What # lift size you carry

[black1]

Was wondering what pound size lift bag you all carry, not talking about a SMB but a lift bag in case wing failure or strong current and need to use Lift bag to get to surface (climbing not as a shot to the surface), a #50 seems a little small in choppy conditions doesn't it, I also want the boat to be ables to see it as well, does a 150lb store as easy as a 50lb ? thanks all.

 

[riverdiver]

I carry 2 -100lbs, but I use them to send objects to the surface, 50lbs. will fit in your bc pockets 100 lbs will go but you will have a hard time getting them out in a hurry. Lift bag's general come in sizes 50 lb- 100lb-250lb-500lb.-1000lb.-2000lb.4000lb.-6000lb and up I have seen the 80lb. but never 150 lb.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I always carry a diverite 50. If I think I'll need them I have 2 subsalve "commercial" bags -50 and 100.

 

[Jim Baldwin]

Was wondering what pound size lift bag you all carry, not talking about a SMB but a lift bag in case wing failure or strong current and need to use Lift bag to get to surface (climbing not as a shot to the surface), a #50 seems a little small in choppy conditions doesn't it, I also want the boat to be ables to see it as well, does a 150lb store as easy as a 50lb ? thanks all.

I keep a 100 lb. lift bag rolled up and tucked in bungies under the bottom of backplate. Completely out of the way and plenty big enough to be seen from a distance by a dive boat.

 

[fppf]

100 here also on the bottom of the plate

 

[rockjock3]

What kind of weight are you carrying? If you are weighted properly you shouldn't be more than 4-6 lbs negative at the beginning of a dive (single 80s with wetsuit or about 8lbs if carrying double 80s). If you can't swim up 4-8 lbs then maybe you shouldn't be diving in the first place. If you are diving steel singles or doubles then you very well might be diving a drysuit and wing so you if you have a failure of both those flotation devices your are more than in a world of hurt with/without a an additional lift bag. I don't dive steels so I don't know the numbers, but still would think that even with single or double steels you shouldn't ever be more than maybe 6-12 lbs negative even when starting a dive. Again, not very much to swim up at all.

As for the boat to see, you don't carry a lift bag for the boat to see, you carry an smb. Lift bags are not very tall so they don't serve as good for visibility as an SMB. Shore diving and recreational diving I carry a 3.3 ft halcyon which has about 6lbs lift (plenty to help me up with a full load of air (which I can dump) or weights that I can dump as well. For blue water dives when we are doing drift or especially deep technical drifts or other deep dives then I carry the Halcyon 6ft SMB which has 52lbs lift and is very visible. I have had 5 divers hanging on it while waiting for the boat to come pick us up after a drift dive and it wasn't even 3/4 full.

 

[DevonDiver]

Carrying a lift bag, is common practice amongst the tech community, as it serves 2 purposes, whereas a DSMB serves only 1.

The choice to carry a dedicated DSMB, as extra or to replace the lift bag, is determined primarily by the surface conditions (waves, current, drift etc).

 

[rockjock3]

Carrying a lift bag, is common practice amongst the tech community, as it serves 2 purposes, whereas a DSMB serves only 1.

The choice to carry a dedicated DSMB, as extra or to replace the lift bag, is determined primarily by the surface conditions (waves, current, drift etc).

Wow. I thought I was part of the tech community and the common practice here does not involve carrying a lift bag. Perhaps it is for the tech community in your areas, but not simply in the tech community.

So, can somebody answer my curiosity? If you are weighted properly and diving safely (i.e. two wings, drysuit/wing, etc if carrying lots of equipment for some reason that would cause you to be severely overweighted) what would be the purpose of carrying a lift bag over a SMB seeing as a good 6ft smb can be seen much further than a 2-3 foot tall lift bag?

 

[DevonDiver]

Lifting things?

Lots of virgin wrecks in Asia :-D

Also, a lift bag tends to be designed so that you can dump air on ascent. This makes it suitable for use as an alternative bouyancy source in the event that your bladder fails. In contrast, a DSMB tends to have the dump valve on the bottom of the tube, meaning it is very hard to dump air appropriately on ascent.

Obviously this is most useful to divers who are diving wet (not drysuit) and who opt for single bladder wing.

From the DSAT course equipment requirements...
• Inflatable signal tube
• Reel
• Lift bag (bright yellow preferred)

 

[rockjock3]

Lifting things?

Lots of virgin wrecks in Asia :-D

Also, a lift bag tends to be designed so that you can dump air on ascent. This makes it suitable for use as an alternative bouyancy source in the event that your bladder fails. In contrast, a DSMB tends to have the dump valve on the bottom of the tube, meaning it is very hard to dump air appropriately on ascent.

Obviously this is most useful to divers who are diving wet (not drysuit) and who opt for single bladder wing.

From the DSAT course equipment requirements...
• Inflatable signal tube
• Reel
• Lift bag (bright yellow preferred)

Still, no answer. As for dump valve. I can easily turn my smb over and the dump valve is at the top.

Again, if you are diving properly weighted then what is the issue with either dumping the extra weight ans swimming up or simply swimming up with 6-12lbs negative that you would have at the worst case scenario (abort due to bouyancy failure at the beginning of dive with lots of air left)?

DSAT isn't anywhere near the standard. There are NAUI, GUE, IANTD, TDI which have much larger following I believe. I could be wrong on that though.