There are different etiquettes in different parts of the world. In truth the majority don't really know or care.
Based in the UK, i generally follow the UK etiquette. Most of the rules come from the technical end of the spectrum rather than the sports diver end. Most importantly, even if you are following the general rules, it means nothing if the boat and your fellow divers don't know what you are doing.
Red (in the UK) is the general use DSMB, deployed on ascent. In the UK the vast majority of UK divers will deploy a DSMB prior or during ascent, unless they are ascending a shot line. It is considered one of the basic skills.
Yellow is general assumed to indicate a problem.
My Yellow is set to be clipped to an existing DSMB line, so it runs up the line. This is generally assumed to be Out Of Gas, although mine has a series of tear off slates if I want to be more specific.
When I was doing more technical diving, the boat would come in drop a loop over the DSMB's and then drop a cylinder on its own buoy through the centre, with deco gas.
The other point to remember is how easy they are to see in both bright and poor light. Red is generally assumed to be easier to see if you are low down - i.e. in a boat looking for a diver. Yellow is easier to see if you are high up looking down, i.e a helicopter search.
This is based on some tests done a few years ago by the RNLI and coastguard in the UK.
Gareth
Based in the UK, i generally follow the UK etiquette. Most of the rules come from the technical end of the spectrum rather than the sports diver end. Most importantly, even if you are following the general rules, it means nothing if the boat and your fellow divers don't know what you are doing.
Red (in the UK) is the general use DSMB, deployed on ascent. In the UK the vast majority of UK divers will deploy a DSMB prior or during ascent, unless they are ascending a shot line. It is considered one of the basic skills.
Yellow is general assumed to indicate a problem.
My Yellow is set to be clipped to an existing DSMB line, so it runs up the line. This is generally assumed to be Out Of Gas, although mine has a series of tear off slates if I want to be more specific.
When I was doing more technical diving, the boat would come in drop a loop over the DSMB's and then drop a cylinder on its own buoy through the centre, with deco gas.
The other point to remember is how easy they are to see in both bright and poor light. Red is generally assumed to be easier to see if you are low down - i.e. in a boat looking for a diver. Yellow is easier to see if you are high up looking down, i.e a helicopter search.
This is based on some tests done a few years ago by the RNLI and coastguard in the UK.
Gareth
Kinda like Back flotation and Integrated weights - "in the old days" everyone was moving away from back flotation. Integrated weights were available but not many people used them.
