Who carries a Safety Tube?

[haumana ronin]

Slight hijack: Why is it that if you search Amazon for safety sausage, a bunch of $20-30 things comes back, but if you search surface marker buoy, a bunch of $30-60 things comes back? I though they were the same.

I have the PADI one that came with my AOW book. Stitches look fragile.

:zen:

 

[jrwalsh20]

just bought one the other day, why - because you never know when you will need one

 

[Napoleon_wrasse]

I carry a sausage (aka "safety tube"), whistle, and backup light on all dives. Both my knives are shiny, so they'll double as a signal mirror.

2 knives, 2 lights, but you dont have a backup sausage? :shocked2:

 

[Crush]

A few uses of a deployable surface marker buoy (DSMB) with a reel or finger spool are:

• to mark your position both during a dive and after you surface so that the dive boat captain can follow you and so that other boats don't run over you
• to mark your position to aircraft that may be searching for you (it is not easy to spot black neoprene against the ocean)
• to provide additional flotation and support if you get stuck in the water for a very long time (remember to drop your weights as well)
• at night sticking your flashlight into the open end of a DSMB (some are designed to allow you to do this) makes a very bright object which can be viewed from any direction
• if you drop something near the bottom and want to come back on a subsequent dive to look for it you can mark the position with a DSMB (this is especially helpful in low-vis)
• if you are mapping underwater items with a surface support team that is taking GPS location fixes and deflating your DSMB so that you can retrieve it underwater

I have probably missed quite a few items.

 

[fjpatrum]

Slight hijack: Why is it that if you search Amazon for safety sausage, a bunch of $20-30 things comes back, but if you search surface marker buoy, a bunch of $30-60 things comes back? I though they were the same.

I have the PADI one that came with my AOW book. Stitches look fragile.

:zen:

The $20-$30 ones are the "surface only" type that have to be orally inflated, usually. IE no OPV, no "duck bill" fill option to fill with your reg and only a tube for inflating. Usually they don't even have a valve that you can attach a hose to for filling.

The $30-$60 ones, on the other hand usually have more of these features. Some of them even have all of these features. If you start getting into the upper end of that price range you'll see they are either larger or have a carry bag or something else, most likely.

I just did this same search about a month or so ago thinking the same thing you did.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I apply the adage "if you need it, take it". Many of our dive sites are close to shore, in areas not well frequented by boats, and an SMB is a "nice to have" but not essential piece of gear. I will usually only take one at those sites if I'm teaching or practicing the skill.

Other sites it's an essential item, and I would not consider diving there without one. Places where you're diving from a live boat, where currents are prominent or unpredictable, areas known for significant waves or swell where a boat might not otherwise see you even from fairly close. These are conditions where an SMB can become a life-saver.

For local diving, SMB deployment is something I consider an essential skill, and teach it using a spool as part of my AOW class.

Last time we were on the "StarDancer" they provided us with one even though we had our own along. I think it should be a liveaboard requirement. In places like Bonaire or the Caymans you may be able to do without it. Places like Cozumel it should be a requirement as the current can really zip along and take you away from any group that you may be diving with as happened to me before when we were diving Coz.

I agree about Cozumel. Oddly, the one time I chose to deploy my own there, the DM took it rather badly. He was too focused on a single diver, and I felt it best to keep my team together on the ascent up our own line. I got the distinct impression they didn't appreciate my decision.

When the dive requires it, Hawaii charter boats make sure the guide carries one. The drift dive plan is to stay with your guide.

... and if something happens to the guide ???

I'm not a big fan of trusting someone I just met with my safety equipment ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Guba]

2 knives, 2 lights, but you dont have a backup sausage? :shocked2:

Nope. My "backup" light goes on all dives whether I'm carrying a primary or not. One of the knives is a folder with is pretty much out of sight (for those dives where zealous DM's frown on the open carry of blades). Both of these items and my sausage are in pockets or pouches and are just a part of my normal kit, there to use if necessary and out of the way if not.

The sausage gets a lot less use than the light and backup knife...so I'll continue to use just the one.

 

[Teamcasa]

Slight hijack: Why is it that if you search Amazon for safety sausage, a bunch of $20-30 things comes back, but if you search surface marker buoy, a bunch of $30-60 things comes back? I though they were the same.

I have the PADI one that came with my AOW book. Stitches look fragile.

:zen:

I use this one.
Buy DAN Surface signal kit 641-1000 with reviews at scuba.com

 

[beester]

I apply the adage "if you need it, take it". Many of our dive sites are close to shore, in areas not well frequented by boats, and an SMB is a "nice to have" but not essential piece of gear. I will usually only take one at those sites if I'm teaching or practicing the skill.

Other sites it's an essential item, and I would not consider diving there without one. Places where you're diving from a live boat, where currents are prominent or unpredictable, areas known for significant waves or swell where a boat might not otherwise see you even from fairly close. These are conditions where an SMB can become a life-saver.

For local diving, SMB deployment is something I consider an essential skill, and teach it using a spool as part of my AOW class.



I agree about Cozumel. Oddly, the one time I chose to deploy my own there, the DM took it rather badly. He was too focused on a single diver, and I felt it best to keep my team together on the ascent up our own line. I got the distinct impression they didn't appreciate my decision.



... and if something happens to the guide ???

I'm not a big fan of trusting someone I just met with my safety equipment ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Funny the times I've been in Cozumel the DM didn't mind at all that I deployed my own SMB. In fact since we were diving in a small group (4-6 divers and DM) and all besides me and my girlfriend dived nitrox (my girlfriend wasn't nitrox certified at the time) , we would start our ascend earlier and deploy SMB to drift along at a shallower depth.

I always carry 2. A big one in my backplate holder (used on surface or as backup) and a smaller one which I can inflate orally that's my main and in my left hip pocket. Since most of my dives are shore-dives in tidal current (where the chance to be ripped into boating lanes is possible), or north sea wreckdives (where it's normal to make a drifting ascend and deco) it's always in my divegear.

@Halemano: And the plan (stay with DM) always goes like that. IMO getting separated, swept away without an SMB, means your already diminishing chances of getting noticed/picked up are much smaller and not getting picked up means dead.

 

[fnfalman]

I use this one.
Buy DAN Surface signal kit 641-1000 with reviews at scuba.com

That's the one that I finally bought after trying a couple of the cheaper and smaller ones. I figure that if I were to need to deploy a surface marker/safety sausage, I'd want a big mamajama that can be inflated by a couple of different ways and has a dump valve so that I can deflate that thing before climbing back on the boat.

The whistle and mirror with storage pouch are nice. I don't care for chemlights because they have short shelf life. I replaced the chemlight with one of those LED tank light. After three years, the batteries are still good.

As far as when I'd be packing this bad boy...I only take it with me whenever I do a bluewater dive where the chances of being swept out into the open ocean is very high. Most of my boat dives are in some sort of coves or close to shore. I do not take the SMB on such dives. I don't believe in carrying gears just because. If you're going to carry enough gears to cover for every contingency, you're not going to be able to stand up much less walk or dive.