Safety Sausage Size

[Splitlip]

Well:

I (or a buddy) deploy one on EVERY dive I do. The bigger the better. It is pretty much SOP here when drift diving. And it is deployed from depth. Most of the Jupiter guys have big ones. 30 to 60 pounds. 4 to 6 ft long by 6" or so. The DAN is popular, although I am not crazy about it personally.

Not only do they allow the surface support to mark your location, but they deter boats from running you over when you surface. Even if a boat operator does not know what it is, he is not going to run over it.

We deploy early because that 6 or 7 minutes drifting mid water in the current means a lot of distance.

I have a little 3ft (6#) one as a backup. Getting up early helps if you are near the boat so they can mark your position, but difficult in many cases for other boaters to see.

A lot of people say you can't deploy a big one from depth. Nonsense. It just takes thought and practice. And it can't be done while neutral in the water if you want it fully inflated. When somebody posted a video of me shooting a big one, the comments were "he's vertical, he's finning to stay neutral,) etc.

I've shot my 40 # 54" x 6" marker from safety stop depth when I had to assist an instructor with a student. Although not full, I still had more beef in the air than I would have with one of those dinky 1 meter ones.

When I am ready to leave the bottom, I take out my marker and reel. Give the marker a shot of gas so it is upright. Get as negative as I can and still fin to stay neutral. Sort out the line and inflate until it lifts. Then let it go. Then hang to keep it upright.

JDC027.flv video by mm2002_bucket - Photobucket

JDC032.flv video by mm2002_bucket - Photobucket

 

[sansky]

I would go with DAN's. I go lobstering on the "Ultimate Getaway" and they require a safety sausage on every dive. I had a smaller one and it kept falling over. The larger one is much better ... trust me! Been there and got that T-shirt!

 

[jbb]

I would go with DAN's. I go lobstering on the "Ultimate Getaway" and they require a safety sausage on every dive. I had a smaller one and it kept falling over. The larger one is much better ... trust me! Been there and got that T-shirt!

I believe the DAN smb comes with a nice mesh pocket that has a mirror, glow stick and whistle for surface signalling. Never know when the smb might not be enough.

I bought the big one from Scuba Toys that is yellow on one side and orange on the other so maybe it will be a little more eye catching or more optimally visible depending on the light conditions. I have been intending to sew a mesh pocket onto it for a mirror and whistle. I deployed it once when my buddy and I were seperated from our boat and other divers and they were impressed by the eye catching size and colors.

 

[Splitlip]

I believe the DAN smb comes with a nice mesh pocket that has a mirror, glow stick and whistle for surface signalling. Never know when the smb might not be enough.

And remove that crap from the pocket and place it elsewhere. It hinders the deployment.

 

[Splitlip]

I bought the big one from Scuba Toys that is yellow on one side and orange on the other so maybe it will be a little more eye catching or more optimally visible depending on the light conditions. I have been intending to sew a mesh pocket onto it for a mirror and whistle. I deployed it once when my buddy and I were seperated from our boat and other divers and they were impressed by the eye catching size and colors.

That one is an SMB, not a DSMB. Although in the US, we don't have the protocols of the rest of the world, I would still stick with the orange.

Sew a pocket on? Please. The ancillary stuff does not need to be, and should not be attached to the primary.

 

[aquaregia]

DSMB is a delayed SMB? That indicates that you can launch from underwater?

 

[aquaregia]

DSMB is a delayed SMB? That indicates that you can launch from underwater?

 

[Splitlip]

dsmb is a delayed smb? That indicates that you can launch from underwater?

yes!
..

 

[Splitlip]

FYI:

jbb is talking about two different animals in his (edited?) post.

The DAN marker IS a DSMB with a mesh pocket. The 2 color ScubaToys marker is an SMB (no OPV etc) with 2 colors, Not as thick or robust as the DAN.

The ST is meant to be inflated at the surface.

 

[Akimbo]

I see conflicting specs. What is the rolled up length and diameter of the DAN, XS-Scuba, and OMS 6'+ SMBs?

It is one thing to lug a large SMB around for a drift dive, salvage, or decom; but there is a limit to what I am willing to carry for a recreational boat dive. You are close enough to shore on most Northern California boat dives that you can ditch your gear and swim to shore, worst case. Cortez Banks is another story — about 45 miles West of San Clemente Island, which is another 52 miles west of San Diego.