drrich2
Contributor
I recently unloaded an SMB I was dissatisfied with because no matter how I rolled it up, during dives if clipped off a D ring, maybe every 3rd dive or so, the roll would come unfurled by going out the side (the velcro strap around the roll didn't come loose, but it's like if you take the rolled up SMB and poke the roll in the side, making it come out the other side). The only solution was sticking it in my Dive Rite thigh pocket, which with reel took up enough space my space mask no longer fit comfortably in (which I like to carry when solo shore diving). I also found the finger spool wider and with more line than I likely need, since I'm unlikely to shoot it from much beyond safety stop depth. A friend admired it, though, so I gave it away to make room for getting one I want. With a BP/W setup, pocket space is an add-on function.
Some observations from a couple of days of checking into it:
1.) Good night, these things are expensive!
2.) If you dive regularly in places with swells, you might want a 6 foot wide rather than 4 foot narrow SMB, but the former are pretty big and can be a nuisance if you don't need that. I've got an old 6 footer I don't use.
3.) Finger spool (which I prefer) vs. wreck reel. I prefer the compactness of the former.
4.) I recently learned if the line snags during deployment the rising SMB can rip the spool right out of my hands.
5.) Not suggesting plagiarism, but I'd like link to Dive Gear Express's page (scroll way down) where they show that different features for inflation aren't common to every model. Not all inflate from the bottom, and of those that do, some are open and some semi-closed.
6.) An overpressure relief valve is your friend.
If I were clicking 'Buy' this minute, I'd get the DGX Gears Surface Marking Tube and also the small finger spool and all mesh lift bag sleeve (which looks made to attach to a backplate; don't know whether it'd attach so trimly to a jacket style BCD). After you look at the prices for competitor products, this looks like a really good deal that checks the boxes for semi-closed bottom inflation plus oral inflation option and an overpressure valve.
Which brings up another issue; how much dangling 'stuff' do you want hanging off you when you dive? If you were in horizontal trim in the water, how much stuff would hang down, and how far?
Some observations from a couple of days of checking into it:
1.) Good night, these things are expensive!
2.) If you dive regularly in places with swells, you might want a 6 foot wide rather than 4 foot narrow SMB, but the former are pretty big and can be a nuisance if you don't need that. I've got an old 6 footer I don't use.
3.) Finger spool (which I prefer) vs. wreck reel. I prefer the compactness of the former.
4.) I recently learned if the line snags during deployment the rising SMB can rip the spool right out of my hands.
5.) Not suggesting plagiarism, but I'd like link to Dive Gear Express's page (scroll way down) where they show that different features for inflation aren't common to every model. Not all inflate from the bottom, and of those that do, some are open and some semi-closed.
6.) An overpressure relief valve is your friend.
If I were clicking 'Buy' this minute, I'd get the DGX Gears Surface Marking Tube and also the small finger spool and all mesh lift bag sleeve (which looks made to attach to a backplate; don't know whether it'd attach so trimly to a jacket style BCD). After you look at the prices for competitor products, this looks like a really good deal that checks the boxes for semi-closed bottom inflation plus oral inflation option and an overpressure valve.
Which brings up another issue; how much dangling 'stuff' do you want hanging off you when you dive? If you were in horizontal trim in the water, how much stuff would hang down, and how far?
