What to look for when buying DSMB and reel?

[RJP]

Well this got me to thinking. How about a length of decent 'industrial' Velcro, double sided tape (hook and loop) with a ring or loop at the end?
Deploy the SMB from depth and then use a double ender cross from the line / reel to the tape ring. Loop the Velcro through the tie off point and the amount of Velcro overlap will determine the release tension. Once on top a sharp pull on the line should pull the Velcro free.
Not sure how practical but just a thought.

If a sharp pull on the Velcro will pull the line free... it will not hold in the first place.

If you have a reel with line that's twice as long as your depth you can shoot the bag, and when it surfaces - instead of tying off - pull the line taut and wrap the line twice around something. Double ender on the up line to the handle on yiur reel. Then ascend by letting out more line as you go up. When you surface (and are retrieved) cut the line from the end of the bag. When it goes slack the tension at the bottom will release and you can reel all the line back in.

 

[Peter69_56]

@Peter 69. Thanks for the naswer, mate. MAkes a lot of sense. Just wanted to be sure .

When it comes to your 02 bottle. Glad to hear it ended up well. For my part, I always take, any deco with me, even if I may leave it, before the penetration at an easily/secured place outside the wreck. To leave it under the boat would be a NO/NO. You never know where the boat me end up

---------- Post added March 29th, 2015 at 03:05 PM ----------



+1 with you and HACYON. But mine is MUCH BIGGER

I agree, if its an essential part of my deco I take all gas required. In this case we were using it as additional deco gas, so when it wasn't there, it was not a big issue. My wife has been bent a few times so I like to put her on 100% O2 after she has finished her deco, or deco on 100% O2 and then for another 5 min on completion. In this instance we completed the deco on air with some additional time then ascended.

---------- Post added March 31st, 2015 at 07:08 PM ----------

We offer both a reel an an SMB. The reel has 150 ft of nylon line and the ratcheting design prevents unwanted backspinning which is the primary source of tangles with a reel. The reel had a comfortable handle and the thumb lever controls the spool and ensures it spins only the direction you want. A comfortable handle on the reel allows line to be wound up and if it is ever dropped, the line will not spill off the spool.

Our SMB is inexpensive, and allows oral inflation. This marker should be inflated only partially and not at great depths, because it does not include an over pressure relief valve. We include a whistle with the bag as well.

The combined price for both items is just over $50. The reel also works well to pull a dive flag/float if that is necessary for your diving.



Utility Reel | MAKO Spearguns

Signal Tube with Storm Whistle | MAKO Spearguns

..

I tend to stay away from plastic reels as I had 2 when I first started diving and broke both during entry. Now I use finger reels and quality tech reels, so I know they are there when I need them.

 

[Freewillow]

@Peter69. Got it, makes sense.

Do you know why your wife is getting bent: FOP? Only skin bents if she continues diving, right. Good luck to both of you. My wife got skin bent 3 years ago. Since then, only 2 dives per day. She is fine.

 

[Peter69_56]

@Peter69. Got it, makes sense.

Do you know why your wife is getting bent: FOP? Only skin bents if she continues diving, right. Good luck to both of you. My wife got skin bent 3 years ago. Since then, only 2 dives per day. She is fine.

Yes she has a tiny PFO and they cannot find it to seal it. Its not a direct through opening, but rather enters the heart wall, then runs parallel with the wall a small way and then opens into the other heart chamber. The only way to fix it possibly would be to punch a hole through the heart and he was (understandably) not willing to do this.

We found the solution for her is;
Where possible use 100% O2 at 6 m when doing deco dives
A less aggressive algorithm, regardless of recreational or tech diving. We were using a Oceanic Pro Plus 2 when she got bent, and it seems a very aggressive algorithm compared to the Petrel, so now we only use the Petrel with some conservatism set in. I did some comparisons when diving with both, and the Pro Plus 2 when set on air was showing no or little deco obligation when the Petrel (set on 32% Nx) was showing some obligation.
Also with diving, where in particular at the end of the dive you have to work hard, ie like diving the SS Coolidge, where you have to walk about 40m in water to the beach with twin tanks on. Or shifting tanks and washing gear at the end of the dive. This seems to promote skin bends due to stress of the heart with some nitrogen loading. Thus wherever we can now, my wife takes off her gear in the water and pass the gear up to the boat crew, or I carry the gear back if there is a walk of any length. Also I shift and wash all our gear. She gets to rest and take it easy.
The combination of these things seems to have solved her problems, as we did significant deco diving at Truk, and 4 weeks diving at both Truk and Palau with no incident.
We like to have a 2 hr surface interval or longer, however this is not always possible when doing recreational dives on a boat. With tech diving its more accepted to have at least 2 hours between dives.
When we are diving for long periods (weeks), we slip in some non dive days as well.