SMB recommendation and newbie thoughts.

[Splitlip]

My needs and experiences as well. I usually have the the 3ft Halcyon with me as well. (it is 6lbs.)

I was following an instructor and his student up once. I expected him to shoot his marker, but his student started having problems. I pulled out my big Halcyon at about 50 ft and prepared to send it it when the student bolted. Instructor took off to deal with it and I went to help. (I would not have shot the marker with them above me anyway.)

In any event, somewhere around safety stop depth he got her settled down. It was a holiday weekend and lots of people on the water. (we dive where there are more fishing boats than dive boats.) Rather than switch to my small marker, I launched my big one from ~ 20ft. I ended up with about 30 inches of a 6 inch diameter marker at the surface. It was better, I'm sure, than 36 inches of a ~3inch diameter marker.

 

[TSandM]

For cold water, I really like the oral inflate nozzle of the Halcyon bags. The large, metal flange around it makes it much easier to seal cold, numb lips than any of the smaller, smooth inflator nozzles on other bags I have tried.

As stated, you really don't need a weight on the bottom, because all you have to do is render yourself very slightly negative, and your own weight keeps the bag upright at the surface.

 

[Splitlip]

Another nice thing about the Halcyon nozzle; nothing to push, pinch or depress when inflating.

 

[Saltybeer]

I'm going to replace my AP Valves SMB - I find it really hard to get air into the self sealing pocket at the base, normally resulting in total SMB cock up...

A.P.Valves

Am I alone with this? I know its all about technique and practice, but it just seems too hard.. I'm using with a Custom Diver reel, which seems pretty good when I get the wind tension right..

Custom Divers 125m Ratchet Reel | Reels and Buoys,Reels | Simply Scuba UK

Any recommndations for one with a wider open style base that will be easy to get air in? I'll happily sacrifice the possibility of air loss/sag at surface for a clean launch!

 

[ScubaVideo]

I chose the seeker from Custom Divers. Reflective tape on SMB's is not the same as radar reflective. This one does have radar reflective ability:

The SEEKER radar conductive shape is positioned inside the top part of the inflatable buoy and is welded to the inside walls of the buoy

 

[DevonDiver]

AP Valves, Custom Divers or Halcyon all have models that mostly fit your core requirements.

You can add the lead yourself, but keeping some negative buoyancy on the line is how most divers do it.

 

[Blue Sparkle]

In this respect, is there an SMB that has:
8. yellow or orange with radar reflecting tape

Just a note in that I think there may be some confusion between retro-reflecting tape and a RADAR reflector.

Retro-reflective tape is the whitish-silverish tape you often see on foul-weather gear, buoys, etc. It is designed so that when someone else shines light on it, that light is reflected back toward the shiner. I'm guessing that's what fuzzybabybunny is looking for here.

A RADAR reflector is often found on boats - especially smaller sailboats - and gives you more metal surface area to show up on anther boat's RADAR screen - as if you were a larger boat/better RADAR target. It's often something with a lot of metal faces arranged geometrically, and you hoist it in the rigging (or mount it permanently fairly high on your mast). I see that the last poster's SMB apparently has a small RADAR reflector inside - that's interesting, and I would like to see how well that works from the perspective of a vessel's RADAR screen, since it's fairly low in the water.

Blue Sparkle

 

[DevonDiver]

If Radar Reflection is a big issue for you (high risk of drifting/high risk of boat traffic) then there are other options:

I've heard ancedotal stories about divers in the UK, who tie a CD to the top of their DSMB, so that it can be seen by radar. I don't know how effective this is, but there is some logic to it.

Otherwise, you can buy a purpose built inflatable radar reflector, that can be deployed on the surface when you need it....

Echomax Inflatable Radar Reflector

Inflatable Radar Reflector SUR0115

 

[lowviz]

.............I'm with Rongoodman, the Halcyon SMB is probably the best on the market and the 6' Super Big Diver's Alert Marker (14.030.050) closed circuit what all my NE Wreck divers use.

Halcyon Surface Marker Buoy's 14.002 *Buy Halcyon at DIVESEEKERS.com 888-SCUBA-47

XS Scuba has a nice one too. http://www.xsscuba.com/tubes_liftbags_surfacemarker.html I like this one, it is a moose. Go for no spill and reflective tape. You can fully inflate no-spills on the surface and hold them above the waves.

DON'T be sending up that Danforth you just found on one of these. Good way to get kicked off the boat. Use a second lift bag 50 to 100# with your initials on one side and "OK" on the other. Use big letters...