SMB / Safety sausage deployment at depth

[farsidefan1]

Sting, I wanted to thank you for pointing out that in current the 15 foot mark should obviously be ignored but the system isn't letting me thank you, Score one anyway, thanks.

 

[PSFlyer]

Few comments though about the video link cited in this thread: 1. Look up before you deploy... You definitely need to know what is above you before you sent this thing flying. 2. Using your reg to inflate seems appropriate in this video, as it looks that the person is doing it in a warm water environment. However, you may think before using this technique in very cold water environment where reg freeze is a good possibility. I trust my MK17 with my life but... I hate free flows especially if I caused them Happy practice everyone.

 

[TSandM]

Geoff W, it's not that precise. If you're deep, you put less gas in. Practice will give you an idea of how much you have to put in to have the bag full at the surface. Whatever technique you use to fill it (I use breath) you figure out through trial and error how it works.

 

[String]

Filling a bag is one thing, filling the bag without it changing your buoyancy AND making sure it has enough gas in to be full on the surface is the key to the skill.

(unless you've got one of those completely useless 3ft or narrow things you can fill with 1 breath but you cant even see from 100ft away in a quarry!)

 

[Wookie]

Yeah because they can't walk and chew gum at the same time. This isn't penetrating the Doria, it's blowing up a balloon attached to a fishing reel. You make it sound like a surgical procedure which it obviously isn't.

I shouldn't feed the troll. You obviously have no clue how more advanced diving techniques are performed. I thought I knew everything when I was a new diver too. 200 dives under your belt should be enough to teach you that when you don't know something, you should shut up and listen instead of trying to give advice, but hey, maybe you are really smarter than the rest of us who actually do this on a regular basis.

Shooting a bag is one of the most dangerous operations that can be done, especially from depth, especially with a deco obligation. There are many techniques that can make it safer, and you can be taught those techniques by someone who knows them. An internet troll can teach you nothing, adds nothing to the conversation, and is dangerous because they are too stupid to know what they don't know.

To the OP. Many here have given you good advice. Many of them have some knowledge of the operation, get a mentor, take a class, ask someone to help you. Assuming an operation is easy just because it doesn't seem too hard to someone who hasn't done it is a great way to get hurt.

To EmptyTank. I'm sure you are knowledgeable about something. Go find a forum about that thing and pontificate to your heart's content. Your advice about which you admittedly know nothing is unwelcome, and dangerous.

 

[EmptyTank]

Hey Capt, this is isnt brain surgery, it's common sense and not stepping on your own d*ck when performing a task. It doesn't take a scientist to keep your fingers out of the reel, or tangle the line in your gear. There are things far more dangerous than blowing up a balloon. I don't claim to know everything, but I know that shooting a bag isnt that hard. I just did it this morning at the local shop pool.

 

[PfcAJ]

I have never needed to shoot a bag so to speak. Why do people have so much trouble? It looks like a walking and chewing gum at the same time skill. I am not meaning to be glib so save the flames for someone else.

Hey Capt, this is isnt brain surgery, it's common sense and not stepping on your own d*ck when performing a task. It doesn't take a scientist to keep your fingers out of the reel, or tangle the line in your gear. There are things far more dangerous than blowing up a balloon. I don't claim to know everything, but I know that shooting a bag isnt that hard. I just did it this morning at the local shop pool.

Good to see you sharing your vast experience regarding SMB deployment with the members of ScubaBoard...oh wait...

 

[EmptyTank]

I was thinking about doing a live aboard this summer, I'll have to make sure it isn't on your boat Frank.

 

[Wookie]

Hey Capt, this is isnt brain surgery, it's common sense and not stepping on your own d*ck when performing a task. It doesn't take a scientist to keep your fingers out of the reel, or tangle the line in your gear. There are things far more dangerous than blowing up a balloon. I don't claim to know everything, but I know that shooting a bag isnt that hard. I just did it this morning at the local shop pool.

Congrats, and that's a great first step. Here's what I most often see when I see an empty bag coming to the surface without a diver.

1. Fouled reel. When some line is stripped off the reel in preparation for shooting the bag, a loop gets caught in the reel frame, around the thumb screw, or the diver is using a Manta reel (which I use), and don't hold the handle tight enough.

2. Gloves with a finger spool. The finger spool is unwinding so fast it gets caught on the divers finger or gloves, or the diver shoves their finger too far in the center hole.

3. Shooting the bag in too high of current/wind/seas. The bag wants to move faster than the diver and literally drags the diver to the surface, or shallower than the diver wants to be, until the diver lets go of the bag.

Additional issues include the diver not being heavy enough to stand the SMB up. When you have a SMB at the surface, it needs to stand up. A floppy weenie doesn't do anyone any good.

Not enough air in the bag. See note above.

The whole idea of shooting a bag is to get yourself NOTICED, either by the boat you want to come to you, or the boat you don't. I've shot bags hundreds of times, and I don't get it right every time. The worst feeling in the world for a captain is to not know where his divers are. SMB deployment is a critical part of being found.

 

[Wookie]

I was thinking about doing a live aboard this summer, I'll have to make sure it isn't on your boat Frank.

Edit. Deleted my comment as it added nothing constructive to the conversation. And was overly harsh.