the SS. One good breath is usually all it takes (and all you're going to get!). You can always add more when you get to the surface, if needed.
Like the little blow nozzle. My reg set has an extra lp hose for my drysuit anyway, might as well put it to use. Those hose hats are handy little gadgets even if you aren't wearing gloves. If you're diving dry, borrowing the suit inflator hose is much easier, and safer, than taking the lp hose off and on from the bc.