Safety sausage as a marker buoy?

[Meng_Tze]

Hi WetFatCat,

I think we have what you are looking for.
A product specifically designed to be deployed by recreational divers on their Safety Stop.
www.surfacemarker.com

The Webbing Deployment System is easy to use and greatly reduces your risk of entanglement as it does not need to be unraveled before deployment.

The disadvantages of the string /cord method are that you need to unravel the full length of the cord (or let it drop free with the weight of the bolt snap). This can only be done if there is nothing below (i.e. Reef) and also increases the risk of the line or cord snagging on equipment as your SMB shoots to the surface. A reel or spool is a better option than the cord in this situation. The WDS eliminates the need for a reel or a spool just for sending up your Surface Marker Buoy.

I have my doubts about semi-permeable fabric buoys mentioned – if these buoys are letting air through, what keeps them inflated at the surface.

• Worst case scenario you are out there for several hours +, and your buoy is constantly leaking
• Is there really enough air coming out of the semi permeable fabric to prevent it from bursting when sent up from 30m / 100ft (look at the size of and OPV on BCD or Tech buoy it is there for a good reason)

With all due respect to DandyDon, yes I have seen many of the fully closed oral inflates explode it is only a matter of time + depth + too much air before they fail. They are great for on the surface and as a back up sausage.

I can see how this system would be beneficial to many divers. But the diver in the video has that bungee around the wrist. If an unsuspecting (or just blatantly ignorant) powered boat comes along and snags the SMB, that divers can get hurt badly.


But again, I can see how this would make life easier for many divers who can not/don't want to work a spool.

 

[Udo Hartig]

I can see how this system would be beneficial to many divers. But the diver in the video has that bungee around the wrist. If an unsuspecting (or just blatantly ignorant) powered boat comes along and snags the SMB, that divers can get hurt badly.

Its only a 3mm (1/8th in) Bungy which is looped around your wrist and only upon ascent. In the unlikely event that a boat snags your SMB and webbing (a scenerio that whe did consider).By simply opening your hand and releasing the webbing, the bungy will slip off you hand instanly. (look at the size of the bungy loop on the video). In the event that the user has incorrectly looped the bungy over a wrist mounted instrument and it snags, the breaking strain of the bungy is considerably less than the drag of a neutraly buoyant diver thus the bungy will snap.

 

[all4scuba05]

How many feet long is the marker? 4 feet would be a little short in some occasions.

 

[laserdoc]

ok,,,please don't ride my *** on this one.. If for a very rare epsoide I need to inflate my sausage why would I do it at depth,like my 15 foot safety stop and not at the surface?

 

[SparticleBrane]

That's...certainly an interesting deployment system to launch an SMB.

 

[all4scuba05]

ok,,,please don't ride my *** on this one.. If for a very rare epsoide I need to inflate my sausage why would I do it at depth,like my 15 foot safety stop and not at the surface?

I think he wants to let surface boats know where he's at so he doesn't come up and get his head bashed as he surfaces.

 

[WetFatCat]

Hi WetFatCat,

I think we have what you are looking for.
A product specifically designed to be deployed by recreational divers on their Safety Stop.
www.surfacemarker.com

Looks good but let me ask questions.
Does it have mouth inflator for case when regulator doesn't provide air by some reason? How easy is surface inflation of the thing? Isn't it too bulky for BC pocket?

 

[Udo Hartig]

How many feet long is the marker? 4 feet would be a little short in some occasions.

Surface Maker WDS
SMB - 57(in) 145cm Long - 6.1(in) 15.5 cm Wide
WDS - 18 (ft) 5.5m Long

 

[Udo Hartig]

Looks good but let me ask questions.
Does it have mouth inflator for case when regulator doesn't provide air by some reason? How easy is surface inflation of the thing? Isn't it too bulky for BC pocket?

No there is no oral inflator.

Regarding surface inflation with no air left in your tank do the following:
Fully inflate your BDC orally, insert the inflator into the opening of the buoy and vent the excess into the buoy while ensuring that the mouth of the buoy remains underwater. This will take several repetitions to achieve but is feasible in a worst case scenario.

The whole system will easily fit into the smallest BCD pockets with a diameter of 3(in) and 8(in) when compressed and packed correctly.
My apologies most of the measurements on the web site are metric, soon to change.

 

[scarefaceDM]

The system I use to mark my position is the OMS SMB/Lift bag combo.
http://www.omsdive.com/lift-smb.html

The marker is 5.5 feet long and a lift of 50lbs give or take. It is attached to a finger spool of 150' of line. It is tucked neatly in my backplate pocket. Ready to deply with one pull. No un-winding no fiddling around, one smooth pull, then inflation...via regulator.

I would never have it attached to a regular line wrapped around it. More line is needed in current. As to not get pulled by it if the line is too short.

I deploy mine as I start to make my first stop, say 30 feet..pull out, inflate watch the balloon fly, make stop, rewind to next stop...acend to thrid stop...making sure it is snug to stand tall in the water.

Alot of SMB tend to bend if not full inflated, as some need just enough air and sit nice and tiaal once your at the surface.

I also use a surf shuttle. Freaking big when fully inflated. I use this system in rougher waters so the boat see you better and you can also rest on the shuttle...
http://www.halcyon.net/mc/shuttle.shtml

Safe dives

Stephen