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
Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
I want a 6’ surface marker in case I get separated from a dive boat. Would you recommend a 72” DSMB (HOG / DRIS with oral inflate and semi-open bottom) for a new diver? I read that they can be tough to handle if deployed at shallower depths, but don’t know if that’s when/where it would actually be getting deployed.
No. Use the 6 foot safety sausage. A DSMB requires training to be proficient at, or a lot of time spent wrapped up in your finger spool. The safety sausage is your friend at this point.
Listen to @Wookie .
An easy oral inflate for surface is all you need. Six feet is good idea for best visibility. You can get around to DSMB when you get around to it. From your posts, I think you're a hard charger and active learner. But give this one awhile, until neutral buoyancy is absolutely second nature.
I'd change my recommendation the first time you are actually asked to be ready to deploy an SMB on a drift dive, but that's much less common than you would think.
Aside from the training and practice, it depends on your need to signal your presence before you surface. I just had a sausage untill I was going to dive in stronger current and needed to make a safety stop, as I was doing multiple dives a day over several days. I had no problem learning to shoot a DSMB because I had been using lift bags for ages.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
