SMB spool length recommendations

[Dogbowl]

Exactly. I'm willing to bet that divers who do a variety of kinds of diving own a variety of spools (and maybe even SMBs in more than one length). If you're doing wrecks or otherwise deep dives, take a larger spool, or a reel. If you're being led around by a DM in Cozumel on the sites dive ops take the average diver to, you may rarely need to shoot an SMB at all, and if you do, you could almost always ascend to 20 feet and shoot it there without being swept away from the boat. (At worst, another boat finds you--you will not end up out at sea.) If you're doing advanced sites in Cozumel--something I haven't done--then take a larger spool. The average vacation diver doesn't know how or doesn't feel confident shooting an SMB, and the dive ops are well aware of that. The last liveaboard I took recommended divers carry an SMB with 20-30 feet of line attached. I have also seen leashes advertised that I assume are similarly intended to be deployed at safety stop depth. It's great that we on SB are among those who find shooting an SMB from significant depth to be an important skill, but I would try to keep in mind that it's not really expected or necessary for the vast majority of "vacation diving." I don't use the term "vacation diving" in a disparaging way--it's mostly what I do, because I really love it. I summary, I think a "small" spool with 100 feet of line should cover most of us vacation divers in the most likely scenarios.

I noticed Light Monkey has a "mini" spool with 25 feet of line. That could be just the ticket for some of the lazy vacation diving I do. Cozumel--I might want more than that due to the likelihood of current. Just sayin'.

@uncfnp , what op are you diving with that you find yourself shooting an SMB so often? I don't think I have ever seen another diver shoot an SMB in Coz, though many of us carry them just in case, and of course there are people on SB who will tell you they have "needed" to shoot one in Coz on average every so-many dives. If you're doing it just for practice, with an op that is okay with that, then I suppose that makes sense. I have been under the impression that most ops would rather divers not deploy SMBs because it could become confusing.

I'm just gonna stick with the 100 feet spool that I already got. I suspect it will be ok. If not, I'll just get a bigger one later. I always try to make the correct choice initially, but I've learned that I'm picky and I won't know what I will like until I actually try it in action.

In reality, I will only be doing warm water vacation diving in the foreseeable future, either in the Caribbean or Southeast Asia, land-based or liveaboard. I know that I won't be using it on a regular basis, but it's a good skill to have, and a skill needs to be practiced. I have shot an SMB at depth (30 feet) a grand total of 1 time in Cozumel, and that was only because I told my DM/instructor I wanted to learn to shoot it. I got to do it once, and my husband got to do it once. I wish we had done it several times, but it was not to be. While my next liveaboard trip will not require shooting an SMB (it has a hang bar and little boat traffic), I will notify the DM and captain that we intend to shoot ours after every dive as practice.

I also dive with 3Ps in Cozumel but my husband always insists on hiring a private DM, so it's not like we'll ever need to shoot our own SMB unless we get separated from him. But if we do get separated, we'll be ready!

 

[RyanT]

Shooting a bag is not that hard, but like everything, a little practice goes a long way. Obviously two of the easiest things to go wrong in a bag shoot is to get tangled up in the line or to shoot the bag into some else or the boat. Here's an easy way to avoid both of those things. When you prepare to deploy it, go a little more than vertical. In fact, take the position in the water column, like you are sitting in an easy chair (slightly reclined back). This position makes it easy to see what's around you, especially above. Then, as you begin inflating your bag, this position also helps to keep the bag and line out in front of you where the likelihood of entanglement is minimized.

 

[RyanT]

And just as an additional example of line length, I recently deployed my SMB from the HydroAtlantic. I left the deck at around 140' and just ascended to about 110' where I shot my bag. I've done the same thing on deeper wrecks as well. I just don't see the need for a bigger spool.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Reading some of the posts it would seem that there is a suggestion that diving with a "larger" spool is some how burdensome. I would contend that the difference between a spool with 25 feet of line is not much different than a spool with 150 feet of line. . . .

Have you measured and weighed them? My larger spool with 150 feet of line is about an inch wider than my small spool with (I think) 60 or 80 feet of line, and it's definitely more difficult for me to get my fingers around and takes up more room in my pocket. That is, when I have a nice large pocket--like on my drysuit. The large spool barely fits in the zippered bellows pocket I have on my harness when I'm doing wetsuit diving. When I choose to just clip it to a D-ring, it's a bulky thing to have hanging there all the time, considering it rarely gets used on the kind of relatively benign dives I do. The larger spool/line also weighs more in airline luggage, where every bit of weight counts.

Speaking generally for dive equipment, I aim to bring the lightest, most compact, streamlined tool that will do the job at hand. Of course, we can't foresee every eventuality, so it makes sense to on the side of too large rather than too small. But the less likely I think I am to need the tool, the more I would like it to be unobtrusive until needed. <sigh>

 

[StefinSB]

I'm just gonna stick with the 100 feet spool that I already got. I suspect it will be ok. If not, I'll just get a bigger one later. I always try to make the correct choice initially, but I've learned that I'm picky and I won't know what I will like until I actually try it in action.

In reality, I will only be doing warm water vacation diving in the foreseeable future, either in the Caribbean or Southeast Asia, land-based or liveaboard. I know that I won't be using it on a regular basis, but it's a good skill to have, and a skill needs to be practiced. I have shot an SMB at depth (30 feet) a grand total of 1 time in Cozumel, and that was only because I told my DM/instructor I wanted to learn to shoot it. I got to do it once, and my husband got to do it once. I wish we had done it several times, but it was not to be. While my next liveaboard trip will not require shooting an SMB (it has a hang bar and little boat traffic), I will notify the DM and captain that we intend to shoot ours after every dive as practice.

I also dive with 3Ps in Cozumel but my husband always insists on hiring a private DM, so it's not like we'll ever need to shoot our own SMB unless we get separated from him. But if we do get separated, we'll be ready!

But that’s a great opportunity to practice. Just let your private guide know upfront that you want to deploy the smb. That way everybody involved is on the same plan.

 

[BertStevens]

II also dive with 3Ps in Cozumel but my husband always insists on hiring a private DM, so it's not like we'll ever need to shoot our own SMB unless we get separated from him. But if we do get separated, we'll be ready!

On my 1 trip to Cozumel, it was mentioned by a frequent visitor, that there had been a number of divers hit by boats over the years. I’d prefer to not get hit, so I started sending mine up every dive. No one complained or seemed to think it odd.

In fact nothing was said at all except the day my wife went out as an observer. The captain pointed my SMB out to her to show her where I was ascending.

 

[Diving Dubai]

Have you measured and weighed them? My larger spool with 150 feet of line is about an inch wider than my small spool with (I think) 60 or 80 feet of line, and it's definitely more difficult for me to get my fingers around and takes up more room in my pocket. That is, when I have a nice large pocket--like on my drysuit. The large spool barely fits in the zippered bellows pocket I have on my harness when I'm doing wetsuit diving. When I choose to just clip it to a D-ring, it's a bulky thing to have hanging there all the time, considering it rarely gets used on the kind of relatively benign dives I do. The larger spool/line also weighs more in airline luggage, where every bit of weight counts.

Speaking generally for dive equipment, I aim to bring the lightest, most compact, streamlined tool that will do the job at hand. Of course, we can't foresee every eventuality, so it makes sense to on the side of too large rather than too small. But the less likely I think I am to need the tool, the more I would like it to be unobtrusive until needed. <sigh>

I personally carry the Apex large aluminium spools. Mine is the blue 45m (147’) version, and it fits easily into my dry suit pockets ans is equally ok clipped onto my harness

I like the wide flangeswhich make it easy to grip and wind in line, there’s also a to of space on the reel if you want to add more line (the apex line is a special flat line). The last 5m of mine is a different colour to mark the SS if for some reason I’m not looking at my computer.

I agree with you about bulk, but I find the Apex the perfect size for dsmb use.

I have fully emptied the reel when launching at only 8-10m in a stiff current

I often carry line laying reels, but would never use them for a dsmb - except if I had no other choice