Sausage

[shompie]

New in diving and been reading different post and I am curious as to how and what is the purpose of the sausage? Is it inflated before you reach the surface? We never went over this in OW. Thanks.

[roturner]

There are different applications, but one of the applications is to mark the position of ascending divers before they get to the surface. The saugage (which is also called a "blob" by some divers) is technically called an DSMB or a "delayed surface marker buoy".

Many divers use them for boat diving so the surface crew can see where they are during their safety stop. It also makes it easier in some cases to maintain accurate depth for the safety stop if you have to do it while free-floating in deep(ish) water.

Another application of these buoys is as a signalling device on the surface. It's long and easier to see in some cases than a diver who is close to the water. Especially with wave action this can make it easier to spot the diver.

Finally, as a source of "backup" buoyancy it has an application. This could potentially be a concern to some divers using heavy gear that would be negative even without any weights. In the case of a failed buoyancy compensator, the DSMB can offer them a way to stay on the surface. IN that case you kind of hang on them the way you sometimes see people using those long foam things at the swimming pool.

There are different types which basically fall into two categories. ONes that let air in but don't let it out again until you use a valve to vent it and ones with an open end. There are applications for both but my personal bias is in favour of the ones that don't let go of the air until you want it to.

Hope that helps.

R..

[shompie]

Thanks, yes this helped.

[Rupert Vidion]

I would second getting a self sealing model.

Learn how to use one properly and practice regularly.

[RJP]

I would second getting a self sealing model.

Learn how to use one properly and practice regularly.

Agreed on both counts. I'm a fan Halcyon's aptly named "SUPER BIG" version.



6 feet long and about 8" in diameter this marker WILL be seen. On a recent liveaboard trip we had a chance to witness two groups of divers from a local dayboat surface away from the mooring buoy and need to do their stops in a current. They all had standard "safety sausages" of the 4-foot x 4-inch variety deployed and even though water wasn't terribly choppy (2'-4' maybe) their boat had a hard time keeping track of them as they drifted around. In fact we had to radio over to their boat to help them locate one of the groups. I've not needed to use mine as a signaling device, but this occurrence was enough to confirm I made the right choice buying the "SUPER BIG" version!

Halcyon Surface Marker Buoys at www.DiveSeekers.com

[Crush]

All the posts in this thread have been great, so I won't repeat them.

Personal note: on a boat dive near Quadra Island (BC) the skipper, who had 30 years of experience, hit a sea lion (or seal - not sure which). No one had any warning prior to the collision as the animal was not on the surface. The animal was unmoving and surrounded by blood, gore, and seagulls by the time we turned around. I have two general comments to make:

1. I never want to hear that sound again (a sickening change of pitch from the engine); and
2. I don't want that sound to be me.

I always use an SMB.

[paddler3d]

SMB or sausages aren't typically covered in OW.

They are covered in Advanced Certs.

In SDI Deep Cert, part of the cert involves deploying your SMB at the end of your SS on dive 1 and that the beginning of your SS on dive 2.

I believe they are also part of the Drift Diving cert.

Now we just need to teach boaters what they are. A few weeks ago in Bimini we were doing a drift dive also the shelf. We had a BIG SMB deployed and attached to our dive reel. Our boat experienced problems and wasn't close enough to our SMB. A twin screw boat ran over our SMB. Fortunately we were at 120' and the SMB was fine.

There are a lot of stupid people out there in the world.

[boulderjohn]

Although what you read here is so far is correct, a lot of people will carry the sausage without any kind of line attached to it. They are NOT then Delayed Surface Marker Buoys as described by Roturner. In that case, they are more emergency devices that you would use after you surface and decide for some reason it is needed. That would usually be in that case of being separated from your boat and wanting to be seen more easily.

This may seem obvious, but if you decide to inflate one without a line during your safety stop, that will be the end of your safety stop. (I know someone who did that.)

If you want to use it as described above using a reel or finger spool, you should practice the skill before needing to use it. It isn't as easy as it looks.

[paddler3d]

This may seem obvious, but if you decide to inflate one without a line during your safety stop, that will be the end of your safety stop. (I know someone who did that.)

Really?

I guess that doesn't surprise me. We had a student last weekend put the tank on the BC facing the wrong way and then couldn't figure out why when her reg was hooked up and the tank was on it leaked.

[boulderjohn]

Really?

Really.

The diver was just starting the safety stop and decided to inflate the sausage so it would be ready to go as soon as he hit the surface. That happened about 3 seconds later.

Sometimes you just don't think things through.

That person was extremely embarrassed, because he was a very experienced and skilled diver whose brain apparently went out of commission briefly. He was just doing something he thought was routine and forgot that the lack of a line called for a different strategy than that which is normally used.