Which signal tube do you prefer for technical diving?

[BKP]

I use the Carter 35lb. Personal Float (6ft. long, and indestructable).

The A.P. Valves SMB is interesting, though... What are the dimensions of the sausage itself (the site leaves that info out)?

 

[b1gcountry]

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.

Some of this is just regional differences. In the Great Lakes, you are very rarely going to need anything more than the 1m Halcyon, or equivalent. There just isn't that much current, and if the waves are that big, nobody's diving anyway.

I would make the argument that if you are expected to shoot a SMB from the wreck, any good boat should see it regardless of size. If they're not paying attention, you aren't guaranteed to be seen even if you shoot the titanic.

 

[b1gcountry]

Oh, and BTW, it's easier that I had previously thought to jam a spool:

There was some slack on the line as I was letting go of the spool with my left hand. It came off the side of the spool, and tightened around my thumb. I had to pull it free before it brought me up with it. That happened Sunday, and was the first time it has ever happened to me. Drygloves complicate things.

Tom

 

[sunkmail]

I use the Carter 35lb. Personal Float (6ft. long, and indestructable).

The A.P. Valves SMB is interesting, though... What are the dimensions of the sausage itself (the site leaves that info out)?

I don't have mine in front of me, but it fits in my thigh pocket (White's Fusion with Tech Skin/pockets)

It's the only thing that will fit in that pocket, but it does fit easily. Quick and easy to deploy too :14:

 

[do it easy]

What is a "big dive"?

It's an ambiguous term to mean a challenging dive that usually relies on surface support- usually to take away extra bottles and extra gear that isn't needed for deco.

 

[String]

The A.P. Valves SMB is interesting, though... What are the dimensions of the sausage itself (the site leaves that info out)?

Just measured mine and 1.40m (4.6ft?) tall and 0.21m (8.25") wide.

Bottle is a 0.1l aluminium cylinder that is refilled via DIN or A-clamp off your normal diving cylinder. If you dont fill it or dont want the bottle you can inflate it normally with a reg or exhaust (and its a self sealing).

One handed deployment and not having to purge regs in cold water is worth it alone. It IS bulkier than a normal dsmb with the bottle but thats about the only downside.

...and ive managed to jam a spool twice and reel once. Generally i prefer a nice big ratchet reel.

 

[alexxred]

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.

I do agree that in large seas a 1m long SMB will be very difficult/impossible to see. For this reason I am actually considering starting to use a larger one.

I don't use reels for launching SMB's and your right, if the thing jams just let it go. I agree that good technique means you need to stay clear of staps etc.

Does anyone here use the Big of Super Big Halcyon SMB's to launch from depth?

 

[peterbj7]

Oh, and BTW, it's easier that I had previously thought to jam a spool.
There was some slack on the line as I was letting go of the spool with my left hand. It came off the side of the spool, and tightened around my thumb. I had to pull it free before it brought me up with it

IMO an open spool is highly unsuitable for deploying a DSMB and I wouldnt even consider using one. Nor would I use a semi-enclosed reel with a friction lock. The first is extremely prone to entanglement, the latter rather less so, and neither will lock in any given position. Each has valid applications but this isn't one of them. Only an enclosed ratcheting reel is safe to use. I dedicate such a reel to my DSMB and leave the two permanently attached. I carry other types of reels and spools when I need a line for an appropriate purpose.

BKP - the AP Valves DSMB I have is rather different from the one pictured, as it is inflated from below by a regulator or air gun. I'll measure it shortly and post the dimensions here, but at a guess I'd say it's around 7"-8" in diameter with a total inflated length of maybe 8'. It has a large webbing loop at the bottom and a smaller one at the top, plus an over-pressure release valve combined with the manual pressure release (for folding). It's designed to stow into its own bell bottom (the part you place the regulator to inflate it). Unlike many others I've seen, including one made by Halcyon, it's very solidly built and will last for ages - mine is already 12 years old and shows no sign of failing. In my dive shop my staff have got through "cheap" DSMBs at a rate of more than one a year each, whereas mine has certainly done 3000 dives and possibly many more. I believe their Inspiration rebreather is junk, having had the misfortune to own four of them, but some of their other products are superb. This DSMB, their Pocket Reel, and many versions of their Buddy BCD all fall into the latter cetegory.

 

[serrada]

I always carry a 3.3 halcyon closed circuit SMB. I use it to deploy from depth inflating it via my mouth.

Depending on circumstances other SMB's should be utilized.

Personally, I've never been to 200' and I have no idea why you would shoot an SMB from 200'. And if so, I think a 3.3 would be the only size you'd shoot from that depth.

It's my understanding the only time you would inflate an SMB with a inflater hose is if you also have a dry suite and usually, larger SMB ie semi closed, etc. you would inflate at depth with the exhaust from your primary reg while breathing it.

Good Luck
Colin

 

[peterbj7]

The only time I can envisage shooting a DSMB from 200ft, and I have done this, is leaving a deep wreck when I've missed the up-line (which we in the UK call the shot). If there's a significant current you need the people up top to see immediately where you are, as otherwise you may have drifted out of sight before you shoot the bag.

I generally send up the DSMB before I leave the bottom, but at that stage I'm usually a lot shallower than 200ft. The reel I usually use with my DSMB only has about 130ft of line anyway, so if there was any likelihood of need ing to shoot it deeper I'd have to have another reel.

Can someone explain what "closed circuit" and "semi-closed circuit" means in the context of DSMBs? I'm not familiar with the terminology and I can't work out what they are from the words used.