SMB bag pouch

[black1]

Hi Tobin, does DSS have any smb pouch that can be zip tied to the bottom of my backplate, I prefer it this way so if not do you know of any smb carrying pouch brands that fit those 2 holes on the bottom of my large SS plate? diverite has a stretchy little bag for the smb/lift bag, do you have any idea if it fits down there, looks like the holes may match up but i have to bring it to my lds i suppose to check, just curious, thanks for all the great products.

 

[cool_hardware52]

Hi Tobin, does DSS have any smb pouch that can be zip tied to the bottom of my backplate, I prefer it this way so if not do you know of any smb carrying pouch brands that fit those 2 holes on the bottom of my large SS plate? diverite has a stretchy little bag for the smb/lift bag, do you have any idea if it fits down there, looks like the holes may match up but i have to bring it to my lds i suppose to check, just curious, thanks for all the great products.

We do not offer any pouches or sleeves etc. for mounting any inflatables on the bottom edge of a back plate.

Pouches and sleeves look like a good solution, but if you are practicing you will quickly find that it is nearly impossible to replace the inflatable in either in the water

Small inflatables like smb's can be clipped off to the "butt ring" or carried in a pocket and larger lift bags can be rolled up and bungeed to the bottom of the plate with ~$2 worth of bungee cord.

Tobin

 

[black1]

Thanks Tobin.

 

[StreetDoctor]

Listen to Tobin, I purchased the same pouch from dive rite and it sucked. I lost my SMB in it TWICE. The first time was with the standard velcro it came with, the second time was after I added heavy duty 3M velcro. Both times I checked the pouch predive and it was secure. If I didn't have a pocket to clip it in it'd be pre-attached to a spool and clipped off on my butt D-ring.

 

[peterbj7]

it'd be pre-attached to a spool and clipped off on my butt D-ring.

Pretty well the way I carry mine, most of the time. Though I lost one recently when a DM handled my gear rather clumsily after a night dive. Reel and DSMB gone.

I would rather just use a couple of loops of bungee than a pouch anyway.

 

[fdog]

Oddly, for years I have used the Dive-Rite (and lately, the XS Scuba version) for my yellow "stupid below" lift bag. And never experienced a loss or even close call. Easy to deploy, if folded correctly, too.

Of course, if I have to deploy a lift bag, stowing it afterwards is the least of my concerns.

It's worked so well I have such a pouch on every plate I own. ...Oof, that's four!

As for SMB's, I stow mine in the left pocket. I use it about every third dive; fast access and stow. All the other stuff - wetnotes, spool, etc, are in the right pocket, where it's easy to get to as opposed to reaching over a stack of deco and stage bottles. I know it's not DIR, but then I never claimed to be....


All the best, James

 

[peterbj7]

You distinguish between an SMB and a lift bag. Good. Many people don't. But is your SMB a DSMB that you send up from depth, or merely something you inflate at the surface to wave at people?

Whether a DSMB or a liftbag, it's very rare for me to need to (or even to be able to) re-stow it under water. That usually happens on the boat on the way back.

I also rarely carry a liftbag here - I know there's nothing I want to raise. But a DSMB gets carried on every dive and used on virtually all of them.

 

[cool_hardware52]

SMB's and lift bags require a level of proficiency that only comes with practice.

This particularly true for the newer diver.

Although not mandatory it's useful to be able to restow both a SMB or lift bag in the water if one has a long surface swim and or challenging exit to make after a practice deployment or two.

Being able to jam a lift bag back into the bungee's just makes things a little neater.

Tobin

 

[peterbj7]

I agree about needing to know how to stow a DSMB or liftbag even though in most places I dive it's not likely to happen. It's hardly rocket science though. My liftbags are proper commercial liftbags and there's a LOT of material, so just getting it inside some bungees would be an achievement in the water. My DSMB makes for a good surface float and I never deflate it until I'm back on the boat.

Deployment is indeed a skill that has to be taught and learned. I generally start this right at beginner diver training, though I get many American divers who may have been certified years and have never seen or maybe heard of a DSMB. They have quite a steep learning curve! European divers are generally brought up with them and most visiting certiffied divers bring their own - and use them.

I learned how to deploy a DSMB the hard way, on an early drysuit dive in the English Channel. I allowed my buoyancy to run away with me and didn't keep the line taut. The result was a neatly trussed diver on the surface at least five minutes earlier than I should have been, followed by a (precautionary) visit to the chamber. In Britain we don't think twice about such emergency medical care as it's free, including the helicopter ride if you need one (I didn't).

 

[cool_hardware52]

I agree about needing to know how to stow a DSMB or liftbag even though in most places I dive it's not likely to happen. It's hardly rocket science though. My liftbags are proper commercial liftbags and there's a LOT of material, so just getting it inside some bungees would be an achievement in the water.

That's what teammates are for.

In Britain we don't think twice about such emergency medical care as it's free, including the helicopter ride if you need one (I didn't).

Very little in life is free, but many politicians have succeeded in getting the masses to believe otherwise....


Tobin