Who actually used a "safety sausage"

[Iruka]

We use them routinely on any drift dive....by design, not by doing anything we shouldn't have. Helps your boat find you, and prevents (in theory) other boats from running over you. And that's a GOOD thing. There was a Divemaster trainee years back when I was working for another shop...first, she "independently" did a drift dive with part of the group (she was supposed to just tag along with the guide) and worst of all, she LOST her sausage on the surface. So, as the boat headed down the coast to more or less routinely pick up these 4 drifted-away divers, I spotted what looked like 4 coconuts a few hundred yards to the side.....THOSE turned out to be the divers, while the sausage, with nobody attached to it, went sailing happily away. Not a perfectly-executed dive, to say the least.

 

[GoBlue!]

Looking for opinions on an OMS SMB (BCA-255 specifically), Dive Rite SMB (looks like it has an overpressure valve, OMS doesn't?), or Halcyon SMB (which doesn't seem to have an overpressure valve, and I don't see a way to inflate it other than w/ an inflator hose??).

jim

 

[Scubaroo]

With no intentions of hi-jacking the thread, which color is preferrable, red or neon yellow????

There's a possible standard emerging that says red/orange is for general use, yellow for emergency. This should be part of the dive planning if you're expecting a boat crew to respond accordingly. This also assumes that you would carry one of each colour. Splitting one orange and one yellow up between a buddy pair is no good if you get seperated. It's also a ploy by us retailers to make you buy two of everything

There's a good link on the subject here:

http://www.bitz.fsnet.co.uk/bitzyellowsmbs.htm

Writing your name in large letters on the SMB is also a good idea, so that the boat knows who it is.

Some manufacturers have totally confused the issue by making SMBs that are red one side, yellow the other

 

[Albion]

Safety Sausages should be a standard piece of kit for any sea / ocean dive. makes divers on the surface much more visible, you never know whats going to happen!!!

 

[TX101]

Mine gets used on almost every dive.

We get dropped onto the wreck from a moving boat. We then descend, do the dive and deploy from the bottom (if >40m) or ascend to around 20m and deploy midwater (Also first gas switch onto 50% if carrying stages). We then ascend on the line, doing deco or saftey stops as required (as an aside, most of the time we do final stops at 6m). When we surface the boat comes over and (if you have selected the right boat) you swim around to the back, climb onto the lift and get lifted into the boat

Over here, red is generally considered "normal" and yellow is danger/problem/etc.

 

[paolov]

I'm glad this was posted. I told my boyfriend we needed to get one of these this past weekend and he said no, because "we would just have to avoid putting ourselves in a situation where we would actually need one"... :shakehead

(Some men think they know better)

The point of a sausage is for you to be able to signal / be visible at the surface for your boat to pick you up. Or for someone to assist you upon surfacing when needed. It's the best way to attract atention.

On several times, once a sausage has been floated, the nearest boat approaches the divers and ask if they need assistance, more often they communicate their specific boat, and the boat contacts the specified boat to pick up their divers.

One thing is having hte sausage and another is the proper use of it.

 

[kidspot]

It's not a conventional use, but surprisingly I use mine snorkeling frequently enough that I always carry it in my pocket now. I teach a lot of new snorkelers and it comes in handy when they tire out before we get back - it also gives them the confidence they need for the first few minutes of sticking their face in the water - once they are comfortable I deflate it and back in my pocket it goes.

btw mahoneme - if you're boyfriend object because of price you might consider an inexpensive one like triple-l carries for about $11 - 4 foot manual inflation.

http://store.triple-l.biz/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=87059900073&Category_Code=ACC

 

[jagfish]

Looking for opinions on an OMS SMB (BCA-255 specifically), Dive Rite SMB (looks like it has an overpressure valve, OMS doesn't?), or Halcyon SMB (which doesn't seem to have an overpressure valve, and I don't see a way to inflate it other than w/ an inflator hose??).

jim

Have the Halcyon 6 footer. It is closed circuit, meaning is has to be inflated through the one way valve. This valve is meant to be pushed into your inflator hose, but can also be inflated orally as well.

The Halcyon does have an overpressure valve. Folded, the 6 footer is a big unit, needs a dedicated pocket or the special pak that goes on your backplate if you are diving BP/W...

JAG

 

[sidney]

dont know if you can get them in the states but i have a self inflating DSMB,

DSMB

i would recomend one of these however if it is your first one learning how to use a manually inflated one would be a good idea just in case you ever need to.

Sid

 

[SDAnderson]

Looking for opinions on an OMS SMB (BCA-255 specifically), Dive Rite SMB (looks like it has an overpressure valve, OMS doesn't?), or Halcyon SMB (which doesn't seem to have an overpressure valve, and I don't see a way to inflate it other than w/ an inflator hose??).

jim

I use a 3 foot Halcyon SMB for a deco marker. I inflate mine orally - you don't want to get wrapped up in the line but I like that method better than unhooking my BCD or drysuit hose. It resides in a pocket and goes with me on every dive; it gets used routinely.

I also carry the 6 foot OMS marker as a back-up for the deco marker and for emergencies. In rough seas the shorties are harder to find and I want the boat to see me in five footers. It resides in a pouch on the butt of my backplate and goes with me on most dives; it gets used rarely but when I've needed it I've really needed it.

I've used both - more than once on the same dive - and consider them to be essential safety gear. I keep 100 foot spools attached to them for easy deployment.

Don't forget to practice using them - the first time will probably be a fustercluck, so have your buddy nearby with his shears at the ready.