View Full Version : WTD: DSMB & Reel
I'm after a DSMB & Reel.......
selfsealing dsmb?
I dont mind the condition.. as long as it's serviceable..
cheers..
Maria CM
11-04-2009, 10:12
def get self sealing
Make sure its NOT yellow, or worse still yellow & red arghhhh.
i.e. a primary SMB should be Red or Orange.
I would also go with Maria's statement & recommend a self sealing version.
http://www.bdsg.org/BDSG%20advice%20regarding%20DSMBs.pdf
Gareth
def get self sealing
yep.. thanks
Make sure its NOT yellow, or worse still yellow & red arghhhh
Red or Orange... ok.. I didn't realise that yellow was for flaging problems..
cheers
Pete.
Dave Whitlow
11-04-2009, 16:08
Have a look at the option of small cylinder to fill. Simpler to fill than with octopus or expired air but you must remember to fill it before the dive. Also bulky and pricey.
Andy (treerat)
12-04-2009, 08:40
yep.. thanks
Red or Orange... ok.. I didn't realise that yellow was for flaging problems..
cheers
Pete.
Be caeful - it might not be. A number of people in our club use yellow or yellow and orange SMBs as their standard DSMB.
So long as all on board have an arranged signal it doesn't matter ....on board a tech boat out of Plymouth however things could get interesting.
I've a reel here you can have for £15 - as you can see I have an SMB as well but I think the spare one is an open ender and as others have said you really want self sealing. However it may do you until you source another.
Andy
http://i321.photobucket.com/albums/nn371/m167926/reel1.jpg
Be caeful - it might not be. A number of people in our club use yellow or yellow and orange SMBs as their standard DSMB.
So long as all on board have an arranged signal it doesn't matter ....on board a tech boat out of Plymouth however things could get interesting.
Andy
Andy makes a good point about ensuring that the boat & team know what the signal protocol is.
However, if you are starting out, its best to attempt to purchase the correct colours/equipment for the task, rather than get into the position of having to re-invest to change to the defacto standard later as your diving develops.
This kind of advice should be supplied by your LDS or if you are a memberof a club or branch, by your fellow club members or instructors. It annoys me when people new to the sport are not given the correct advice. This is an expensive sport as it is without making simple mistakes when purchasing basic equipment.
Gareth
Andy makes a good point about ensuring that the boat & team know what the signal protocol is.
However, if you are starting out, its best to attempt to purchase the correct colours/equipment for the task, rather than get into the position of having to re-invest to change to the defacto standard later as your diving develops.
This kind of advice should be supplied by your LDS or if you are a memberof a club or branch, by your fellow club members or instructors. It annoys me when people new to the sport are not given the correct advice. This is an expensive sport as it is without making simple mistakes when purchasing basic equipment.
Gareth
my next club meeting is tuesday..
I have not as yet asked for any advice, my fellow Spinnaker club members are v good..
Last week i dived the far muberry (off of bogna ish) my buddy run up the dsmb as we had.... sshhhhhh (lost our way a little).
Then in the afternoon we dived the selsea lifeboat station (couldn't find the sea horses :( ), if my buddy hadn't had an smb our day would have been flushed away.
hence my requirement.. dsmb & reel..
Thanks for your good advice, that im sure will be repeated to me on tuesday. Oh also.. Andy I am considering your offer, thanks.
Pete.
Pete
I'm not having a pop at you.
One of the benefits of this forum is to ask questions & get answers.
Granted you may get two directly opposing opinions, not that we are in any way opinionated here:).
Even two opposing views can prove educational if they are provided with the reasoning behind the opinion. A simple question can rapidly take on a complexity & extremely limited relationship to the original post, but hey, we've got to have some fun.
Generally we're a helpful bunch here (if occasionally opinionated:D ).
Gareth
Maria CM
13-04-2009, 10:33
Last week i dived the far muberry (off of bogna ish) my buddy run up the dsmb as we had.... sshhhhhh (lost our way a little).
Then in the afternoon we dived the selsea lifeboat station (couldn't find the sea horses :( ), if my buddy hadn't had an smb our day would have been flushed away.
Pete.
I would like to point out that the buddies involved were two separate buddies;) :p
best wishes,
Maria
Be caeful - it might not be. A number of people in our club use yellow or yellow and orange SMBs as their standard DSMB.
So long as all on board have an arranged signal it doesn't matter ....on board a tech boat out of Plymouth however things could get interesting.
I've a reel here you can have for £15 - as you can see I have an SMB as well but I think the spare one is an open ender and as others have said you really want self sealing. However it may do you until you source another.
Andy
http://i321.photobucket.com/albums/nn371/m167926/reel1.jpg
i am interested in your offer.
Just made the conection..YD "treerat"
Andy (treerat)
hows the diamond coming, have you sorted it yet?
ive just loaded my touch hd, I'll add new links to the post.
Regards,
Pete.
Starnetman2001
16-04-2009, 00:41
Just a thought,
I would never own a dsmb with an inflation cylinder. The reason is that there is a possibility of accidently inflating it.
I was pointing this out to a dive buddy only the other week as we traveled together to our dive site. When we arrived we cheerily foud it had inflated in his drysuit pocket in his drysuit bag :D
Just a thought,
I would never own a dsmb with an inflation cylinder. The reason is that there is a possibility of accidently inflating it.
I was pointing this out to a dive buddy only the other week as we traveled together to our dive site. When we arrived we cheerily foud it had inflated in his drysuit pocket in his drysuit bag :D
Nice...lol
Point taken though.. cheers
Nigel Hewitt
16-04-2009, 07:40
I would never own a dsmb with an inflation cylinder. The reason is that there is a possibility of accidently inflating it.
We were doing warm-up dive in an inland puddle and the subject came up over lunch.
So that afternoon, at about 20 meters, I pulled out my Buddy DSMBi, left the velcro wrapped round it and cracked the valve that just stuck out of the bundle.
Lots of bubbles from the OPV but the velcro held and it never even became buoyant so I clipped it back on my wing and we went and did something else.
never even became buoyant so I clipped it back on my wing and we went and did something else.
I have seen a few of these for sale in the last week and they seem to have the Cool factor, only I've never owned or used an smb. I think it's best for me to start with a manual one.
A friend of mine said that the crack bottle is good for him when on the rebreather, as it saves faffing about to much with different inflating methods.
So after consoltation the summary:
I'm looking for one that is red or orange not yellow or two tone, not too big as im only diving shallow at the mo and selfsealing.
just to think last week i was considering making my own with some bright coloured plastic and a jml heat sealer...lol
pete.
The twist and go blobs are easier to use and therefore arguably safer[1]. They have three downsides
More expensive
Bulkier, therefore can be more difficult to stow
You will sooner or later forget to fill it, or leave it slightly open so it ends up being empty when you need it. It can be manually done but you will be less practised in deploying one at that point.
The mainly using it shallow is an argument FOR the crack bottle, at 40m you only need to 20% fill the blob to be fully inflated on the surface, at 10m you need to half fill it which is harder.
If I was buying today I would get a twist and go.
[1] - I presume you understand the risks of using a DSMB
I ditched my Buddy autoblob as it was too mahoosive. I now have an Aquatec CO2 one which is waaaay cooler. Buy the cartridges in bulk and they are about 30p per bang, which, in the great scheme of diving costs, is dick all. They have an oral inflate option too if you forget to change the cylinder. You can even fire it one-handed and look ace.
I can fit 2 blobs and spools in one drysuit pocket.
Oh and that's the other thing. Spools are ace for blob firing. Simple, cheap (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/scuba-diving-50-mtr-Hi-Viz-yellow-line-Micro-reel_W0QQitemZ390011853937QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Sp ortingGoods_Scuba_SnorkellingEquipment_SM?hash=ite m390011853937&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C 240%3A1318) and compact. Tried lots of different reels from CD, OMS, Manta, MGE, Kent Tooling and much prefer a spool.
IMHO the best plastic type reel is the Delta MiniMax (http://nasdirect.net/store/itemDetails.asp?id=22-32-232). Compact, tough and has 60m of line. And relatively cheap. Better than those ones with the wire line guide that drops out after 5 dives.
The twist and go blobs are easier to use and therefore arguably safer[1]. They have three downsides
More expensive
Bulkier, therefore can be more difficult to stow
You will sooner or later forget to fill it, or leave it slightly open so it ends up being empty when you need it. It can be manually done but you will be less practised in deploying one at that point.
The mainly using it shallow is an argument FOR the crack bottle, at 40m you only need to 20% fill the blob to be fully inflated on the surface, at 10m you need to half fill it which is harder.
If I was buying today I would get a twist and go.
[1] - I presume you understand the risks of using a DSMB
I can see the benefits of the crack bottle, as you say especially in the shallows.
[1] - I presume you understand the risks of using a DSMB
I have heard some horror stories, I had a chat on club night regarding deployment & entanglements, genarly paying attention to your envoroment current etc..
I did find an old post here too "deploy a dsmb (http://www.bsacforum.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=24995#poststop)"
I think I just need to have a go when we are next at vobs..
I ditched my Buddy autoblob as it was too mahoosive. I now have an Aquatec CO2 one which is waaaay cooler. Buy the cartridges in bulk and they are about 30p per bang, which, in the great scheme of diving costs, is dick all. They have an oral inflate option too if you forget to change the cylinder. You can even fire it one-handed and look ace.
I can fit 2 blobs and spools in one drysuit pocket..
That sounds quite trick... and very tempting
Oh and that's the other thing. Spools are ace for blob firing. Simple, cheap (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/scuba-diving-50-mtr-Hi-Viz-yellow-line-Micro-reel_W0QQitemZ390011853937QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Sp ortingGoods_Scuba_SnorkellingEquipment_SM?hash=ite m390011853937&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C 240%3A1318) and compact. Tried lots of different reels from CD, OMS, Manta, MGE, Kent Tooling and much prefer a spool..
Mmmm Ive just watched some dsmb (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnzaXwI4elg) Spool (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd95dLxmq7U&feature=related) videos on Ytube, this looks quite simple and its is definatly cheeper...
Only It just gives me visions of cats cradle. :eek: I may have to visit that again when a little more practiced :P
IMHO the best plastic type reel is the Delta MiniMax (http://nasdirect.net/store/itemDetails.asp?id=22-32-232). Compact, tough and has 60m of line. And relatively cheap. Better than those ones with the wire line guide that drops out after 5 dives.
Now that looks like a good solid reel, not a bad price too..
Thanks for the info :)
Pete.
Nigel Hewitt
16-04-2009, 13:21
Mmmm Ive just watched some dsmb (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnzaXwI4elg) Spool (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd95dLxmq7U&feature=related) videos on Ytube, this looks quite simple and its is definatly cheeper...
Only It just gives me visions of cats cradle. :eek: I may have to visit that again when a little more practiced :P
I carry a little spool (25m) on the spare blob and I launch it occasionally for fun.
Knowing you have the DSMBi still hanging off the wing makes you brave but actually letting go of the spool once it has started and watching it spin in the water in front of me is always a nervy moment. You have to be very sure you wound it evenly but it does just spin there and virtually stops dead when the blob hits the surface.
I still like the big clunky thing with a handle and real bearings for day to day use. I can feel it judder as it goes over the tight bits from last time and I'm not sure a spool would be so forgiving.
kath2407
16-04-2009, 14:03
I have a little crack bottle SMB. I will offer my opinion for what it is worth
1) BIG blob. Don't buy a little blob just becuase you are in the shallows. The chances are your diving will progress and you will end up doing deeper stuff and stuff out inthe open sea. A relatively small swell on the surface of the sea can obstruct your blob and make it more difficult for a boat/cover to see. Buy something fit for purpose that will serve you right for a long time, rather than having to fork out again.
2) Never had any problems with the crack bottle accidentally inflating. Have forgotten to fill it on many occaisions (!!! will I never learn) and it is a little fiddley to fill manually but do-able
3) I have a reel - as someone has said, I like the chuncky feel and the "click" as I wind it up. I have a beaver reel. I can already hear Woz howling in horror, but its done me fine for the past 4 years with 40m of line on it. I don't think it every fully recovered from an incident with my 7 year one neice that required us to untangle it over the course of about 7 hours of an evening!!! (I'll find the photo and post it here!!)
4) My smb and reel clip behind me under my wing. I can stow and un stow without by touch alone and its all good. My back up and drop line are in my harness pouch.
Maybe a good option would be to speak to your colleagues in your club as I bet there are as many different opinions in your club too. See if you can get to the bottom of a deeper pool and have a go with them!
K XX
1) BIG blob. Don't buy a little blob just becuase you are in the shallows. The chances are your diving will progress and you will end up doing deeper stuff and stuff out inthe open sea. A relatively small swell on the surface of the sea can obstruct your blob and make it more difficult for a boat/cover to see. Buy something fit for purpose that will serve you right for a long time, rather than having to fork out again.Completely agree about a big bag for big dives. Disagree that the first bag you buy needs to be a big one. A small DSMB is desirable as a backup and can be safely deployed in shallow (inshore) water, without having to be inflated to the point it makes you positively buoyant. It also proves useful for travelling abroad, with the addition of a bit of string and copper pipe to create a drop line.
Starting out with a small bag on small dives saves a bit of cash up front and encourages neutral ascents. Buy the big bag when progressing onto bigger (offshore) dives, where two is better than one anyhow. You will already have the reel and backup. Having practised ascending neutral from the shallows it is less likely the bigger DSMB will be used as a crutch when ascending from increased depth.
2) Never had any problems with the crack bottle accidentally inflating. Have forgotten to fill it on many occaisions (!!! will I never learn) and it is a little fiddley to fill manually but do-ableI started out without a crack bottle. Bought a crack bottle version cheap and it got very little use until I bought a rebreather. There are definitely advantages to crack bottles with rebreathers. For open circuit dives I just see the crack bottle as a source of unnecessary faff. You still need to be able to inflate without the bottle, so perhaps you are better off practising doing so on every dive.
3) I have a reel - as someone has said, I like the chuncky feel and the "click" as I wind it up. I have a beaver reel. I can already hear Woz howling in horror, but its done me fine for the past 4 years with 40m of line on it.My original big McMahon did me for 7 years or so, before I sold it onto a fellow club member. It's still going strong 8 years later. I tried CD and some others before settling on a Manta Junior which I am extremely happy with. What I would say about reels is buy the best primary reel you can afford. A simple robust ratchet reel with a decent handle and a small amount of leverage is best for DSMBs in my experience. I am not a fan of spools simply because I have seen too many people despool them at inopportune moments (about a dozen), causing significant safety issues in a couple cases.
Maybe a good option would be to speak to your colleagues in your club as I bet there are as many different opinions in your club too.I suspect that most of the experienced divers in Pete's club hold a roughly similar opinion :) It's great that alternative opinions can be found on here though.
See if you can get to the bottom of a deeper pool and have a go with them!The advantage of living near Portsmouth is the availability of a dirt big pool with easy access on the doorstep :D
1) BIG blob.
...But not *too* big.
I've seen people dive with an *enormous* blob. A little bit of wind and it goes straight over, and you might as well have brought a tiny one.
AP's SMBC is about right, IMO. The crack bottle is marvelous for us RB divers, but probably doesn't do a whole lot for OC.
Vic.
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