OMS SMB Deployment

[skipperbrown]

I just purchased an OMS SMB, the type with the seal so it won't deflate if it falls over. I'm looking at it on my desk and the seal looks so tight that I'm wondering if you purge your reg beneath the bag, if the gas will simply blow by the seal.

Inflating it by manually blowing it up like a balloon doesn't seem practical.

Can someone who has one of these bags clue me in?

 

[CrateCookie]

I just purchased an OMS SMB, the type with the seal so it won't deflate if it falls over. I'm looking at it on my desk and the seal looks so tight that I'm wondering if you purge your reg beneath the bag, if the gas will simply blow by the seal.

Inflating it by manually blowing it up like a balloon doesn't seem practical.

Can someone who has one of these bags clue me in?

If you decide to fill it at the surface, you'll want to fill it with the opening below the surface. You can put the octo inside the bottom and wrap the bottom of the opening around the hose if need be. I do something similar with my shop compressor when I blow it up to dry. I agree the "Balloon Method" is rough, hence the shop compressor filling it at home.
Personally, I shoot mine at depth (with reel) and follow the line up. Just remember to put a puff of air in it before actually filling it. That holds it up and gives the real "blast" a place to go once it clears the bottleneck.

 

[skipperbrown]

So at depth, if you just wrap the fabric around the octo and lightly purge, the gas will find its way into the chamber, just like an open bag?

Thanks,
Mark

 

[CrateCookie]

So at depth, if you just wrap the fabric around the octo and lightly purge, the gas will find its way into the chamber, just like an open bag?

Thanks,
Mark

You only have to stick the octo inside the bottom and "blast away" if you have it standing up.

The initial puff to get the bag to stand is about a second long or less. Once the bag is standing, I give it a full, constant blast from the purge until I feel it lifting me. Then, I let it go and watch it to the surface. One hand is holding the reel (which is attached to the loop); the other is holding the octopus inside the "chamber". If the bag is standing from the initial puff, the rest of the air blows right by the flap into the bag. Our instructors had us do it in Stress and Rescue. The important part to remember is that you need to be ready to ditch the reel (let go) if it tries to take you for a rocket ride. The other part to remember is that you only have to get the bag half full at 33' for it to be totally full at the surface (Boyle's Law).