DSMB Technique

[Sensorone]

For all those commenting they use their drysuit or BC inflator hose, do you flush said inflator after a saltwater dive? (I'm assuming you reconnect after deployment.)

Flush, flush and flush, soak, repeat after all dives. Salt or fresh. Good practice as a sticky inflator will ruin a dive. Periodic maintenance of your inflator is easy to do too.

 

[BlueTrin]

Lots of good suggestions. I use a long hose with a necklace so will work on oral inflation. LP inflator isn’t a terrible idea but seems like I should get down oral inflation first and not crazy about disconnecting my BC just yet. I think this idea is a good one. Might be hard to find a buddy willing to hang out and just work on their own skills while I do this. Do people usually do this kind of thing solo? Strikes me that by the time you have the skill set to reliably solo dive and do something like this you’ve probably got basic skill sets like this down already. Or is it generally felt that sitting at a 30 foot hard bottom in a quarry is so low risk that the principles of redundancy etc that apply to solo diving aren’t applicable?

You have to accept you won’t get the 6 footer fully inflated from 15 feet.

You don’t stay neutral because at 15 feet, the air from your lungs is at 15 feet and goes to the top of your DSMB which is a 9ft. So there is some expansion here.

You need to find a buddy who want to practice and you can take turns at practicing things.

Also is it the big 6ft or the slim 6ft?

For all those commenting they use their drysuit or BC inflator hose, do you flush said inflator after a saltwater dive? (I'm assuming you reconnect after deployment.)

I always wash all of the inflators and hoses after every dive trip regardless of whether I used it for a DSMB

 

[Kendall Raine]

For all those commenting they use their drysuit or BC inflator hose, do you flush said inflator after a saltwater dive? (I'm assuming you reconnect after deployment.)

If dry, yes on reconnecting the dry suit hose. All my inflator hoses get washed after every salt water dive. You raise a good point that using a closed cell bag means both sides of the inflator assembly-end and QD-need to be in good working order (and tested before diving)-kind of like every other piece of dive gear. A stuck valve is a very bad thing.

BTW, I would never disconnect a BC hose to fill a closed cell bag since 1) the BC hose is short (or should be) and puts the bag and spool in close proximity to the body 2) disconnecting it is hard(er) to do and 3) cuts away the ability to power inflate the BC-hence using the dry suit hose when diving wet.

 

[FishWatcher747]

Do people usually do this kind of thing solo? Strikes me that by the time you have the skill set to reliably solo dive and do something like this you’ve probably got basic skill sets like this down already. Or is it generally felt that sitting at a 30 foot hard bottom in a quarry is so low risk that the principles of redundancy etc that apply to solo diving aren’t applicable?

You are getting at the nut of the problem. You don't have to wait to take the Solo course to start diving redundant with a pony bottle.

It is way more important for you and others to start diving with a completely redundant gas source and regulator than any other skill like DSMB deployment.

DSMB deployment is an essential skill and is part of the requirements of the solo course.

If you are curious you can find lots of good videos on the Solo course and its requirements.

No time like the present to start diving redundant.

 

[Nemrod]

their inflator hose stuck on the DSMB valve or faced any other issues with this technique. I must admit I am hesitant to attach myself to a DSMB.

You will not be attaching yourself to the dsmb. The barbless fitting cannot lock into the QD and as soon as it is released will pop out due to the 130+/- IP. If your dsmb has a barbed fitting DO NOT use it with a LP QD.

Using my Y connector, I hold the spool at arms length with my left arm and hand pinching the spool with my fingers as normal. I have already freed the spool and unrolled the dsmb and clipped my double ender off prior to my D ring on the right side or sometimes my crotch ring. I use my right hand and arm to gather the end of the dsmb and locate the inflator barb. I insert it into the Y connector and the dsmb inflates immediantly and is gone in a flash. Or, if I prefer oral, I insert the inflator barb into my mouth and blow. If I inflate my dsmb orally then I may have clipped off my primary (right D-ring) and switched to my necklaced secondary to make recovery of the regulator quicker and easier and to allow my hands to deal with the dsmb rather than my primary.

 

[Kendall Raine]

When using an inflator, people have a second inflator hose attached to their first stage. They do not remove the inflator hose attached to their wing/BC and then replace. I would be interested to hear from others if they have ever had an issue or witnessed an issue with someone getting their inflator hose stuck on the DSMB valve or faced any other issues with this technique. I must admit I am hesitant to attach myself to a DSMB.

The LPI hose does not "attach" to the DSMB the way it does to a BC inflator. Just the opposite. The LPI hose must be held in place manually until you launch the bag. Photo on left is the male end of the DSMB inflator. Is has no groove into which the LPI hose QD female ball bearings can drop. As such, it must be held in place by hand during inflation. When released, the bag takes off. I have never heard of this design malfunctioning (not releasing), but I suppose almost anything is possible in the face of sufficient bad maintenance/incompetence.

Once again, that is why having the connection point out in front of you (by using a long LPI or second stage hose), as opposed to in tight, makes it easier to see/manipulate/keep away from other gear/clutter which could impede/compromise the process. It also makes it easier/faster for bag deployment to be a two person (team) activity.

This is in contrast to the BC inflator male end (right) which has a grove to retain the LPI hose female end.

 

[dmaziuk]

I guess I cheat.

I inflate my monster OMS tube with my octopus, I ask a friend to maintain buoyancy at 20 feet - I gauge my depth off of him.

I cheat worse: I ask my wife to blow her octo into the duckbill valve. Or hold the spool while I do the blowing.

 

[Kendall Raine]

I cheat worse: I ask my wife to blow her octo into the duckbill valve. Or hold the spool while I do the blowing.

Guys;

Please. This is a family website...

 

[Jafo19D]

For some reason I'm unable to inflate my dsmb with an octo, and it's pretty big so I don't manually inflate. I just use the inflator hose.

 

[Dan G]

The LPI hose does not "attach" to the DSMB the way it does to a BC inflator. Just the opposite. The LPI hose must be held in place manually until you launch the bag. Photo on left is the male end of the DSMB inflator. Is has no groove into which the LPI hose QD female ball bearings can drop. As such, it must be held in place by hand during inflation. When released, the bag takes off. I have never heard of this design malfunctioning (not releasing), but I suppose almost anything is possible in the face of sufficient bad maintenance/incompetence.

Once again, that is why having the connection point out in front of you (by using a long LPI or second stage hose), as opposed to in tight, makes it easier to see/manipulate/keep away from other gear/clutter which could impede/compromise the process. It also makes it easier/faster for bag deployment to be a two person (team) activity.

This is in contrast to the BC inflator male end (right) which has a grove to retain the LPI hose female end.

Looking around, there are several length hoses with a quick connect available. This one, from Piranha, seems good because it could easily be folded back and tucked up out of the way where my inflator is due to its flexibility. I like the idea of using a longer hose. Thoughts on 22" length?