Using Surface Marker Buoys

[Peter Guy]

Pretty much every dive -- one lives in my drysuit pocket. I've shot them "for real" a number of times -- drift deco, drift dives and student comfort. The other day we shot one "for practice" but as it turned out, it was "for real" since we had ended up drifting into a known boating approach!

 

[TMHeimer]

Depends. Solo shallow shore dives I know, no. Currents I know or don't know, yes, plus "Dive Alert". Boat dives-here at home probably not. Away, always.

 

[DCBC]

I voted yes to the poll, but I don't always carry one. An SMB (like other safety equipment I may carry) depends upon the dive and the diving conditions present. If I'm diving from the shore in Bonaire, it's not required. Off a vessel off of George's Bank in rough seas, the SMB is 10' long (a 6' SMB is useless). You use appropriate equipment to the conditions. So, it really depends upon the situation.

 

[Mike]

On every dive where my feet don't touch bottom

 

[Edward3c]

Carry on every dive, deploy about every 5th to keep in practice.

Teaching mid-water deployment tomorrow as its part of the BSAC Dive Leader course, students have to demonstrate competence and confidence to get the lesson signed-off.

Regards

 

[Splitlip]

I've carried one on every dive since 2009, even if I am pulling a float/flag;as does every guide/DM that I know in palm Beach County. Mine are shot from the bottom and they are pretty big. Somebody, if not me, shoots one every single ocean dive I do.

Last weekend I shot 3 of 4 dives.

Does not matter where I dive, I am in the habit of carrying one. Sometimes I'll add a second.

 

[USCScubaboy]

Can someone elaborate on what you mean by "used in anger"? Do you mean deploying it when you hear a boat overhead as opposed to just deploying it as a reference or for practice?

 

[Tug]

yup, I carry one on 99% of the dives I do. I keep it in either my drysuit pocket or clipped to a d ring on my harness, usually the one on the rear of my crotch strap.

 

[Ocean One]

I carry an inflatable dive marker, reflective mirror (courtesy DAN Tag) and flashlite on every open water dive. The inflatable played a key roll in being found on a dive in high seas.

 

[fisheater]

I interpret "used in anger" to mean that the diver deployed the SMB due to a need that developed during the dive, as opposed to doing it as a drill for training purposes.

For instance, please see my article in the current issue of DAN's Alert Diver. http://www.alertdiver.com/636


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