Which signal tube do you prefer for technical diving?
- Thread starter Tomeck
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I use a halcyon 1m or 3.3 feet closed circut SMB. It only has 6lbs of lift.
I deploy this from depth for a few reasons.
1. It is quick and easy to deploy. 1 or 2 breaths and away it goes.
2. With only 6lbs of lift if it ever got tangled or my spool jammed there is no way it would take me the the surface.
SMB's with alot of lift could take you to the surface like a polaris missile. I really don't like using my reg to inflate an open circuit SMB for this reason as many have webbing straps on the bottom that a reg could easily get tangled in.
If your in big seas then you can always inflate a bigger SMB at the surface.
While I don't do it I dont see any problem with using your drysuit inflator hose. Anyone else experience problems with it?
I deploy this from depth for a few reasons.
1. It is quick and easy to deploy. 1 or 2 breaths and away it goes.
2. With only 6lbs of lift if it ever got tangled or my spool jammed there is no way it would take me the the surface.
SMB's with alot of lift could take you to the surface like a polaris missile. I really don't like using my reg to inflate an open circuit SMB for this reason as many have webbing straps on the bottom that a reg could easily get tangled in.
If your in big seas then you can always inflate a bigger SMB at the surface.
While I don't do it I dont see any problem with using your drysuit inflator hose. Anyone else experience problems with it?
piikki
Contributor
What is the opinion on un/needed d-rings/loops or wetnote pockets on SMB:s/lift bags? I once heard someone give so convoluted speech about the importance of every loop, kibble&bit that it totally confused me about what actually would be useful vs a hindrance in tech diving (eg for attaching strobes, sending messages to surface in emergencies/communication).
This is exactly my answer except I prefer the DSS (DEEP SEA SUPPLY) https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?product=85
It inflates in less then a breath, the shape keeps it upright, and only 5 pounds of lift!
I carry Halcyon 6 footer for surface deployment.
I think less is more
Some SMBs have a pockets for glow sticks, which would be great if I had a glowstick. Instead I have an HID light and two LED backups that will shine longer/farther than the glowstick. Strobes might be another matter, but I don't have any experience with them or dive conditions that require them.
I'm not too sure how much sending notes on the SMB would be worth? I could be "missing the boat," but what could you write on there that would add value? I do have my name on my SMB so the boat can identify me from other divers. If it's a big enough dive then someone should be coming down to check on you. If you got blown off the wreck/dive site then the boat only needs to know where you are. If you go past your run time, then a good boat will send someone down, which is why they need to know where you are.
Otherwise, you are on your own to solve your problems before you surface. 
No. If you have a gas emergency then (with a proper regime) you deploy your yellow DSMB and the people up top immediately know you have a problem. If you have a small slate attached to the top of this DSMB you can write exactly what you need. There are many dives where there's no-one who could come down to you if you're much below say 20'. But they can lower a tank and regulator down the line of the DSMB.
For my normal ascent DSMB (red) I can shine a lamp up into it which makes the whole thing glow very conspicuously.
What is a "big dive"?
For my normal ascent DSMB (red) I can shine a lamp up into it which makes the whole thing glow very conspicuously.
What is a "big dive"?
It is very useful having enough lift in the DSMB that you can hang off it, which makes maintaining constant depth much easier, especially in rough conditions.
As to deployment problems, in my 3000+ deployments of a DSMB I have twice had a reel jam and jerked out of my hand, and once I caught the mouthpiece of my regulator in the strap or something attached to the DSMB - I merely held the DSMB and pulled the reg free. On that occasion I probably went up about 6 feet. Otherwise I've never had a problem. You just need to take care and think about what you're doing before you do it.
piikki
Contributor
Signaling someone that you are in trouble and telling them what kind of help you need plus attaching a light if you are lost at night seemed to be the main points on this speech I heard. However, I was not sure if his points were coming more from the fact that he is an instructor dealing a lot with students and surface support.
His opinion was that he can attach a slate/note to a d-ring on top of a SMB to get surface crew to send down more gas or maybe some items that broke during a dive. If there is no place to attach notes, he did not like the SMB. As I do not usually have anyone or expect anyone to be above me ready to help either, I was not really sure what the value of these attachment points were.
Another thing I think that was mentioned was some loop/s that you can use to tie the SMB into some sort of contraption around you??? I think it's good to have a loop on the bottom or at least one d-ring so on surface one can clip the SMB onto oneself or slip it onto eg wrist, and free a hand in choppy conditions if waiting rescue/pick-up for a long while. What else he might have meant, I don't know.
Having a place to attach a strobe does not sound so silly in rescue situation? Although I am not so sure if in night conditions it makes much difference if the light is high up on the SMB or on your body, as long as it is visible. On SMB at least you can wave it above chop if the search party is not on airborne.
His opinion was that he can attach a slate/note to a d-ring on top of a SMB to get surface crew to send down more gas or maybe some items that broke during a dive. If there is no place to attach notes, he did not like the SMB. As I do not usually have anyone or expect anyone to be above me ready to help either, I was not really sure what the value of these attachment points were.
Another thing I think that was mentioned was some loop/s that you can use to tie the SMB into some sort of contraption around you??? I think it's good to have a loop on the bottom or at least one d-ring so on surface one can clip the SMB onto oneself or slip it onto eg wrist, and free a hand in choppy conditions if waiting rescue/pick-up for a long while. What else he might have meant, I don't know.
Having a place to attach a strobe does not sound so silly in rescue situation? Although I am not so sure if in night conditions it makes much difference if the light is high up on the SMB or on your body, as long as it is visible. On SMB at least you can wave it above chop if the search party is not on airborne.
Self inflating buddy DSMB for my primary:
A.P.Valves
Self sealing with inflation bottle but can be used manually if you forget to fill it.
I use a beaver yellow lift bag as my emergency one.
A.P.Valves
Self sealing with inflation bottle but can be used manually if you forget to fill it.
I use a beaver yellow lift bag as my emergency one.
A 3' sausage is both short and skinny and may not be very visible on the surface at any significant distance if you are unable to reach the ascent line and are doing a drifting deco. If you surface a mile or two from the boat after your deco and no body saw your small or submerged saugage, your options are a lot more limited and much bleaker. You can sure inflate that big SMB now, but if your 6 ft bag is now below the boat's horizon, you are still screwed.
If you are tied in to the wreck to deco on the wreck, a 6 lb lift sausage will not provide enough lift to keep the sausage on the surface in any degree of current. The crew may not know you are doing your deco and may assume you are missing.
In both cases if the boat cannot see you during your deco it elevates everyones stress level and denies the surface crew vital information on what exactly should be done at that point.
I agree a large SMB has enough lift to pull you to the surface, but at depth you are only filling it 1/4 to maybe 1/3rd full. Good techniques ensures you remain clear of straps, etc on the bottom of the SMB so that is not an issue either.
If you stow the line on your reel properly,use a quality reel, and use it properly, jams are rare when launching a bag. If it does jam on the way up, it won't pull you to the surface because you just let go of it. If you jam a finger spool - call me and tell me how you managed to do that - but again the same thing applies - just let go of it.
I'd rather use a reg to launch a bag than to use an inflator hose as in general the reg allows you to keep the bottom of the bag close to eye level and out in front of you where you can see exactly what is happening and avoid any entanglement. This is in my opinion also not a time to try to hover horizontally in uber cool tech fashion.
Once ascending under the bag, 6 lbs allows you very little lift to hang under.
I'd get a real lift bag in the 50-100 lb class or a larger SMB that is good at something other than 1. being compact and 2. not dragging a poorly trained and unskilled diver to the surface if he or she screws up the launch.
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