Found him ~3 miles out after an hour of searching

[MidOH]

I've never seen anyone launch a dsmb.

I've seen the DM's tow a buoy, that's it.

 

[DandyDon]

You just called 95% of divers, fools?

I have no idea how many don't carry SMBs. I do think that many don't carry one and that it is foolish, whatever the percentage. Carrying one just in case it's needed is wise even when it's not ever needed, even if only to inflate on the surface. If you want to brag about being among the foolish, that's your issue.

I've never seen anyone launch a dsmb.

Launching from below is different than carrying one that could be deployed on the surface. I don't want to launch mine if I can do my safety stop with the DM, but if I need to, then I do, I've seen others do so if needed, and my long-deceased home bud & I took turns as needed - which was actually pretty often as we were both bad about not staying close to the DM and using our air faster than many.

Why you've not seen others do so must relate to your logged dive count.

 

[gopbroek]

I launch a buoy about 70% of the time especially if there is any seperation from the main group or if there are other diver groups nearby. I usually launch from about 40' so it is well inflated and visable.
It's drift diving, in a moderate current even when rising as a group you can easily seperate as the current varies. I worry most about the last 5' as this is where you can get run over.
Several years back on a busy high season Sunday at the Gardens I watched a diver surface in front of a boat. The captain, local guy who had barrowed his friends dive boat for a family trip, simply did not see him surface with all the other boats and divers in the area. Luckly as the diver was run over he had enough sense to drop down and pushed off the bottom of the boat and just missed the prop, damn lucky. An errect and visable buoy would have probably prevented this near miss.

 

[fred32176]

I've never seen anyone launch a dsmb.

I've seen the DM's tow a buoy, that's it.

On the drift dives I do out of West Palm Beach, you either deploy a DSMB/SMB or are with someone that deployed an DSMB/SMB or you won't be picked up by the boat.

 

[ggunn]

You're not on the right boat...or just didn't notice.

I'd say that about 35~65% of the divers on Aldora, 3P, and Liquid Blue have a DSMB. I'd agree that maybe one diver launches a DSMB every other dive, because that's exactly what I try to do, to keep in practice.

Yo tambien. I have my SMB and finger spool in my BCD pocket on every dive, and on one of the first dives on every trip I deploy it from 20+ feet at the end of the dive to brush up on the skill *; I tell the DM on the boat before the dive that I will be doing it do it so that he doesn't think I am in trouble. I also deploy it any time I will be surfacing more than about 20' from the DM.

Another reason I carry and use an SMB is that once it is deployed I can ascend to my 15' mark on the string, control my breathing so I am a little negative, and hang from the SMB like a subway rider for the safety stop.

* It isn't all that hard but it is a skill and it needs to be occasionally reinforced. Don't wait until the first time you actually need to deploy an SMB to attempt it.Tip: if your SMB is the type you blow into to inflate it, put your reg in your mouth immediately (of course) after inflating your SMB but do not inhale until after you have released it, especially if you are already at your safety stop.

 

[BRT]

So that's, what?.......
You just called 95% of divers, fools?

Other than the DM's, I don't recall too many divers with dsmb's. Maybe 1, every other boat ride. Even less than that.

Anyone who dives Coz without an SMB is assuming everything will go well. I always have mine as do my buddies.

 

[Allen-1]

Yo tambien. I have my SMB and finger spool in my BCD pocket on every dive, and on one of the first dives on every trip I deploy it from 20+ feet at the end of the dive to brush up on the skill *; I tell the DM on the boat before the dive that I will be doing it do it so that he doesn't think I am in trouble. I also deploy it any time I will be surfacing more than about 20' from the DM.

Another reason I carry and use an SMB is that once it is deployed I can ascend to my 15' mark on the string, control my breathing so I am a little negative, and hang from the SMB like a subway rider for the safety stop.

* It isn't all that hard but it is a skill and it needs to be occasionally reinforced. Don't wait until the first time you actually need to deploy an SMB to attempt it.Tip: if your SMB is the type you blow into to inflate it, put your reg in your mouth immediately (of course) after inflating your SMB but do not inhale until after you have released it, especially if you are already at your safety stop.

I’m drift diving in Florida later this summer. DSMBs are required equipment by the dive operator.

I’ve been reading and watching youtube videos.

How did you mark your string at 15 feet? Tie a washer on it?

 

[dflaher]

How did you mark your string at 15 feet? Tie a washer on it?

Many just tie a knot at the 15' mark.

 

[ggunn]

I’m drift diving in Florida later this summer. DSMBs are required equipment by the dive operator.

I’ve been reading and watching youtube videos.

How did you mark your string at 15 feet? Tie a washer on it?

Black Sharpie on the bright yellow string, one mark at 15' and two marks at 30'. Tying a washer would not be a good idea for spooling, and the mark is easier to see than a knot.

BTW, did you see any of those videos about how NOT to deploy an SMB, where the diver gets all tangled in the string? That was how it was for me the first time I tried it.

 

[Chavodel8en]

A la Captain Queeg in The Caine Mutiny?

Captain Queeg was helming boats through treacherous waters since before you were dating cheerleaders.

Put some respect on his name!