I actually keep mine attached to the spools in a pocket the whole time. The reasoning is that 99% of times I use the reel is with the DSMB and it just saves a bit of juggling. And if I'm putting it up to signify a problem, it's one less thing to have to think about. If I need the spools for something else it will be in slow time and they are easy enough to separate. Open ended DSMBs - they get to the surface and can easily let all the air out again if you lose the tension on the line and they fall over. Using your inflator or drysuit hose - plugging it in again is a faff when you are changing buoyancy and may be wearing gloves. Use a closed-cell buoy and use your mouth - once you've practiced a few times it is a lot easier.
Thank you for the nice video. I inflate DSMBs using the corrugated hose, dumping the air from the BCD into the DSMB. It works best when doing it a little deeper, i.e. at about 10 m when there is still sufficient gas in the BCD. The big advantage of this method is that there is no buoyancy change in the overall system and thus no risk of being pulled up to the surface by the DSMB. I always wonder why this method is not more widely known considering its ease and improved saferty.
We did a shore dive today that had strong winds and waves. Viz was 1m all the way to 30m so we had to call the dive. Sent the dsmb up from 15m as the area had high boat traffic. When we broke the surface, 2 jetskis were stopped near our dsmb and the good fellas saw it and since it was unusual for divers to surface in that area, hung around to see if we might need help. We thanked them and told them we were ok and we swam back to shore. The did not start their jetskis until we were far enough.
That's a pretty rare thing. Most boaters have no idea what a dive flag is. I had a close call when a boat zipped past my head 30 years ago. I never forgot how close I was to getting killed.
I learned to shoo a DSMb on during my advanced but wasn’t comfortable doing it during my rebreather course the instructor made us shoot them and I hadn’t done it since my advanced course and now here I am about to shoot the smb from my loop (using the gas from my counter lungs) I actually got really good at it and maintaining my ppO2 even tho I’m dumping all my loop volume into my smb
Tried several and chose the kind with the closed, mouth valve. It was the easiest to manage and deploy. Also, I then don’t waste gas using my OCTO. One style I would avoid is the kind that has a trumpet valve shape and plastic clips to keep secure. This style was very hard to inflate and the plastic clips kept coming unravelled. THANKS FOR THE VERY HELPFUL VIDEO!
Before deploying, take a look above to make sure none of your dive party is above you , I've seen a dSMB launched and get wrapped around an older gentleman's legs and caused some avoidable entanglements... but made for a good chuckle ...
On my DSMB spool, 15 m long, I have a single knot in the line at 3 m, 2 at 6m, 3 at 9m, 4 at 12m. That way I know how deep I am for deco stops without having to look at my computer.
Excellent video. Thanks a lot. I used only ONCE, the one with a mouth valve and I found it difficult to let go the Regulator to push the valve with my teeth and inflate...Now I know I can use my LPI.
Another great video, thank you. For my money i think i will pick up two open bottom never used one myself yet but looks like essential equipment. How much does the buoy and how much for spool and how much for stainless snap ring?? Thanks for all you do
Yeah, I was on a boat in the Red Sea a few years back. Newish divers came on board without dSMBs and they had to hire them. A lot of places are making them mandatory equipment now.
Unfortunately that varies from state to state. In NSW and Tas they are more relaxed about needing one for example, often they don't even ask if you have one.
Have mine, open bottom, always with me. Never had to use it. Either diving from shore, dive guide or with guide lines directly to the boats. Still, it is a good stuff!
Great educational video, thanks so much! 👌 I wonder if any DSMBs have a strobe that can be manually activated similar to life vests to further attract attention? Thanks.
I use a reel rather than a spool as just find it easier with gloves and low vis. I’ve got a kent tooling DSMB which use the CO2 carrridhes from soda streams. It’s much smaller than a crack bottle but super easy no faff. My back up and travel one is the same a the one in the video
I had the old float with dive flag, off Dania beach Fla. Windy with lots of current rip. Nobody on the beach except beach patrol. I would look up every 10-15 minutes and see the truck on the surf.. What I didn't know was I drifted 3/4 mile north and as he was following me . I thought I was in the same spot all that time. Till he flagged me out and said he was off duty in 20 minutes I thanked him for the ride back..
Similar thing happened to me off Deerfield Beach, except we were using an ocean kayak. after the dive we had to paddle back in against the wind and drifted over a mile. Had to walk back to my truck (buddy stayed with the gear) drive to the new location and load up. Life guard on duty tried to stop us from landing. Never tried that again.
Come on guys that was a video on a desk from someone that is used to doing this , so how do we deploy line without ascending and what to do after you let it reel out and how do you hold it and and how much tension, and in witch hand , lets not forget this might me be a life threatening situation , having said that, its may be a course your need to lean with your dive instructor .
I have a Hog dsmb it has a plastic clip to attach to I wanted to cut it off and use a metal clip but don’t have a way to attach the net metal loop to the dsmb should I tie the new clip via zip tie or tie line around a few times and make knot like tying a bolt snap to a reg hose?
What's the best way to dry an open DSMB? After every dive mine stays wet on the inside even sitting in the sun for a few days with the pouth propped open.
After gearing off, and rinsing, inflate the dsmb with cylinder air, dsmb mouth facing down, to drain all the remaining water inside. If there is an oral inflate valve, Remove it too, unscrew the head.. inflate to drain.. always works as the high pressure from cylinder will spray all the droplets out.
It tends to be at the end of the dive before beginning your ascent andt throughout safety stop. During drift dive it tends to be as soon as you get to depth to mark your position throughout the whole dive
a few reasons that i can remember: on a drift dive so the boat can see you and pick you up, when you're lost to make sure no boats run over you, in an emergency (some), can also be used to send messages to surface, overall it is very helpful to have
I just wish it was as easy as he describes. Deploying one tends to be a disaster first few times. You’ll wish you had a third hand initially. Takes practice to master.
