Doc Harry:Exactly how do you gracefully shoot an SMB from depth without getting dragged upwards? I have tried it about a dozen times and I'm still not happy.
I have a 6-foot Halcyon closed-circuit Dive Alert Marker that I inflate with my LP hose and send up with a finger spool.
The problem is that I start getting dragged upwards before the SMB has really inflated very much. I figure that, at 60 feet, I only have to inflate it about 1/3 full to get max inflation at the surface (66 feet = 3 ata).
However, long before I get even that much inflation I am on the express elevator upwards and I have to let the SMB go prematurely. (Okay, no funny comments here about premature releases....)
I tried exhaling just before so that I am negatively buoyant as the SMB inflates, but this doesn't work either.
The best I can do is to get dragged up only two feet before I release and end up with a half-inflated SMB at the surface. Maybe I just need more practice?
It's all about breathing, Doc.
before you start, set your buoyancy so you're neutral with lungs full. Take a deep breath before you start inflating. Then inflate. As the air goes in you breathe out. When your lungs are empty you let go.
R..