FredGarvin
Contributor
SMB:
Hollis vs Halcyon vs Carter bags vs XS Scuba vs OMS ?
Thoughts?
Garv
Hollis vs Halcyon vs Carter bags vs XS Scuba vs OMS ?
Thoughts?
Garv
SMB makers - which is best and why?
- Thread starter FredGarvin
- Start date
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OH-JJ
Guest
well........
It depends.....
What do you need it for?
for Rough seas, high wave, and/or high current you cannot beat a 10ft OMS / Highland's SMB. very easy to see from a distance. just a pain to inflate.
For normal use I like the 6ft ones.
Really have no use for the 3ft'ers except to bonk people on the head with.
Brands... I like my xs scuba, and I have two e-bay Dsmb's for backup/ forgot one.
It depends.....
What do you need it for?
for Rough seas, high wave, and/or high current you cannot beat a 10ft OMS / Highland's SMB. very easy to see from a distance. just a pain to inflate.
For normal use I like the 6ft ones.
Really have no use for the 3ft'ers except to bonk people on the head with.
Brands... I like my xs scuba, and I have two e-bay Dsmb's for backup/ forgot one.
NudeDiver
Contributor
I have one from Innovative Scuba Concepts - it seems nice as far as I can tell.
But check this out:
Scuba Diving Magazine - Lost (And Found) At Sea
But check this out:
Scuba Diving Magazine - Lost (And Found) At Sea
fl-diver
Contributor
My favorite has always been the Zeagle SMB/Liftbag. Like this one:
Signal Tube Deluxe p/n 251-1002 Zeagle Systems - Scuba Diving Equipment Manufacturer
We use them for signaling as well as sending fish to the surface when spearfishing in sharky waters.
I also found an almost identical bag from Piranha Dive (they advertise on here) for about half the price. If I know that I am ascending without a diveflag I will always the bag up from about 25ft on a finger spool so that I can do a safety stop and not need to manually inflate at the surface.
Both of the bags I mentioned have a "duckbill" for inflation from the bottom. I just use my octo to inflate.
Signal Tube Deluxe p/n 251-1002 Zeagle Systems - Scuba Diving Equipment Manufacturer
We use them for signaling as well as sending fish to the surface when spearfishing in sharky waters.
I also found an almost identical bag from Piranha Dive (they advertise on here) for about half the price. If I know that I am ascending without a diveflag I will always the bag up from about 25ft on a finger spool so that I can do a safety stop and not need to manually inflate at the surface.
Both of the bags I mentioned have a "duckbill" for inflation from the bottom. I just use my octo to inflate.
Did you know about DAN's SMB? Overpressure valve, reflector on one side, pocket on top for a light stick, handle on bottom, plus other details. Includes a little pouch with a whistle, mirror and lightstick. Reasonable price, good cause.
Salmonboy97
Contributor
I have the Dan SMB and love it. I have another that needs a repair. Any suggestions on what I can seal a knife cut in a SMB?
New SMB sounds like a good answer - I don't want potential leaks in my SMB; they're not really that expensive IMHO, compared to overall diving costs
I have and have used many times an SMB identical to DAN's, but it comes without the extras that DAN includes. You can find it on ebay here Sure-Sight 6-Foot Multi-Function Signal Tube - ORG ST72 - eBay (item 280261704526 end time Jan-27-09 10:07:53 PST). The same ebay seller has auctions for it so you may be able to buy it cheaper than the price listed at this link. It's 6 feet tall, can double as a collar on surface, has an over-pressure valve for shooting at depth, and can be inflated 3 ways. I carry it on every dive along with a 150 feet spool.
I use the XS Scuba 7' X 7" SMB. It's way fat, easy to inflator and stays upright and doesn't lose it's gas once on the surface provided you keep some tension on it.
After hearing about the DAN SMB, I'm going to check it out though.
After hearing about the DAN SMB, I'm going to check it out though.
Kinda depends on where your diving
.. I know that my instructor takes a 10ft model on trips overseas where long distance visibility is the most important consideration, uses a smaller one for local dives.
I have the 4ft one from TDL , kinda bulky but bullet proof ... SMB-4 Yellow Surface Marker Buoy 4 foot [SMB-TDL-4-Yellow] - $94.50 : Scuba Diving Limited, a subsidiary of Scuba Training and Technology Inc.
I like the 10ft one from Carter ... Personal Floats Safety Sausage Tubes
personally, whatever model you get, I would get a fluorescent yellow one as it's been reported to have better visibility in more conditions
.. I know that my instructor takes a 10ft model on trips overseas where long distance visibility is the most important consideration, uses a smaller one for local dives.
I have the 4ft one from TDL , kinda bulky but bullet proof ... SMB-4 Yellow Surface Marker Buoy 4 foot [SMB-TDL-4-Yellow] - $94.50 : Scuba Diving Limited, a subsidiary of Scuba Training and Technology Inc.
I like the 10ft one from Carter ... Personal Floats Safety Sausage Tubes
personally, whatever model you get, I would get a fluorescent yellow one as it's been reported to have better visibility in more conditions
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