Which Yellow SMB to choose?

[alexxred]

Hi all,

Currently I use a Halcyon (closed circuit) big alert marker to send up from 21m when starting our ascent & deco.

I want to get an yellow SMB that I could send up (on the same line) in the event of an underwater emergency such as lost deco gas. I would look at getting another big alert marker, but I thinking it might be to large??

The smaller closed circuit SMB's made my Halcyon are just too small to see in swell IMO.

Can anyone suggest other option/brands? I really prefer closed circuit/oral inflate. I hate using a reg to fill an SMB.

 

[deepstops]

I like these from XS Scuba: XS Scuba Surface Marker Buoy

 

[DIR-Atlanta]

I want to get an yellow SMB that I could send up (on the same line) in the event of an underwater emergency such as lost deco gas.

I'm not sure I understand what the issue is. Why would you need to send up an SMB for lost deco gas? You should already have a contingency plan for that situation before you ever even start the dive - why not just follow that? Furthermore, you are diving in a team, right? Doesn't each person in your team have an SMB? It seems like if you wanted to communicate with the surface, it would make more sense to deploy one of the (currently unused) SMBs that the team already has, rather than each person carrying an extra.

Or maybe I am missing something?

 

[rjack321]

I realize the yellow emergency SMB is a bit of a regional thing, but...

If you are doing a dive where a lost deco gas plan (2x time of backgas or sharing to an extent) is marginal, bring a safety diver who will check on you with spare bottles.

There is a good article by Dean Marshall in a back issue of Quest on safety divers, but I don't really have the time to find the edition right now.

 

[alexxred]

Yes we are diving in teams. And yes we have a contingency plan for that situation. However team seperation can occur.

On a recent dive (in 6.7 knot current!) we had for quite sometime team seperation, when we all got sucked over the top of a wall. Sometimes things go wrong, and that is the sort of senario where a yellow SMB could come in very handy.

Diving off charter boats means saftey divers are not really an option. If it were it could mean solo diving.

But my questioin is about SMB's. Other than Halcyon SMB's can anyone else suggest ones they use.

Cheers

Alex

 

[rjack321]

Diving off charter boats means saftey divers are not really an option. If it were it could mean solo diving.

Bull.
Hire the boat, bring your own safety divers. Who else are you expecting to bring gas down to you anyway?

But my questioin is about SMB's. Other than Halcyon SMB's can anyone else suggest ones they use.

You might ask a moderator to move this thread out of the DIR forum since you are getting DIR answers here. Aka, not "send up a yellow bag to the cattle boat captain and hope he (she) or else someone comes down with more gas".

 

[nadwidny]

Diving off charter boats means saftey divers are not really an option.

Then who brings down the backup cylinder for you if you pop the yellow bag?

 

[b1gcountry]

I doubt anyone can dive in a 6-7kt current. And I'm pretty sure the DIR answer to that scenario would be not to dive.

Tom

 

[Doc Intrepid]

here's what you are seeking:

Personal Floats Safety Sausage Tubes

Carter makes burly bags.

 

[alexxred]

^^^
Thanks Doc. I appreciate that you actually answered my original question. I do own a Carter SMB. Solid & very well made. I have the PF75, and you could see the thing from the surface of the moon. But you have to fill it with a reg. I'm looking for something I can fill with an LP hose. Unless the design has changed I don't think you can with the Carter SMB's??

My reason for asking the question in the DIR forum is because I wanted feedback from DIR divers regarding the type of equipment I was looking for.