miketsp
Contributor
I've been carrying an SMB now for quite a few years and have used it on many occasions with no problems. Recently my wife asked me to get an identical model for her and this weekend we decided to let her try it out.
This is the type with a simple plastic tube and a restriction near the end where you fill it.
Anyway, at the end of the first dive she unrolled it and tried to get some air into it - without any success. So I confidently asked her to let me try. 10 mins later I was still trying. :depressed: We couldn't separate the two sides of the opening - the flaps were cut with perfect alignment and in the water the material was slippery. Even when I took my gloves off I couldn't do it.
The solution was simple when we got back on the boat - with a pair of scissors I cut a couple of serrations on each side of the flap in a way that they don't align. Now even with gloves the flaps open easily and immediately.
When I looked at my similar SMB the two flaps are cut irregularly and don't align so I never had a problem. Even so I decided to "improve" the misalignment.
Moral - never count on even the simplest looking piece of equipment until you've actually tested it.
This is the type with a simple plastic tube and a restriction near the end where you fill it.
Anyway, at the end of the first dive she unrolled it and tried to get some air into it - without any success. So I confidently asked her to let me try. 10 mins later I was still trying. :depressed: We couldn't separate the two sides of the opening - the flaps were cut with perfect alignment and in the water the material was slippery. Even when I took my gloves off I couldn't do it.
The solution was simple when we got back on the boat - with a pair of scissors I cut a couple of serrations on each side of the flap in a way that they don't align. Now even with gloves the flaps open easily and immediately.
When I looked at my similar SMB the two flaps are cut irregularly and don't align so I never had a problem. Even so I decided to "improve" the misalignment.
Moral - never count on even the simplest looking piece of equipment until you've actually tested it.
