Accessories to bring

I'm planning a liveaboard in early Aug and from reading several trip reports, it seems that a number of boats now request divers to demonstrate deployment of a SMB during the checkout dive.
Can anyone confirm this?

This is certainly a good practice considering a number of dives in Maldives are probably drift dives and you want to be easily spotted by the boat when you surface.
But what if i do not have an SMB? Will i be sent to the back of the class and not allowed to join the more challenging dives? I'm currently looking around to purchase one but may not get the opportunity to practice deploying it before August. And i don't think it'll be wise to try it for the first time while on holiday.

Also, how necessary are reef hooks? Are these just nice-to-haves as there are enough rocks to hold onto, or perhaps even necessary in order to enjoy the dive wihle watching the big stuff?
(There's alraady been much discussion on the pros/cons of their use on SB which i've already read, and so don't wish to start another round here)

Most boats should have SMBs for rent for those people who do not own one. And yes, you'll probably be required to carry one on every dive. It's really the only way for the dhoni to find you and your dive buddy at the end of the dive. Using it is pretty simple. 1) unroll the line and let the weight fall. 2) add some air to the SMB from your octo. 3) hold onto the line as SMB rises to the surface. 4) finish safety stop. 5) surface.

As for reef hooks, I found mine to be extremely useful. Many of the dives I did there last year were in current, and I found it much easier to just hook in and have my hands free for working my camera than to try to hold on with one hand and shoot with the other. Plus, it's a lot more relaxing. You just sit there like a kite and watch the sharks, mantas, and other big animals go by.

There is a difference between SMB signal tubes (deployed on surface) and DSMB (deployed while underwater on a reel/spool etc). That said- most people use 'SMB' to describe both versions. All divers in the Maldives are required by law to dive with SMBs and a whistle. Normally SMBs will be available either free or for a nominal charge on the LOB. If you're renting equipment, they'll have it as part of the 'standard' full-equipment rental package. However they're cheap to buy, so it makes sense to own one if you already own your other gear. Cheap rubber SMBs are not designed to be repetitively used as a DSMB- they will fail from one of the seams pretty quickly.

DSMBs have quality material and stitching- very useful (sometimes neccessary) while diving the channels due to the currents. It is important not to drift away from the reef during an ascent or safety stop- especially if you're drifting towards the sun as you'll be impossible to see. DSMBs allow the boat to track you even if they're busy picking up other divers.

DSMB deployment is a good skill to have- there are plenty of youtube videos showing how to do it (and plenty of FAIL as well).

You will not have to do DSMB unless you plan to dive outside the group. Groups will ascend together and the guide will deploy the DSMB.



Many colours exist- but notice the stitching on the left picture. This is a more robust design- more pricey but will last longer. 'Mr Floppy' is all but useless when the SHTF.

I wish more people in UAE would use DSMBs, it is a real PITA at times trying to locate divers that have drifted off the dive site.

To OP, Leo at Al Boom in Al Quoz can help you sort out a DSMB, as others have mentioned, buy a decent quality one and practice with it in some shallow water. 30M reel is recommended.

+1 on reef hooks too.

A folding, dayglo yellow flag.

I really wished I had a reef hook when I was in the Maldives. It would have been extremely useful.

Ok, slight terminology correction to my first post. Nearly everyone on the Carpe Vita had a DSMB and used it almost every dive. It's definitely something you'll want to have & learn how to use.

Using a SMB is hopefully not that hard. Deploying a DSMB takes some practice. I've been on at least one liveaboard, in Australia I think, where the boat supplied them and actually planned for practice at the end of the first dive.

While many of our Maldives dives were in major current, IIRC at least our first dive we dove someplace with no current. I would think any liveaboard would aim to do that for at least the first dive, a sort of checkout to give everyone a chance to get things squared away. As long as your weighting is ok this might be one good opportunity to practice using a DSMB. After that probably you will have some dives where it's easier than others. Talk to your DM about it. They may have something to say on a given dive that it's a good time to practice, or not, and doesn't hurt for DM and crew to know what you have in mind. Chances are they'll be happy to give you some pointers as well. (Assuming they know what they're doing, I've seen DMs in various places royally screw it up themselves.) It may well be the case you're usually with a group at the end of a dive and won't regularly have a need to shoot one, but it's still good to get whatever practice you can and develop some competancy with the thing.

(from my limited experience)

DSMB's: As others have mentioned, the boat will often have (some) available for rent/loan, though it wouldn't be a bad idea to buy and have your own. On my Maldives trip, the norm seemed to be only deploying them from your safety stop, so around 15'/5m - thus the particular ones the boat had had strings about that long, with a small weight at the end. My 100' spool was a bit overkill, but potentially useful on other dives where you need/want to deploy it from deeper depths. One of the earlier dives, the DM had us practice deploying them at the end of the dive, and we were also free to practice/use them on subsequent dives as well. It was my first time using one (after watching numerous youtube vids), so I deployed it a number of times til I got the hang of it. Note that you're not always in significant current/drifts, so it's not uncommon to surface more or less as a group.

Reef hook: Good idea to bring one if you have one. You could buy one in Malé, but it's probably cheaper back home/online.

Thanks for reply all.
I was referring to a dsmb. Its a skill i've been meaning to pickup but never really needed to so far, so this will be a good prompt to do so. Have already gone through some youtube videos and how-to articles. Looks simple enough but don't want to presume too much.

@searcaigh - it'll probably have to be al boom as they have the monopoly on all things diving here. Was looking around for a halcyon 3.3' closed circuit, which seems to be the favoured model on the Accessories forum. But nearest halcyon dealer i can find is in muscat.

Point noted about reef hooks. Will look to purchase one.
Can anyone advise how do you secure the hook to your gear? I dive with a bp/w and don't have pockets on my wetsuit.