What do you use for a weight for your SMB

howtomake

Someone suggested to use a home lightening rod, er yeah, um not many hardware stores actually have that. Great Outdoors & Flagship don't have anythign. Any ideas out there, would need to pick something pretty quick.

Cheers:D


Well actually I meant DSMB

seadeuce

Buy a reel!

It's good to have the option of deploying the DSMB from depth, for any number of reasons -

> to mark a find (wreck/artefact)

> on separation from your buddy
... think! - you can do your 3m safety stop before coming to the surface, and your buddy will know where you are

> if you are diving in a threesome, and for whatever reason you want out of
there, the ascent will feel a whole lot safer because of your "attachment"
to the surface


A weighted line will restrict you to it's length.

Check out a Custom Divers reel on ebay. It fits nicely in your BC pocket.



Seadeuce

howtomake

Thanks!

Hmm, ok but I'm kind of afraid of reels:o. And usually the ones I've borrowed don't have them. I'll see how I get on next year, I just needed something quick for my club diver test on Sunday. Think I found something that will do.

Oh and can you explain this further please, how a reel would help?

> on separation from your buddy
... think! - you can do your 3m safety stop before coming to the surface, and your buddy will know where you are

Cheers!

Benny-c

howtomake wrote: »

Hmm, ok but I'm kind of afraid of reels-I just needed something quick for my club diver test on Sunday

You will need to deploy an SMB as part of your Club Diver test-I strongly suggest you get in some practice before then-get a loan of a reel & practice.

PS Good luck with the test:D

Benny

howtomake

Benny-c wrote: »

You will need to deploy an SMB as part of your Club Diver test-I strongly suggest you get in some practice before then-get a loan of a reel & practice.

PS Good luck with the test:D

Benny

Thanks.
I've practiced with them before when I borrowed from others in the club. I'm actually not too worried about that part.

Actually can you do the test for me? I hate tests.

seadeuce

howtomake wrote: »

Thanks!

Hmm, ok but I'm kind of afraid of reels:o. And usually the ones I've borrowed don't have them. I'll see how I get on next year, I just needed something quick for my club diver test on Sunday. Think I found something that will do.

Oh and can you explain this further please, how a reel would help?


Cheers!

Standard separation procedure dictates you rise 1 - 2m from the bottom, do a 360deg slow turn, pref with flashlamp on, to try and relocate your buddy.
He should of course - be doing likewise.
If you fail to see him, or he you, you both surface at the correct rate of ascent to rejoin and re-descend.

Now that's fine if you have been down 2 to 3 mins, but if you have a lot of nitrogen aboard you would be well advised to call it quits for the dive on surfacing, and not go back down.

The SMB in this instance would allow you to not have to surface after the 360, just go to the safety stop and do your 3mins.

Your buddy should do the same, but if he does a direct ascent he will see your location and join you after your (safer) dive profile.


> A reel will also help the Cox'n if, say, you have agreed to dive north but on descending you find the current is flowing against you.
By deploying the SMB you can have a lovely drift dive in the knowledge that the boatman is following your marker.

The alternative would be to stick to the plan and have a working dive in a head-current. Not the best of choices.

> The reel is also good for circular/pendulum searches for any lost item of gear on the bottom.

> It can be used as well as a penetration line if you really want to see inside that wreck/cave.

> In low vis it can be used as a buddy line.


I think you should have the picture by now - that lead weight on the smb is not going to give you many options, except - maybe - entanglement!


Best of luck on your CD this weekend!!


Seadeuce

locum-motion

Excellent post, SD.

seadeuce wrote: »

Standard separation procedure dictates you rise 1 - 2m from the bottom, do a 360deg slow turn, pref with flashlamp on, to try and relocate your buddy.
He should of course - be doing likewise.
If you fail to see him, or he you, you both surface at the correct rate of ascent to rejoin and re-descend.

Now that's fine if you have been down 2 to 3 mins, but if you have a lot of nitrogen aboard you would be well advised to call it quits for the dive on surfacing, and not go back down.

The SMB in this instance would allow you to not have to surface after the 360, just go to the safety stop and do your 3mins.

Your buddy should do the same, but if he does a direct ascent he will see your location and join you after your (safer) dive profile.


> A reel will also help the Cox'n if, say, you have agreed to dive north but on descending you find the current is flowing against you.
By deploying the SMB you can have a lovely drift dive in the knowledge that the boatman is following your marker.

The alternative would be to stick to the plan and have a working dive in a head-current. Not the best of choices.

> The reel is also good for circular/pendulum searches for any lost item of gear on the bottom.

> It can be used as well as a penetration line if you really want to see inside that wreck/cave.

> In low vis it can be used as a buddy line.


I think you should have the picture by now - that lead weight on the smb is not going to give you many options, except - maybe - entanglement!


Best of luck on your CD this weekend!!


Seadeuce

howtomake

Thanks all! Actually my new smb is kinda of lame. When it was sold to me, I was told it was actually easier than those fully open ones (it has plastic molding) since I use my main reg (don't have octo). What a crock, I had a very limp smb, but was passed because I had good technique and I used the tester's smb. The tester's had a weighted line smb, but one of the other testers who was testing another club member had a cute little reel that I might test out next year. (er too may 'tests' in that sentence')

Oof and could only remember details about one type of burst lung, other than that things went smooth enough even though it was one 2nd to worst viz dives this year. I was worried about my leading part, but that was fine.

Officially now a Club Diver, I'm glad as hell its over though. Seasearch & Rescue next year, but I'm happy enough to put away my fins the rest of the year.

crazydaize

howtomake wrote: »

Thanks all! Actually my new smb is kinda of lame. When it was sold to me, I was told it was actually easier than those fully open ones (it has plastic molding) since I use my main reg (don't have octo). What a crock, I had a very limp smb, but was passed because I had good technique and I used the tester's smb. The tester's had a weighted line smb, but one of the other testers who was testing another club member had a cute little reel that I might test out next year. (er too may 'tests' in that sentence')

Oof and could only remember details about one type of burst lung, other than that things went smooth enough even though it was one 2nd to worst viz dives this year. I was worried about my leading part, but that was fine.

Officially now a Club Diver, I'm glad as hell its over though. Seasearch & Rescue next year, but I'm happy enough to put away my fins the rest of the year.

Good work, congratulations! :):)

locum-motion

howtomake wrote: »

... since I use my main reg (don't have octo). ...

Just wondering: why don't you have an octo? Do you have some other type of alternate air source to offer a buddy?

On the filling an SMB issue;
I don't use the purge button of either reg to fill mine - I just tilt my head to the right and fill it from the exhaled gas from my main reg. An added benefit of this is that it doesn't cause a major change in my buoyancy as I fill it.

howtomake

Oh I definitely have an alternative air, an Air2, that would be against CFT's rule number 5, if I didn't . I've done a few practices too with a buddy, I have to use my chest dump for bouyancy control when ascending though.

I might make a few changes to my gear next year just to make things simpler for me. Like my gauges on my reg are too big & clunky, I've hooked them up so they don't drag, but I've dived with easier to handle ones before.

Thanks for the tip. I'll practice that one too (next year of course).

seadeuce

Congrats on the CD!

Now start diving!!

Hanging up the fins will mean you have to begin all over again next year.

Plus - try to get an extended hose on your BC for that Air2, then you'll have full
mobility in turning to cope with any buddy in trouble.


Enjoy!!!

Seadeuce

howtomake

Ah no more Irish waters diving for me this side of xmas. Going to do some in tenerife, where its warm. Back again in cold Irish seas Jan 2012. Thanks again!

BigDuffman

howtomake wrote: »

.... since I use my main reg (don't have octo). What a crock.....

How are you diving without an octo? You need an alternate for buddy breathing skills etc?

howtomake wrote: »

I had a very limp smb.

childish snicker

howtomake

BigDuffman wrote: »

How are you diving without an octo? You need an alternate for buddy breathing skills etc?





childish snicker

Haha, I was wondering if anyone would pick up on that. SMB's are rather 'suggestive'.

I have an Air2 for my air source, buddy gets my main reg. I'm switching a few things around though next year.