Why not just clip spool bolt snap to SMB D ring & call it good?

[drrich2]

Hi:

I'm one of those people who's very unintuitive with motor skills. Was the kid who couldn't do any of the yoyo tricks. Learning to tie my shoes was an ordeal. Learning to drive? Not pretty; that poor cop looked about white after a training drive with me. And the sweater they tried to make me construct in Home Ec.? Ah, a grease rag in the making, that was.

So, having acquired an SMB & a finger spool, I spent some time observing online videos of people setting up & deploying SMBs. Reminds me of when I was a kid; somebody proficient sticks his 2 hands out, there's an item with a string, his hands whir around & something special happens. And he looks at me like I should somehow have acquired this skill.

Riiiiiiiiight. So, at a website labeled 'Precision Diving' I see a page that includes this blurb on the process:

4) If the spool isn’t already attached to the SMB, the diver must attach it. Generally, most SMBs will have a small d-ring located on the bottom of them. Using the double ender of the finger spool as a weight, the diver will feed the double ender snap (with line attached) through the d-ring. Once through, the diver can pass the entire spool through loop of line at the end of the spool. Remove the double ender from the line and keep it on the right chest d-ring.

Elsewhere, there's a video where a guy deploys one. Seems brief & to the point.

I'm missing something. Being crude and 'what's the easiest brain dead simple way I can do this' in my approach, I have a burning question...

Why can't I just take the bolt snap on the end of the spool's line, quickly clamp it on that metal ring at the bottom of the SMB, and call it good?

Why the onerous task of running the bolt snap through the SMB's metal ring, then someohow a loop appears out of nowhere, then the spool goes through the loop like a worm-hole...? Do SMBs come loose from bolt snaps often?

Thanks.

Richard.

[ffdiver]

Its a much more secure attachment running the line through the smb rather than clip it off using the double ender. And without the double ender, you wouldn't be able to tie off the spool. It's not really hard, It's a loop. Nothing more. No need to over think it.

Practice. On every dive, no matter how shallow or short just practice it. You will get it.

[lowviz]

Using the double ender to thread the line through the D-ring is just a "helpful hint" in case you ever have to do this underwater. The SMB and spool should be attached before you enter the water.

As ffdiver said, you will need the double ender when the SMB is deployed so that you have some way to stop the line from falling off of the spool. Note how the double ender is removed, temporarily clipped onto the chest D-ring for safe keeping, then recovered to secure the spool.

[DevonDiver]

Why can't I just take the bolt snap on the end of the spool's line, quickly clamp it on that metal ring at the bottom of the SMB, and call it good?

1) You might want to use the double-ender as a 'winder' during ascent.
2) You might want to use the double-ender to 'lock-off' the line/spool during stops on your ascent.

Therefore, you need to retain the double-ender - not clip it off to the DSMB.

Why the onerous task of running the bolt snap through the SMB's metal ring, then someohow a loop appears out of nowhere, then the spool goes through the loop like a worm-hole...?

A generously sized loop should be pre-tied at the end of the line. Having put the line through the DSMB D-Ring, it is a simple case of putting the spool through that loop, to create a secure attachment.

Do SMBs come loose from bolt snaps often?

If they do, it'd be rare. It's not impossible though. Neither is a 'loop' coming undone, or a knot failing. So I don't see any particular advantage/disadvantage that'd lead to a decision, based on 'security'.

The reason it's done as it is (retaining the double-ender) is so that the diver can use the double-ender for other purposes (winding/locking) on ascent.

The SMB and spool should be attached before you enter the water.

That's a personal preference. I choose not to do that.

The reason being, (1) it complicates storage of the DSMB/Reel and (2) it complicates any alternative use of the reel during the dive (i.e. as a temporary search/navigation line etc).

[rhwestfall]

I use a separate bolt snap attached to my SMB with cave line. I do this because I keep the spool and SMB separate, but in the same pouch on the tail of my BP. The pouch has a shock cord with loops on it to allow me to daisy chain attach implements to it. The bolt snap is holding the SMB to one loop, the double-ender is attaching the spool to the chain. Just my way of handling it. I'm sure I am going to die for doing it this way......

[drrich2]

Thanks for all the explanations, guys. This had been bothering me for quite awhile.

Richard.

[TSandM]

I've seen bolt snaps come loose from just about anything, which is why I never carry my SMB and spool clipped off to a d-ring. Running the loop through the attachment point on the SMB and putting the spool through the loop creates an attachment that can't fail unless the cave line breaks.

I carry a pre-rigged SMB and spool on all boat dives. I couldn't imagine why one wouldn't pre-rig when they taught me to rig it up in Fundies, and I've never seen a reason not to in the ensuing time. A pre-rigged spool and bag fits very nicely in a bellows pocket, and isn't the least bit difficult to deploy in warm water. It's a bit of a fiddle in cold, but then, everything is.

[RJP]

I couldn't imagine why one wouldn't pre-rig when they taught me to rig it up in Fundies, and I've never seen a reason not to in the ensuing time.

Doesn't happen often, but I have had need to use the spool/line for something else during a dive. It's a real bear to un-rig it in cold water with 7mm gloves on.

[Peter Guy]

Andy and RJ -- The very few times I've wanted to use my pre-rigged SMB/Spool for just the spool (for example, running a line downslope to give me a bigger target to find an upline), I've just kept it attached. The rolled up SMB isn't that big so, why not?

[lowviz]

If I'm sending up an SMB/DSMB/bag (take your pick) free drifting in the ocean it is a bad thing. I don't need another step...

If I want to use the spool for something else, I probably have time to fuss.