Diver below 83
Contributor
anyone have experience with the “dive alert” models?
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I have this one:
Dive Alert Surface Marking Buoy w/ Spool Pocket - Orange { 3.75 ft | 1.14 m } | Dive Gear Express®
You can either inflate it orally or with BC hose.
My understanding is there are 2 options. One you can use the LP hose from your power inflator bc. Depending on the smb it will connect to the oral valve and allow a fill without physically being permanently connected. So you fill and it pops right off. The other method which is what I used was using the exhaust valve on the power inflator. So I just let some air out of my bc through the power inflator exhaust valve and that worked. It released just enough air to get the smb going.I never understood how that works. If you want to use your BC hose, you need to unhook it from the power inflator, under pressure, at depth, and then hook it to the SMB valve? Then what, do you need to rapidly disconnect it from the SMB before it over fills, and reconnect it to your BCD as you're deploying the SMB?
Or do you carry a second inflator hose on your first stage specifically for that purpose?
you can use the LP hose from your power inflator bc..
It’s really not hard to do. I’ve had to remove a LP inflator from a buddy who’s was leaking air while diving. I popped it off and popped it back on. Took all of maybe 5 seconds. Very easy.Ok, so no issue removing the hose from the SMB, but you've still got to remove and reconnect the LP hose to the BCD inflator, under pressure, while holding the SMB and spool. Sounds rather difficult.
It should be an OW level skillSounds rather difficult
It’s really not hard to do. I’ve had to remove a LP inflator from a buddy who’s was leaking air while diving. I popped it off and popped it back on. Took all of maybe 5 seconds. Very easy.
I do have dive friends, who've simply added an additional (longer) LP inflator hose for their dsmbs
You are correct. I was only dealing with the hose itself. That being said you wouldn’t be holding an inflated smb and the hose at the same time. The smb inflator is a lp male fitting without the notches to actually lock into place so you just slide the lp hose on and it give a quick shot and the smb glides away. Your not holding it and it’s not attached to the lp hose either. Idk if this makes sense to you or not.Yes but you had a better angle to approach it, and you probably didn't do it with one hand while holding an inflated SMB and spool in the other.