mikemill
Contributor
Anyone have any feedback on it? Looking to replace my current SMB that I can not curse enough.
Dss smb
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cool_hardware52
Contributor
I like what I've read about them well enough, that I'm getting
One for my wife. I'm sure that I'll eventually end up with two
Of them.
That's how it usually goes in our house with dive gear. ;-)
-Mitch
One for my wife. I'm sure that I'll eventually end up with two
Of them.
That's how it usually goes in our house with dive gear. ;-)
-Mitch
I've had one for a month and love it for general duty SMB use.
First off, it's well built, like all of Tobin's gear. Nice touches are the built in bungee, and the SOLAS tape on the top.
Particularly clever is the shape - this allows lung inflation with an easy half breath, at which point for me it's totally full. This allows you to shoot the bag while holding a stop to within inches, making you look like a model in a UTD training video. This is because your gas volume doesn't change (all you change is the gas location, in the lung vs in the SMB).
And, just the slightest tension on the line will stand the SMB up in the water, also a nice touch.
This has become my SMB of choice for general duty stuff, like setting up a line for blue water deco, or "here I am, I'm doing my stops" marker when fairly close to the boat.
My other SMB is one of the huge ones, 7' long. Those that have used these know their biggest problem: if you want them to be well filled (so they stand up out of the water quite high), you have to put a lot of gas into them. Despite my best efforts, this always gets me dragged up a couple of feet from my stop. Plus, you have to put quite a bit of tension on the spool to keep the SMB standing up.
Still, I will continue to carry my big SMB for a few select dives: where I might have a chance of being swept away, never to be recovered, and I really, really want to be seen. Think the Brothers Islands in the Red Sea - 70 km off shore with ripping currents. In this I'm willing to put up with the extra PITA of filling and tending the SMB.
However, for 90% of my diving, the Deep Sea Supply SMB has been perfect, and I love it.
All the best, James
First off, it's well built, like all of Tobin's gear. Nice touches are the built in bungee, and the SOLAS tape on the top.
Particularly clever is the shape - this allows lung inflation with an easy half breath, at which point for me it's totally full. This allows you to shoot the bag while holding a stop to within inches, making you look like a model in a UTD training video. This is because your gas volume doesn't change (all you change is the gas location, in the lung vs in the SMB).
And, just the slightest tension on the line will stand the SMB up in the water, also a nice touch.
This has become my SMB of choice for general duty stuff, like setting up a line for blue water deco, or "here I am, I'm doing my stops" marker when fairly close to the boat.
My other SMB is one of the huge ones, 7' long. Those that have used these know their biggest problem: if you want them to be well filled (so they stand up out of the water quite high), you have to put a lot of gas into them. Despite my best efforts, this always gets me dragged up a couple of feet from my stop. Plus, you have to put quite a bit of tension on the spool to keep the SMB standing up.
Still, I will continue to carry my big SMB for a few select dives: where I might have a chance of being swept away, never to be recovered, and I really, really want to be seen. Think the Brothers Islands in the Red Sea - 70 km off shore with ripping currents. In this I'm willing to put up with the extra PITA of filling and tending the SMB.
However, for 90% of my diving, the Deep Sea Supply SMB has been perfect, and I love it.
All the best, James
I like mine, it's compact once rolled and inflates really easily. Even when launched from 15ft it will arrive full at the surface. It's perfect to signal a boat you know is there.
I've never seen it from above, so I don't know if the narrow shape make it harder to see from a distance than other SMBs of the same size. Anyone has photos?
Like fdog, I still carry an additional gigantic SMB in rough seas/fog/current. That one is sized so the coast guards helicopter can see it
I've never seen it from above, so I don't know if the narrow shape make it harder to see from a distance than other SMBs of the same size. Anyone has photos?
Like fdog, I still carry an additional gigantic SMB in rough seas/fog/current. That one is sized so the coast guards helicopter can see it
BigBubbaJ
Contributor
I ordered one, then canceled it because they were out of stock. Bought a H brand 3 foot one from a local GUE shop because I needed one for UTD Tech classes. Found that in cold water, the H one sucks. Can't inflate with cold lips. Serious. got home from UTD training, and re-ordered the DSS one. I can mash it back against my rear molars and get my cold mouth shut against it and it inflates! The choice for cold water bag blowing IMHO is DSS. Not only that, but it looks much more manly as it inflates the most full of any 1 meter SMB I have tried It also has an OPV, which my H brand one doesn't have. +1 loving on the built in bungee. The DSS spool is also nice for dry glove use.
Considering that I own a TON of DSS gear(full singles and doubles rig, kydex and steel, weight plates, stage mounts, instrument mounts, tools, and and a nice hose attachment for cleaning ones BCD...) I don't know why I even bothered with the H brand one.
Cheers,
Justin
It also has an OPV, which my H brand one doesn't have. +1 loving on the built in bungee. The DSS spool is also nice for dry glove use.Considering that I own a TON of DSS gear(full singles and doubles rig, kydex and steel, weight plates, stage mounts, instrument mounts, tools, and and a nice hose attachment for cleaning ones BCD...) I don't know why I even bothered with the H brand one.
Cheers,
Justin
This is the DSS forum, so this may not be appropriate (and remove it, Tobin, if you like), but this statement doesn't make sense to me:
I've owned several Halcyon bags, and they all have had OPVs.
I've owned several Halcyon bags, and they all have had OPVs.
BigBubbaJ
Contributor
Ditto.
They have different models.
I have a red one with a mouth inflator and no OPV. Compared to the DSS bag, the inflation tube is a weird push/twist to lock affair. But it's nice and compact in the pocket (similar to the DSS one).
I also have a yellow one with a QD inflator and an OPV. They used a standard BC OPV, (very large for a 3ft bag) which means it is quite bulky when rolled. Also the inflation tube is not very comfortable for mouth use. And I'm not sure why would anyone use QD inflation on a 3ft SMB.
My dream small SMB would be: Halcyon shape (yes, the DSS small volume is nice, but I think I'd still pick the extra width/visibility), DSS OPV, DSS inflation tube, DSS reflective tape on top, and either Halcyon or DSS construction - both are solid.
I've used several different SMBs and my two favorites are the Halcyon one AND Tobin's DSS bag -- and I believe both have very strong points and no weak points (except for length when in need of the >3' bag).
We do have an old H bag that is a PITA to inflate and has no OPV -- but it is an OLD one that we got by mistake (we were on a live-a-board and our new H bag got swapped for an old one -- can't imagine how that happened).
They are both good bags and, at least in my experience, far superior to others out there.
We do have an old H bag that is a PITA to inflate and has no OPV -- but it is an OLD one that we got by mistake (we were on a live-a-board and our new H bag got swapped for an old one -- can't imagine how that happened).
They are both good bags and, at least in my experience, far superior to others out there.
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