What brand do you prefer and why?
TS&M recommended the Halcyon to me, and I've been happy enough with it. I've never used the DSS, however.
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
What brand do you prefer and why?
Jeremy, as Peter rightly read between the lines, about once out of ten time I'll use the big SMB.What bag do you use 1:10 times? How do you get the 7' bag to stand up from depth without being hauled to the surface? Slowly release air from your wing before putting more air in?
What brand do you prefer and why?
----------
New question:
What length spool do you find most useful for this task? I figure I shouldn't be sending one up deeper than 100'. At the same time, do I need one that has that much line on it or would waiting to shoot from 60' be better?
.
Jeremy, as Peter rightly read between the lines, about once out of ten time I'll use the big SMB.
Here's the process to shoot the big bag without really moving from the stop:
Hint: it takes an open bottom bag/SMB...
- Assemble & prep bag
- Adjust buoyancy to be neutral with a full lungful
- Line on spool tight to bottom of bag, spool & bag in left hand
- Exhale a little bit
- As soon as you start sinking, long hose w/ right hand to quickly purge air into bag
- Exhale completely as you do so
- After about 2-3 seconds (no longer)...
- Extend left arm clear of self and teammates
- Deploy bag by loosening fingers holding bag
- Readjust buoyancy back to "normal"
- With very little practice, +- 1' from stop
Bag will always surface full from 70', with good technique 3/4 full from 20'.
The kicker is that you have to hold and deploy all from the left hand, not as we're used to with inflate / stretch between both hands and clear / deploy. It's not that hard. I hold the spool as if I'm letting line run, with the thumb & forefinger in the center hole; wind the spool tight right up to the bottom of the bag; use the remaining 3 fingers to clench the bottom of the bag against the spool.
Hope this helps.
All the best, James