Safety sausage tips

[anni]

Kevin

I'm in Australia right now but am Irish and will be heading home in November. I usually dive at various locations on the west coast - Clare, Connemara, Sligo. Haven't done any in Kerry yet!

I remember the last dives I did at Kilkee in Co. Clare, it was kind of rough and the rib just flew around everywhere picking up divers - in hindsight I think the reel might be a good idea because

- with the rib so mobile I think there's more chance of being run over than with charter dive boats in tropical places that are moored
- rough seas make diver bubbles harder to spot
- sometimes it's dull and rainy and very hard to spot divers on the surface

>>and it very rarely gets tangled jut remeber ot them the spool as the smb s going up so you can stop an over run.<<

sorry I don't quite get what you mean.

What about folding it all up again, does it get in the way when you're trying to heave yourself back onto the rib?

 

[JimC]

I would never shoot a bag/ss from depth attached to a reel. Sure they don't jam often, but a cheaper spool works just aswell and will not jam.

 

[tinman]

I'm amazed that anyone would surface without an overhead marker when water craft are about. I guess my head has softened with age and I'm more concerned about protecting what brain cells still work.

I carry a sausage that takes less then a full breath to fill which I've attached to a spring clip (it's clipped inside a BC pocket for quick deployment below or on top with chop - I don't like having anything loose in my pockets, i.e. easier to release a spring clip than to find it has been washed away). I always carry a reel attached to a lift bag - both on bungee, butt mounted (great ideas from one of my favourite LDSs). In retrospect, my next sausage will include a clear slot for a strobe for emergency and night dive use and a top ring to attach a slate for surface communications.

The lift bag takes more effort to deploy but is white and has a dive flag on it. The white colour is important in my waters as boaters know white means "thar be a rock over thar - my props in danger"; if they happen to be a literate or sober boat driver, they might notice the dive flag so I'm covered.

Deploying either at depth does take practice and caution with a reel. Benefits to practicing in the mud/sand: you can have your buddy close by, both of you negative B, buddy with snipes or knife deployed to assist in release if you get tangled and start shooting with your bag, plus a few feet in depth change at 50-60 feet isn't a problem, at your safety stop it could be a different story. Plus it's more fun - ever shot rockets off as a kid?

Lift bag in waters with water craft (watch out for those stealth boats! canoes, sailboards, surf boards) ; sausage for other times coming up. More gear to haul, Ok so I'm a boy scout, sue me. I'm not called the Tinman for nothing...

 

[Cheaper]

Hi Guys

The point is with the launching of a marker buoy is you must attach it to something either a reel or long line, you can have 2 types one with a valve in it and one with an open end, either way you put just enough air in to them to get them moving, if you use a reel just put your thumb on the reel as the marker is going up, to stop it having an overun when the Marker hits the surface...

You do not need to tie off to anything on the bottom or any other such daft ideas, just send it up, in the unlikly event it does Jamb just let it go..

Kevin

 

[Lawman]

Going to Coz next month. Never done any drift diving. Does everyone use a sausage or is it just for emergencies? Don't want to appear TOO stupid waving the thing around if it isn't necessary!

 

[redacted]

I think it is the model 255. It's not cheap but it seems to work well. 6 feet long, duck bill filler, dump valve, 50 lb lift. I use an old plastic fishing line spool that holds about 100ft of 1/32 inch line (around 100 lb test). I epoxied about 5 oz of lead weight in the center of the spool to keep it negative. the last 30 ft of the line is knotted every 10 ft and I use a cotter pin thru the spool at the 30 ft point to limit line deployment. I usually deploy it from 30 ft (a good excuse for a short stop at that depth) and then roll it back up as I go. I actually needed to use it my last trip to Coz when the DM lost his to a line break and high wind. Glad I practiced first. I actually managed to have it all rolled up and back in my pocket before I had to climb the ladder.

At first I regretted not getting the Carter version which also includes and oral inflation valve for surface use. But it looks like this rig will scoop air on the surface an be OK if it didn't fill tightly enough in the trip to the surface. I havn't convinced myself that those $40.00 delrin spools are pretty enough that I can't live without one.

 

[Cheaper]

Hi
Personaly i would use a dsmb or sausage as that way the boat drivers Know where you are, and of course if you have ever tried to launch one while drifting it is fun to say the least...

Kevin

 

[Dectek]

I think deployment is easy on a drift dive. Once I get above 30 feet I unclip the signal tube and blow about half a breath into it and let the spool or reel spin. The current will keep any slack out of the line while you ascend. Once you reel in and stop at your safety you do not have to keep an eye on your depth guage/computer....just feel the slight bob of the signal tube on the surface as it stands up and leans over with the waves.


Lawman: Some DMs down there welcome the use of safety sausages and use them on a 3" reel while others some frown at you when they see them. If it makes you feel better having it and you feel your comfort level can handle shooting a bag...by all means take one with you. Or you could just keep one in your pocket for use only on the surface if you drift far from the group and boat. The only way you would look stupid is if you were trying to ride the thing on the surface like one of those ski boat bananas.

 

[greg somers]

All this time I've been diving with a BBQ'd weiner on a rope. No wonder they can't find me!!!!!
Sheesh!!!!
Gasman