What color is your DSMB?

[greatwhite1]

Like anything it's using the correct technique and practice.

And what is the right technique for deploying a 10 foot dsmb from 2 metres in swell? lol

 

[greatwhite1]

Like anything it's using the correct technique and practice.

PLus a DSMB is used to give boats warning not to run you over, so once again what is the use of deploying it from 2 metres?

 

[greatwhite1]

The larger the DSMB, the more difficult to deploy it when shallow — lots of gas required, significant lift to compensate to maintain buoyancy. It requires practice or sending it earlier from deeper. If you dive with swell, large is the only useful size.

Exactly and that's why so many people deploy their DSMB and it ends up looking like some pizza dough sitting on the surface being horizontally stretched.

 

[BRT]

Like anything it's using the correct technique and practice.

And being full of hot air.

 

[nadwidny]

PLus a DSMB is used to give boats warning not to run you over, so once again what is the use of deploying it from 2 metres?

The usage depends on where you are. Some places for technical dives, the DSMB is used to let the boat know where you are if you happen to go off the shot line (red/orange one), or in emergencies, to let the boat know to come over and send down the drop set because more breathing gas is needed (yellow one). In the UK it's quite common to deploy it from depth as soon as possible because any delay results in the very real possibility that the boat won't find you in 15' seas with a heavy current running. That's why they use 400' reels.

 

[Pressurehead]

A little off topic. After all this talk about DSMB, SMB and Safety sausages I thought I would inspect mine. Two need replacing and this one fell apart, great little cylinder all connected with plastic parts. Edit: Sent photos to the manufacturer .

Well this is great support.
A new one was sent [at no expense to me] from ap diving Cornwall England.

ap diving, Ambient Pressure Diving LTD
Well done.

 

[bradlw]

This is the first I've ever heard about meaning to different colors.
Seems to me that like hand signals for signing how much gas you have left, meaning to color is probably only "a thing" when it's previosuly discussed and planned with a diver/boat team. Probably not going to be universally understood. Even in areas where there might be regulation on it.... visitors may not know.

Back when I was an active diver, a "safety sausage" as we called it then was just an optional thing that some divers carried. It for sure was not a normal thing. As far as I know there was only the one size then, and they were all orange. Towards teh tail end of my active time in those days, I bought a halcyon single BP/wing, and opted for the optional BP pad that contained a super-sized SMB combo lift bag. I should go measure it... i think it's about 5ft long, maybe 6, and extra wide...probably 6 or 8 inches wide. Doubles as a lift bag, probably 30-40# I guess. I was (and still am) big into being prepared (a good boy scout), and I thought having that thing was a good thing!

Rently durring my family's OW class (and my refresher) we were told that having one is now required by law in FL. There was some mention of color.... the instructor saying that she prefers yellow (some would call it green) becasue it's more visible generally on the ocean from a boat. She made a point saying that orange can tend to blend into the sunlight... especially at sunset (I believe was her point but maybe I'm garbling that point).

I'd love to see reports from charter boat crews that actively spot these things all the time in various weather and lighting conditions regarding color. I'll bet best color depends greatly on lighting and even water color.

 

[NothingClever]

This is the first I've ever heard about meaning to different colors.

Very common in technical diving.

Here in Florida, a “safety sausage” is typically what inexperienced divers use. Don’t get me wrong - it’s better than nothing. However, it’s usually associated with folks who don’t dive frequently.

 

[NothingClever]

and swearing at people with black DSMBs...

Yeah, just going to call that rather silly.

I think the frequency and location of sea and weather conditions to make a black DSMB somehow more visible are so minimal such that an orange, pink or hi-viz green DSMB is a more universally applicable choice.

On rec dives, on top of an 6ft DSMB and a 40m spool I carry with me in a tidy belt pocket a 12hr strobe, a rescue mirror, a tube of dye and a Garmin InReach. If my orange DSMB somehow isn’t enough, I have those to augment my signature.

If isolated, I’m interested in getting rescued, not appearing “tactical” to other divers while on deck.