Web bag for SMB?

[49north]

I agree that it is not fun to chase after a reel. Rather than add an additional bungee strap, consider a Dive Rite mesh bag.

Is this the one you mean:

Dive Rite Mesh-Front Lift Bag Sleeve Only

 

[charlier]

Same bag. Although with further reflection, I am not so sure about my suggestion. How would you attach the reel to the SMB using the mesh bag. It would be nice to have the reel and SMB connected, so you can rapidly deploy an SMB without much fuss or bother.

 

[doctormike]

How do you open this pouch? It looks like from the side, but it’s hard to tell....

The tail pouch is open on the side. There is velcro on it, but it's not really used in this configuration. You roll up the SMB with the bolt snap on the end sticking out of the side of the tail pouch and clip it to your crotch strap tail D-ring. The other SMB (in the pouch on the backplate) is clipped to the same D-ring. Both SMB's are out of the way, and you don't even know that they are there, and they really can't accidentally come out. When you want to use one, you reach around, grab either bolt snap off of the D-ring and pull the SMB out.

Works great!

 

[doctormike]

Same bag. Although with further reflection, I am not so sure about my suggestion. How would you attach the reel to the SMB using the mesh bag. It would be nice to have the reel and SMB connected, so you can rapidly deploy an SMB without much fuss or bother.

Some people don't like having the reel or spool pre-connected to the SMB (me included). I do understand that it's quicker to deploy that way, and that might be helpful in some circumstances, like if you got blown off a wreck in current, especially with a deco obligation. But I find it a bit more streamlined to have my SMBs tucked away cleanly, my reel clipped off to my hip where I can use it for other purposes (like navigation), and my backup spool in my pocket.

If you didn't have a very large SMB, and if you are diving shallow enough to allow for using a spool for your SMB, you could pre-rig it and stuff the whole thing in the tail pouch. But that would make it a bit harder to deploy, since you wouldn't have the SMB bolt snap clipped to the tail D-ring where it's easy to grab.

It doesn't take that long to attach a reel or spool to an SMB with a bit of practice...

 

[49north]

Thanks for the replies @charlier and @doctormike.

I prefer to keep the SMB and spool attached if possible. It just seems to make more sense for most recreational diving. I agree though, it’s not a big deal to attach them under water. We practiced it a lot for Fundamentals.

 

[charlier]

How did your store your reel and SMB at Fundies? Did you store it in a cargo pocket or did you hang it on your D-ring?

 

[49north]

We did Fundies in drysuits, so we stored the reel and SMB in the left pocket.