OK, I bought the safety sausage

[dumpsterDiver]

I use a small sausage for drift diving and tie about 20 ft of string on it. On the other end I tie a barrel clip.

I have the string wrapped completely around the rolled up sausage, so I need no spool.

To deploy I open the velcro strap, unwrap all the line from the sausage and let the line hang straight down below me. The line is held taunt by the barrel clip at the end of the line (below me). Blow a little puff of air in the float and then let the string is slide through your fingers until the float hits the surface.

It is important to avoid having loose line or string around you. The clip at the end of the line is important. As I ascend from 25 feet, I slowly "climb" up the string and continue to leave the clip hanging below me, preventing entanglement.

I usually get the float out at a depth of 30 feet and start unwinding it so it is ready when I get to 25 or 20 feet depth.

 

[Cacia]

sounds slick. I have dropped a twelve dollar stainless clip into infinity...very upsetting.

I do have my spool and sausage on my D ring dangling but I use it so often, I like it there. Some guys I know store it behind the backplate.

 

[ZzzKing]

sounds slick. I have dropped a twelve dollar stainless clip into infinity...very upsetting.

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.

 

[Cacia]

no, I looked...had to have stainless ya know. ..it's like jewelry. Actually, the one on my reg, I would like to be black so it would not be a barracuda lure.

 

[Brodie.davis]

I have a pretty primative SS, Its just a orange tube sealed at one end, And its a slippery beast filling it up at the saftey stop. It just wants to slip out of my hands and shoot to the surface. So quite often the boat just sees a couple of orange tubes shoot out of the water and then two divers surface swearing and cursing.

None of the LDS's seem to have any fancier ones though. Guess i need to look harder or get the aqualung thingy for my bcd.

 

[Jcsgt]

no, I looked...had to have stainless ya know. ..it's like jewelry. Actually, the one on my reg, I would like to be black so it would not be a barracuda lure.

I thought the idea of underwater p:14: hotography was to get close!!! LOL!!

 

[divermatt]

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?

 

[AndyNZ]

I attached 18 feet of line on mine so I could deploy it from safety stop depth. I wound the cord around a Cyalume stick (chemical light stick) and attached a whistle to that. That way, I always have an additional light source (especially if stranded at night with a flooded primary) and a sound producer.

Good stuff!! But don't forget to change that light stick every year or so as they have a limited shelf life.... nothing worse than needing it, giving it a crack and just getting a feeble glow!

Same goes for batteries in strobes - even if you don't use them, change the batteries every year or so - so if you need it, the batteries are going to last a fair time.

 

[rongoodman]

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.

 

[D_O_H]

Actually, the one on my reg, I would like to be black so it would not be a barracuda lure.

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.