OK, I bought the safety sausage

[Guba]

Okay, I know what the instructions say but...

My sausage is an oral inflator. However, I do routinely deploy it from safety stop depth. I simply take a normal breath (no big huffs), remove my reg and partially inflate it with a normal exhale, then clear my reg and put it back in my mouth. Repeat as needed, watching my buoyancy. The sausage only has to be about 1/2 full before releasing. As I said in a previous post, I only use it from safety stop depths, so I don't have a reel. Instead, the line is wrapped around an emergency light stick, which has a carabiner on it . I can clip into it if necessary or clip to the sausage on the surface. Sounds complicated, but it's really not. It might take a bit of practice, though.

 

[Cacia]

Wow - I've never thought about that, but it's a really nice point.

I use cheapie hardware-store brass bolt snaps, which are pretty dull and don't have nearly as much barracuda bling bling as a shiny $12 dive accesssory, but still something to think about, given that mine ends up dangling from my hose somewhere between my cheek and my jugular.

Apologies for the hijack.

well, those buggas do strike outta nowhere at stuff like that in low viz. did you hear about the guy in Coz last year or so that lost a huge hunk of his hand?


The other question about SMB, I prefer the halcyon because it is very well made. By this I mean heavy duty fabric and most importantly, a pressure relief valve so it does not bust a seam from too much air. I know there are other good ones out there...

 

[Jason B]

you know, that same $12 clip could probably be had at a hardware store for $3...

That would be 3/12=1/4 as upsetting.

Hardware store version probably doesn't have a stainless steel spring (not if they are $3 - at Lowes they are about $7 and they suck in my experience).

I get all my snaps here.
http://216.36.250.99/nixdogcollars/Page_6.html

Great price and top grade quality. I've been using them for quite a while now.

 

[Jason B]

This goes to one of my recent questions. As a first purchase in this area, do you guys favor an SMB or lift bag, or even something like the Halcyon Surf Shuttle. I'll be in a wet suit for a while, so some type of redundant flotation is attractive, along with a signaling device.

Don't you just hate it when you ask a question and everyone just skims you over...

A bit more info in your profile would sure make this question easier to answer.
If you are a relatively new diver diving in the rec limits, the SMB will do you fine as you will probably use it at the surface (hopefully you won't need to actually) instead of shooting from depth during deco and such.

Give us a bit more info on your current diving and future plans.

I would say you can probably skip the shuttle for sure.

 

[MSilvia]

Where I'm from (New England) you need to carry a floating flag. Is this a replacement for the sausage thing I hear about here? Do you not need to carry a flag where you dive?

A sausages not an item you'd typically need for a shore dive, and on boat dives you don't need to tow a flag if the boat flies one. The sausage is for signalling boats if you have to do your stop(s) off the line.

 

[MSilvia]

A bp/w config offers little in the way of pockets, so what's the proper way to deal with all this stuff?

Some folks clip the reel or spool off to the crotch strap D-ring and put the bag in either a storage pouch or bungie loop on the backplate.

Personally, I used AquaSeal with Cotol to attach thigh pockets to my suit, and I keep both in there.

 

[Cacia]

matt, we like them here even for shore dives because the currents can make it difficult when they switch. I almost worry more on shore dives sometimes...not having the captain following me around on the surface.

I can honestly say I use it on almost every dive, because the line is not always a pretty place to be and there is the boat traffic issue, which, even at the dive sites, sometimes paddlers or even keels pass overhead. Those big silent deep keels have given me pause lately...I saw one pass right over a group of our divers the other day where you just do a quick prayer.

 

[Humuhumunukunukuapua'a]

So, not being a tech diver, I have this question: Where am I supposed to put such a spool? I safety sausage clips to my D-Rings, and I suppose this could, too, but I though the idea was to have as little dangle off you as possible? A bp/w config offers little in the way of pockets, so what's the proper way to deal with all this stuff?

The best solution I have heard, and one that works for me, is to make a couple or three bungee loops off the bottom of you backplate. The sausage goes in there. You can either leave the spool attached to it or put the spool in a wetsuit/drysuit pocket or in X-Shorts pocket if you use those.

Having the sausage attached to the bottom of the plate keeps it nice and out of the way yet accessible. Getting it back in there while wearing the rig isn't so easy, but then, you don't really have to usually.

Someone was asking where to find good safety sausages. This one is nice and has a dump:
http://www.scubatoys.com/store/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=LargeSafety

OMS makes a 9 footer with a dump if you really want a big sausage. My brother has one of those and always likes to point out how much bigger his sausage is than mine

 

[MSilvia]

matt, we like them here even for shore dives because the currents can make it difficult when they switch. I almost worry more on shore dives sometimes...not having the captain following me around on the surface.

That makes sense. I was just referring to the local shore dives around here, which rarely get deeper than 40 feet, and where boat traffic and currents aren't much of an issue. I can see how diving off of a volcanic island and diving off of a continent would make for very different shore diving conditions.