SMB and Finger-spool Practice??

[Storker]

Don't sweat this. It's nbd.

This. Do it a few times for practice, and you'll have it pretty well dialed in. My son had no problem doing it the first time I he tried, I needed one or two tries before I had it nailed. I quite often shoot my dSMB when I'm on my SS, partly for the training and partly since my wife likes me to do that when she's tending the boat. It makes it a lot easier for her to spot us when we surface

Now for my quirks and what works for me:

I like to use a small puff of air from my BCD into the dSMB first. That way, I get enough air into the dSMB to unroll it and straighten it before the main airfill without affecting my buoyancy. For the main bulk of the air, I use my octo and just fill it up until it starts trying to pull me up.

I also like to rig the dSMB with the spool before the dive and strap the whole thing together with a small loop of bungee cord. The whole package fits easily into my thigh pocket, and there's one thing less to worry about when I'm at the safety stop and preparing to shoot it.

And on the reel/spool thing: I think I've heard some say that a spool can be difficult to use with thick gloves. I have no problems deploying my dSMB with a finger spool, either with 6.5mm 3-finger mittens or 5mm 5-finger gloves.

Something I haven't seen in the videos on Youtube, is a thing I like to do: clipping the spool's double ender onto the line between the spool and the dSMB. The double-ender weighs down the line and takes out any slack that might cause an entanglement. When I shoot the dSMB, the double-ender just slides down the line and ends up at the spool. Is there any reason not do do this? I see the DIR guys on Youtube clip off their double-ender to one of their D-rings, so I guess my practice isn't DIR...

 

[DivemasterDennis]

You can simulate the skill on land as a start. Clip to bcd, unclip, ORALLY INFLATE (which minimizes excessive positive buoyancy, and "handle the reel and line. You can do this in a pool too, especially if you have at least 12 feet of depth. Avoid self entanglement, entangling other, and uncontrolled ascent. Use a buddy to stabilize you at first. Practice, practice,pratice.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Insta-Gator]

All good info, but I don't think it will be necessary in Roatan.

 

[TSandM]

You can definitely practice it in a pool with a deep end. You won't be able to have it absolutely full when it hits the surface, but you can certainly practice inflating it and sending it up.

The big tips I have are:

1) Make sure you keep the line, bag and spool well away from your body. Line loves gear, and it isn't fun to get dragged up by an inflated and released bag.

2) Tilting slightly head down while inflating the bag will make it easier to avoid changing depth during the skill. Tilting head down and finning gently will counter a 3' bag easily.

3) Don't stick your fingers in the hole in the spool to let it unwind -- they'll get caught.

4) Remember that, if you are at 30' when you fill the bag, you only need it half full to be taut on the surface; at 60, only a third. It's not as much as you think.

Have fun! And unlike one of the posters above me, I DO think everyone diving off a boat should have a bag with them as safety gear. If, for some reason, you have to surface where you aren't expected, it makes it FAR easier for the boat to spot you.

 

[Insta-Gator]

SMB and DSMB deployed are two different things. (in practice and deployment)

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Agree with Lynne. You can practice this in a pool and you don't need to be wearing scuba to do it. Oral inflate is easy and quick. You only need to get enough air in to get it to start to go up. Also like the clipping the dbl ender to the line and letting it take up some slack. I first saw this method in my solo class and it works very well. I have also seen someone shoot a bag and just let the spool unwind. Works better with a stainless spool but as long as there are no tangles it just stays there right in front of you unwinding.

---------- Post added January 5th, 2014 at 05:32 PM ----------

check this video out SCUBA: SMB Deployment - YouTube

 

[PeterNBiddle]

Something I haven't seen in the videos on Youtube, is a thing I like to do: clipping the spool's double ender onto the line between the spool and the dSMB. The double-ender weighs down the line and takes out any slack that might cause an entanglement. When I shoot the dSMB, the double-ender just slides down the line and ends up at the spool. Is there any reason not do do this? I see the DIR guys on Youtube clip off their double-ender to one of their D-rings, so I guess my practice isn't DIR...

I read about this since the last time I dived, and I think it makes a lot of sense. I'm going to try it out next time.

 

[FinnMom]

I strongly recommend trying the first 10-20x in a pool deep end (12-13') until you start to get the hang of it. This intense first practise will get you from zero to fairly competent in just a hour - 90 mins and can even be done with just snorkel & finns (recommend weight belt for neutral bouyancy).
If you will be launching an SMB with gloves on, practise with the gloves. In a pool you can similate drygloves by wearing extra thick & bulky cotton gloves (secure with duct tape if needed). Once you are fairly compentent, make a habit of sending up yur SMB as practise at the end of each and every open water dive. A dozen dives or so later you will generally find that the the only challenging part is getting the thing nicely re-wrapped underwater. That and learning to secure the spool so it never unravels accidentally

I too like using the double ender to hold down the line by running the line trough the top 1/2 of the double-ender. Drygloves have overlarge, bulky fingers that easily get caught in the line as the spool is unwinding, so I hang on to the bottom 1/2 of the double ender with one hand (lft) and let the spool spin freely above the palm of my other (rt) hand. I don't get my dryglove fingers near the spool until it has finished unwinding.

 

[jodylynn007]

Hey everyone... Practice your SMB deployment during shore diving in Roatan. See you there, I too need a refresher with my sausage. Did it for the first time just this past year. Wasn't as hard as I thought it may be but then again, I am also carrying a tad large camera too and looking to not entangle it.

Practice, practice, practice!! I am going to utilize and make the most of the warm water diving without gloves though so that I can master it for diving at home with the thick drysuit gloves on.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Alex@nder]

I use shorts above my wetsuit with large pockets to store it. I never dive without SMB bcs it's the best way to do drift decompression and indicate boat traffic where a diver is located. It's the best to orally inflate it and control both spool and SMB with both arms spread out to prevent entanglement, e.g. of the regulator. You should have a knife to cut the line in this event. The line should be kept always under tension as it displays a risk to get entangled in the manifold otherwise. It needs some training to develop that skill and staying at level. I propose to start learning shallow at 5 m or so just a above bottom, that's without risk.


Regards
Alex@nder