Safety Sausage and Weight belts

[lauratm]

Hi all,

2 questions:

I am looking into buying a safety sausage. Any recommendation for brand and type? Should I buy one that orally inflates, inflates with regulator, etc.?

Recommendations for padded weight belts that accomodate the regular weights (the non-lead shot weights)?

Thanks!

 

[ronpriskie]

I have a Henderson padded weight belt. Handles shot weights up to 5#. Pockets have secure velcro closures, very comfortable!

 

[mike_s]

For the safety sausage, I own two different size ones.

I've got a small one that is about 4'-6' foot long that orally inflates
that will easily fit in a BC pocket. rolled up it's about the size of
a pair of small socks. I use it for very calm sea conditions with
flat seas and light current and "inshore" locations.

For rougher seas, stronger current, or offshore locations, I use a larger
one that is is much more visable. the larger ones you'll want to innflate
via your octopus. For offshore liveaboard trips that you don't have
a mooring bouy to ascent on, you can float your tube at depth and them
reel yourself up, stop at 20ft for a saftey stop, then complete your surface.
with your sausage deployed, the boat will be able to tell where you'll surface.

Other nice features that some bags have are a reflective strip at the top
of the tube. great of rnight dives so you can be easier seen and a clip
to attach a strobe or a plastic strip to insert a light stick.

hope all that helps.

-mike

 

[Cacia]

I think it is a good idea for newish divers to use an oral inflate or open bottom style before moving on to a spool and inflater style adapter because it is safer to deploy and requires them to get certain bouyancy skills dialed in. Great that you are getting one--too many divers do not.

 

[DTB1981]

I Like the large halcyon it is about 6" wide and 6' tall and doubles as a #50 lift bag and uses a bc inflator hose "non locking". They are a little expencive.

http://www.halcyon.net/mc/dam.shtml

 

[DandyDon]

DAN offers a kit (currently out of stock?): New and improved! Includes 6’ orange safety sausage (with lpi attachment, dump valve and reflective strip), Wind Storm whistle, signal mirror and chemical lightstick. Accessories are incorporated into sausage’s base; clips to BC. Dimensions: 7.5” wide x 3.0” high (rolled); 7.5” wide x 72.0” high (unrolled). And I still like the orange-red

 

[Mike Newman]

I'm with the recommendation for the Halcyon Sausage. It's big, bright and has the reflective strip, chemstick pocket and is inflatable by mouth or LPI.

When your life may depend on it - go for quality and superior performance.

The only downside with this sausage - it's a little on the large side for clipping off - but I wouldn't carry anything else!

 

[H20Bubbles]

What lenght of spool do most people use for SMB deployment?

 

[ProfessorAronnax]

It's not always the size of the safety sausage that counts. Most prefer to have there safety sausage orally inflated. Oh, and Welcome to SB!

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

I think it is a good idea for newish divers to use an oral inflate or open bottom style before moving on to a spool and inflater style adapter

For surface inflation? I think the open bottom bags would be difficult to inflate at the surface,

What lenght of spool do most people use for SMB deployment?

Don't most finger spools run about 75' ? Not that I'd want to deploy one that deep, 30-40 is probly better IMHO