Deploying/reeling an smb upside down

[rab1412000]

hello everyone.

i recently went on a dive aand after i deployed it and did my ss i reeled it in upside down (my tank facing the bottom). it seems to me that doin it this way prevents tangles less and gives me a better view of the surface.
i dont usually deploy it like this but i felt it was a good way of doing it. was wondering what you people thought....

thanks

 

[dschonbrun]

so, on your back vs on your belly?....

Not sure it makes much difference. When I fill the bag, I'm vertical... when using it as a deco platform, I'm either vertical, or horizontal on my stomach. Never had a problem.

 

[rockjock3]

Don't know why you would. I deploy mine while horizontal. I turn on my side just before I release it to look above to ensure I am clear then turn back face down and release it. If you are trimmed and weighted for horizontal face down diving then I would think you would want to stay horizontal face down.

 

[rab1412000]

well i lie on my back because to me it causes less tangles and i can have a clear view of the surface.
i used to do it horizontal and turn before but sometimes it would get tangled with my camera setup thats attached to my bcd. by lying on my back i can see my camera cord and the spool line better and can keep it apart.
just wondering if there is a reason NOT to deploy it this way...

 

[TSandM]

If you have excellent buoyancy control on your back, I can't think of a reason why it would be unsafe or wrong to do that. It might make it a bit more difficult keep visual track of your team, though.

 

[HowardE]

well i lie on my back because to me it causes less tangles and i can have a clear view of the surface.
i used to do it horizontal and turn before but sometimes it would get tangled with my camera setup thats attached to my bcd. by lying on my back i can see my camera cord and the spool line better and can keep it apart.
just wondering if there is a reason NOT to deploy it this way...

If it works well... then there's no reason NOT to do it that way. Although some people may see it as "breaking trim"?

 

[rab1412000]

If you have excellent buoyancy control on your back, I can't think of a reason why it would be unsafe or wrong to do that. It might make it a bit more difficult keep visual track of your team, though.

yes i can keep my buoyancy that way. but you have a valid point there, although i can see them by turning my head.
but i feel that the risk of entanglement with my camera-strobe setup which is positively buoyant is a far greater danger. i got entangled once while deploying/reeling on the horizontal and i dont want that to happen again.
i guess i have to practice it more to make sure if its a really effective way of deploying my smb

 

[rab1412000]

If it works well... then there's no reason NOT to do it that way. Although some people may see it as "breaking trim"?

good point howard, although i do try to keep horizontal while facing up, i know i tuck in my knees very slightly for bouyancy reasons. im not sure if breaking my trim is a big deal while at a safety stop. what do you think?

 

[HowardE]

good point howard, although i do try to keep horizontal while facing up, i know i tuck in my knees very slightly for bouyancy reasons. im not sure if breaking my trim is a big deal while at a safety stop. what do you think?

What do I think? I think if you're maintaining your buoyancy at the depth that you need to stop at; then you're doing well. To me; trim is not the #1 most important thing when stopping at a prescribed depth, rather maintaining the stop depth IS the most important. If you can do that in the supine position, then go for it.

Some other thoughts for your camera though. I don't know how heavy it is... but mine has some weight to it, so I sometimes attach a regular safety sausage to my camera rig, so it can hover near me, but I don't have to hold it. A regular safety sausage (signal tube) usually has about #30 of lift.

Other people I know attach a longer tether to their camera rig, so it hangs about 3 feet below them, so it stays out of the way on ascent.

 

[rab1412000]

What do I think? I think if you're maintaining your buoyancy at the depth that you need to stop at; then you're doing well. To me; trim is not the #1 most important thing when stopping at a prescribed depth, rather maintaining the stop depth IS the most important. If you can do that in the supine position, then go for it.

Some other thoughts for your camera though. I don't know how heavy it is... but mine has some weight to it, so I sometimes attach a regular safety sausage to my camera rig, so it can hover near me, but I don't have to hold it. A regular safety sausage (signal tube) usually has about #30 of lift.

Other people I know attach a longer tether to their camera rig, so it hangs about 3 feet below them, so it stays out of the way on ascent.

well i like my camera slightly positively buoyant so it (hopefully) floats to the surface in case it gets loose. also i like it floating above me when i need to use both my hands for other stuff, prevents the camera from banging into a rock or coral. this slight buoyancy has never affected my shooting. i use a snappy coil that extends to around two feet but i keep it clipped when deploying my smb bec it tends to float up, sometimes v near to my smb.
having the camera on its own smb sounds like a good idea, but here in the philippines where we dive open water, and sometimes with currents and waves, the thing could just float too out of reach.
but thanks for the advice, much appreciated.