Who Uses their SMB and Deploys it At Depth Before Ascending to the surface

[Peter69_56]

After reading some horrendous accidents and injuries from propeller accidents, it made me think?

How many divers own an SMB and spool, and if so how many regularly deploy them before ascending to the surface. I know I do every time unless I am coming up the anchor line of the anchored up dive boat. On every drift dive, blue water dive etc I deploy at depth. It does a number of things for me, stable deco, visual for the dive boat and a warning to other boats of my location.

It minimises the risk. I do notice that "most recreational divers" appear not to do this on a regular basis? I would love to know other's thoughts on this, particularly those who don't deploy an SMB or even own one, and their reasons why?

 

[Searcaigh]

+1 on the use of SMB from depth Peter.

Like you if I am not coming up on a mooring or anchor line I will deploy my SMB usually when I make the decision to surface.

The majority of divers in this region rarely use SMBs, if I was running a dive center I would make them mandatory on all boat dives and either sell or rent them to those who don't have one.

 

[Peter69_56]

I agree totally every diver should have to have one and learn to use it during their course. Its an essential skill and should be a requirement for all divers. My life is worth far more than an SMB and spool, maybe $100

 

[Croomrider]

I use it anytime I'm coming up away from the boat, but that is not very often. I am fairly anal about being able to get back to the anchor line as most of the time I'm diving off of my boat or a friend's boat, and I don't want to have to rely on the person left on the boat to pick me up. It's basically for a SHTF scenario, but I've done it enough to know I can.

Mike

 

[danvolker]

I see the smb ONLY as a visual aid for THE Dive Boat you are diving off of, to keep track of it's divers with....just like a towed float on a drift dive. This is the ONE BOAT that will care about the smb, and actually see it with reliability.

The OP and most of the divers learning the SMB deployment skill, seem to think the SMB will magically ward off errant boaters that would otherwise cross over your head at full speed....This is seriously defective thinking.

A fishing boat traveling at 20 to 30 mph, in seas of 2 feet or greater, is highly UNLIKELY to see a full sized dive flag and float until practically the moment they run over it--which is why we have charter boats protecting our dive area, and ready to play chicken with approaching boats, before they enter into our dive area. And SMB is far less likely to be see by a rapidly approaching boat.

What about a very slow boat approaching? The question would be why would they be going slow way out over a reef? In any event, the diver skill that is critical here, is the LISTENING SKILL. That at the 20 to 10 foot stop, the divers are listening for boats, and gauging how busy the surface is with boaters.

The skill needed, is knowledge of what the doppler shift sound is like, that differentiates a boat coming toward you--from one motoring away from you....and the skill in deciding if the boat noise you hear is a boat that is very close, or a very long way away.

In my own drift diving, on the dives I have done when not towing a surface float ( for my boat to follow), at my ten foot stop, I am listening for the point where I hear no boats in any effective range to run over us, and then when this moment is reached, I do a deflation of the wing/bc to negative, and then swim up hard and fast to the surface, doing a 360 degree spin and scan as I surface. On surface, the 360 scan will instantly alert me to any boats approaching--if I had an smb deployed, I would need to be doing exactly the same scanning. If there is a rapidly approaching boat, my wing/bc is already deflated, so I can jack knife and instantly be down to 10 feet in a second or two.

Normally I tow a float, and I have a skilled charter boat captain and crew scanning the horizons for me, and warding off boaters, so I don't need to worry about this potentially impending threat.

With a thread like this, it sounds like there is no charter boat patrolling, and that the OP believes the smb will ward off boats.....This is patently untrue.

 

[Wookie]

Every time I am coming up to be picked up from a live boat and not on a guided dive. If on a guided dive, I'm paying the guide to carry a surface marker. If I lose the group, I shoot my own. As a boat captain, I appreciate folks letting me know where they are.

 

[dfx]

After reading some horrendous accidents and injuries from propeller accidents, it made me think?

How many divers own an SMB and spool, and if so how many regularly deploy them before ascending to the surface. I know I do every time unless I am coming up the anchor line of the anchored up dive boat. On every drift dive, blue water dive etc I deploy at depth. It does a number of things for me, stable deco, visual for the dive boat and a warning to other boats of my location.

It minimises the risk. I do notice that "most recreational divers" appear not to do this on a regular basis? I would love to know other's thoughts on this, particularly those who don't deploy an SMB or even own one, and their reasons why?

I do it exactly the way you do. Unless somebody else in the group has already done so, which is usually the DM.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Problem with divers not using them is that many do not know how. I teach smb deployment in advanced, underwater nav, search and recovery, and when possible or requested in OW classes. Although I am seriously considering making it mandatory there as well. Not just how to deploy but why, when, and I like Dan's way of listening and coming up for a quick scan ready to drop back down quickly. Well within the skill level of a new OW diver who has had proper weighting and buoyancy instruction.
If one is going to dive open ocean or large lakes the smb skill is a must. I'd never rely on a guide or DM to do it. What if you get separated from them?
Plus it's a fun skill to do that provides a visual and tactile reference for ascents.
Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[kelemvor]

I've never used one. Usually I come up on the line if diving from a boat that is anchored to a mooring ball. On the drift dives I've done, we stayed with the guide who carried a flag the whole time while the boat followed us.

The only time I've carried a surface marker was on river drift dive where there was some boat traffic. Fortunately almost every boat on that stretch of the river is a dive boat, so they're used to keeping an eye out. Just to be clear, I always have a SMB in my pouch when I dive. When I say the only time I've carried one, I meant carried a deployed one.

I suppose there's no real harm in inflating it every time. I should change my habits, I guess.

 

[chrpai]

I carry one on every dive, practiced on how to use it and shoot it on an as-needed basis.