Why not attach spool to DSMB before the dive?

[Diving Dubai]

Follow up question: when storing the 2 unattached, I am able to secure the line by passing it through 2 holes on the spool in a similar way to what you have in the picture. It basically avoids the double ender to open unintentionally.

View attachment 741113

How do you secure this when storing attached?

Have a loop of bungee on the reel. it holds teh line. No need for fancy wrapping on a double ender etc. The double ender, is just use to hold the reel/spool to my kit. My reel/spool would not unwind if the double ender came detached. Even in current

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Have a loop of bungee on the reel. it holds teh line. No need for fancy wrapping on a double ender etc. The double ender, is just use to hold the reel/spool to my kit. My reel/spool would not unwind if the double ender came detached. Even in current

that sounds like a good idea. I do that for some of my DSMBs. Got a pick though? What do you do with the bungee after you deploy?

 

[Pearlman]

@Pearlman

Mark your DSMB at 1/4 the distance from the top with 100 feet/30 meters, 1/3 from the top with 65 feet/20 meters, 1/2 from the top with 33 feet/10 meters.

Partially inflate, roll up your DSMB from the bottom and see from what depth you'd have to deploy.

So depending on which section of the Sausage is puffed up I can estimate the correct depth to deploy with two breaths? (First breath to straighten out the sausage and next to fill ‘er up)… what is the physics and math behind equating 1/4 to 30m, 1/3 to 20 and 1/2 for 10?

Edit: Ok I get it now. ATM at depth with observational estimates.

Yes, deeper is easier. At 10 meters, it will take half the number of breaths that it takes at the surface. It will only be half full when you release, but the expansion will fill it out on the way up. If you cut your spool down to 15 m, you probably shouldn't deploy from deeper than about 10 m to allow for the angle due to current.

If you really want quick, you can use your BC inflator hose on the oral valve. Less than 2 seconds, and it pulls HARD. If you're tangled, you're going for a ride. I wouldn't suggest doing this for the first time in open water.

Good and timely tip about maintaining some extra length for angles in current - Thanks!

Purging reg or inflator hose is also not an option for a completely closed sausage. Or do you mean inserting the valve into the oral inflator and purging?

This piece of kit does not have the valve fitting for an LP hose (non-locking) connector else an extra dedicated LP hose (without Drysuit) could be an option but then again I want to keep it simple and clutter free. So blowing the valve with lips is the only way.

Thanks to everyone who replied with useful tips and info!

Cheers

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

So depending on which section of the Sausage is puffed up I can estimate the correct depth to deploy with two breaths? (First breath to straighten out the sausage and next to fill ‘er up)… what is the physics and math behind equating 1/4 to 30m, 1/3 to 20 and 1/2 for 10?

Edit: Ok I get it now. ATM at depth with observational estimates.

Yup. You got it. Breath Or Your Lungs Explode S____! (Boyle's Law)

 

[inquis]

Purging reg or inflator hose is also not an option for a completely closed sausage.

Step 3 in my list was to insert the reg back in your mouth and purge (or exhale) so you can breath. I edited that post for clarity.

I've never seen an oral valve that wouldn't activate a BC inflator hose. You would have to disconnect from the BC, inflate the DSMB, then reconnect afterward.

 

[Dan]

So I will get to practice DSMB deployment on my dive vacation next week and am currently practising and optimising how I stow my DSMB in my living room. Reading this thread helped me decide I need to keep the kit attached on a dive. But the challenge is that I got a DSMB that is more than 1.5 mtr long, to compensate for… (nah skip that!) - out of sheer anxiety of ever being lost at sea.

I have tried deploying the DSMB a few times only with poor results (good thing nobody was filming). But now I know why - I never practiced for muscle memory on land before by breaking down the deployment into a sequence small steps. Now I am at it and I realise I cannot blow my DSMB on land in 1-2-3 or even 4-5 breaths! “It’s so beeeg!”… and it’s a closed DSMB with the valve being the only option of blowing it up (no holding the reg under the bottom opening - there is none). I need this to be quick and efficient. What are my options besides buying a new DSMB? Can I instead make it a habit of deploying at 8-10mtrs? Will a DSMB that needs 5-7 breaths on land get stiff in 1 or 2 breaths at 8 mtr (as compared to deploying at 5 mtr - does it get progressively easier)? I got 25mtr so on the spool and plan to cut it down to 15…

Thanks!

Get yourself the bottom, self sealing with over pressure purge valve DSMB like mine (see the pictures below).

I can launch my DSMB from depth in 5 seconds by pulling it out from my BCD waist pocket, unroll it, pull my Octopus from chest D-ring with the free hand, purge the Octopus into the bottom of DSMB and let the spool spins around my thumb & middle finger (that act as an axle for the spool) as the DSMB fly up to the surface.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Get yourself the bottom, self sealing with over pressure purge valve DSMB like mine (see the pictures below).

I can launch my DSMB from depth in 5 seconds by pulling it out from my BCD waist pocket, unroll it, pull my Octopus from chest D-ring with the free hand, purge the Octopus into the bottom of DSMB and let the spool spins around my thumb & middle finger (that act as an axle for the spool) as the DSMB fly up to the surface.
View attachment 753571
View attachment 753573

From what depth do you deploy your DSMB typically? The reason I ask is that you have to be fast when you use a method where you increase your buoyancy suddenly (hence not one of my favorite methods, but likely the most common method).

PS. Is that a swivel? Stainless steel? Where'd you get it?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

BTW, I'm loving this discussion as I'm getting ideas how to improve teaching DSMB deployment to my open water students.

 

[inquis]

My DGX alu spool came with a stainless swivel. In practice, it doesn't fix the coil that develops from winding it up. It might work for wind/wave induced twisting, but I'd say it's useless.

I spool up by revolving the spool around the line, which allows me to keep tension on the buoy (with the non-spool hand). I'll do about 10 revolutions, then flip it a half turn and go the other direction. No real coil buildup that way.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

My DGX alu spool came with a stainless swivel. In practice, it doesn't fix the coil that develops from winding it up. It might work for wind/wave induced twisting, but I'd say it's useless.

Noted.

I spool up by revolving the spool around the line, which allows me to keep tension on the buoy (with the non-spool hand). I'll do about 10 revolutions, then flip it a half turn and go the other direction. No real coil buildup that way.

Maybe a drill attachment?