Always carry two SMBs (dive in tidal waters). Use proper "man-sized" Halcyon SMBs which are inflated using the suit inflate hose. Used to use spools which were connected prior to the dive. Kept one SMB in each pocket.
Since moving to CCR I've realised that this is too fiddly as there's way too much going on during an ascent. Also need the gas and don't like spools if you drop them - they're off and unless you go back down to pick them up, they're a load of work to recover.
Now use a large heavy Kent Tooling reel with a CO2 bottle inflated SMB. This is trivially easy to deploy; unclip, un-bungee, unravel, clearup, look around, tug the inflator string. CO2 cylinder goes off but only has enough gas for the inflation at the surface so at 30m/100' its 1/4 inflated, so doesn't yank out of your hand and you can easily handle it, even hold it until you're ready.
The big reel is easy to wind up during the ascent. Small reels are fiddly, especially with winter gloves.
The backup SMB still lives in my pocket, but I've replaced the spools with the small Custom Divers reel.
When at the deco stops, I tend to let the reel bounce free and use it as a reference. Can squeeze the line if ascending/descending rather than change the gas in my wing.
Need to learn how to knit the double ender so it doesn't shake off the spool:
Then there's the "cave tie" to keep the thing all together, especially if clipped off to an SMB:
Since moving to CCR I've realised that this is too fiddly as there's way too much going on during an ascent. Also need the gas and don't like spools if you drop them - they're off and unless you go back down to pick them up, they're a load of work to recover.
Now use a large heavy Kent Tooling reel with a CO2 bottle inflated SMB. This is trivially easy to deploy; unclip, un-bungee, unravel, clearup, look around, tug the inflator string. CO2 cylinder goes off but only has enough gas for the inflation at the surface so at 30m/100' its 1/4 inflated, so doesn't yank out of your hand and you can easily handle it, even hold it until you're ready.
The big reel is easy to wind up during the ascent. Small reels are fiddly, especially with winter gloves.
The backup SMB still lives in my pocket, but I've replaced the spools with the small Custom Divers reel.
When at the deco stops, I tend to let the reel bounce free and use it as a reference. Can squeeze the line if ascending/descending rather than change the gas in my wing.
Need to learn how to knit the double ender so it doesn't shake off the spool:
Then there's the "cave tie" to keep the thing all together, especially if clipped off to an SMB:
