I am a vacation diver with 110 dives under my belt. Always trying to learn. I just came back from an amazing trip in the Maldives where we did a lot of hook diving and some incredibly strong currents (was told by the more experienced divers that the currents were unusually strong and "like Komodo"). Of course every day is different but the diving in the Maldives was surprisingly challenging (I had picked the Maldives because I was bringing my recently certified girlfriend). Anyway was a very good learning experience but I struggled with one thing.
Anyway, the SMB provided were the same open ended types that dive guides typically employ (research calls this a DSMB?). I was sent up early a few times as my buddy ran low on air. This led to the realization that I am not good at deploying DSMBs. It would not stay afloat when I deployed at depth - a skill I am lacking. (I typically dive with a safety sausage I own that you manually blow into and it stays closed). It was important to deploy at depth due to boat traffic on some sites.
But I am trying to improve and am wondering for those future bucket list trips to Cocos / etc. what should I be using? I read on another thread here an sausage + reel should be totally fine for "when you need it". That is you can manually inflate the sausage under water with 4 breaths, and send it up with the reel. Can someone confirm this is practical? Or should I be investing in a DSMB and practicing with it? Any recommendations or thoughts from more experienced divers?
Is the "trick" to the DSMB keeping some tension in the line so it stays afloat instead of just falling down? That could have been my problem as I did not have a reel...and I did not have that problem when the divemaster gave me her reel on another dive when I was taking up the less experienced divers of the group.
Either way, I plan on practicing on my next trip whichever I decide based on some advice I read here.
Anyway, the SMB provided were the same open ended types that dive guides typically employ (research calls this a DSMB?). I was sent up early a few times as my buddy ran low on air. This led to the realization that I am not good at deploying DSMBs. It would not stay afloat when I deployed at depth - a skill I am lacking. (I typically dive with a safety sausage I own that you manually blow into and it stays closed). It was important to deploy at depth due to boat traffic on some sites.
But I am trying to improve and am wondering for those future bucket list trips to Cocos / etc. what should I be using? I read on another thread here an sausage + reel should be totally fine for "when you need it". That is you can manually inflate the sausage under water with 4 breaths, and send it up with the reel. Can someone confirm this is practical? Or should I be investing in a DSMB and practicing with it? Any recommendations or thoughts from more experienced divers?
Is the "trick" to the DSMB keeping some tension in the line so it stays afloat instead of just falling down? That could have been my problem as I did not have a reel...and I did not have that problem when the divemaster gave me her reel on another dive when I was taking up the less experienced divers of the group.
Either way, I plan on practicing on my next trip whichever I decide based on some advice I read here.