Have you ever deployed a delayed surface marker buoy or been taught how to?

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I disagree. I was on a dive charter out of Panama City. When we went to get on the anchor line to go up, it wasn't there. We looked and looked, and were just getting into deco as we started our ascent. I shot the sausage deep and we did our short decos and were greeted by the boat on surfacing. Yay. There were a few terse statements by the crew, but we were down a long time. As we were motoring away, one of the other divers came up to me and explained that this was their second departure from the site. They were moving away when my sausage hit the surface and while the staff hadn't noticed, he had. They turned back and waited for us to surface. If you dive off a boat in mild to horrid conditions, take a spool and sausage.

I think it makes sense in Florida (and Washington). I don’t think it makes in areas where people just dive quarries or lakes. Or the Med, unless they dive between an island and mainland that has ripping currents (800 meters between Samos and Turkey).

 

[Freewillow]

In Egypt, a DSMB per person is legally requested on all dive cruising boats.

 

[mmerriman]

In Egypt, a DSMB per person is legally requested on all dive cruising boats.

requested or required?

 

[Freewillow]

sorry, my mother tongue is French. MANDATORY, so I guess that the correct word is required

 

[Dan]

When I took a 10-day Bali-Komodo-Bali with Mermaid I (Komodo is known for ripping current & negative entry in some dive sites), we do a checkout dive where the DM watched (& later critiqued) each diver launching DSMB during safety stop.

 

[Freewillow]

I was on a Komodo cruise a few weeks ago. Same thing, checkout dive with DSMB lauch for everybody. Exactly identical to the lveboard in Egypt and the MAldives.

In fact, I was told by ou Guide that the female diver that was lost in Northern Komodo ( Crystal Rock ) had no SMB. She could not follow the DM because of hear problems, so she went back to the surface. Sadly, the small speed boat that had left the divers went back to the LOB in order to take a second load of divers. So no one could see her and she died on sea. Sad story.

 

[The Chairman]

I don’t think it makes in areas where people just dive quarries or lakes.

I bet many, if not most people who dive these quarries hope to make it to Florida or El Caribe to do some diving. If there's a good chance they're going to need this skill sometime, why not give it to them?

 

[Akimbo]

I bet many, if not most people who dive these quarries hope to make it to Florida or El Caribe to do some diving. If there's a good chance they're going to need this skill sometime, why not give it to them?

It also gives students a reason to master buoyancy without focusing on it, their buoyancy and Archimedes Principle in general. Any drill that has divers working on a task is useful. Assembling plastic pipe puzzles teaches a lot of subtle things beyond simple mechanical skills.

 

[Kharon]

... When I read SMB I understand no OPV.

All my SMB's (sold as SMB's) all have OPV's. Every one I've seen advertised state that they have an OPV as a selling point. Don't know where you got this.

 

[gcarter]

All my SMB's (sold as SMB's) all have OPV's. Every one I've seen advertised state that they have an OPV as a selling point. Don't know where you got this.

It was explained to me early on as a differentiating factor - a SMB meant to be used at the surface, no OPV required, DSMB meant to be deployed at depth, OPV required. It made sense to me.

I can't speak to how they are advertised. I make no pretense of offering the definitive word.

But I do know divers that have gone into a shop asking for a SMB and been sold a simple sausage without OPV when what they needed was a DSMB with OPV. I have never heard of anyone asking for a DSMB who was sold one without an OPV. *shrug* YMMV