Who makes SMB's with small air cylinders?

[RedSeaDiver2]

Besides the AP Diving SMB with inflation cylinder AP Self-sealing SMB Marker Buoy with Inflation Cylinder - does anyone else know of any manufacturers of similar DSMB's with inflation cylinder?

 

[Wibble]

Kent Tooling sell a "crack bottle" SMB.

Personally I much prefer their CO2 cartridge inflated SMBs. Lighter and very easy to deploy. Main challenge with crack bottles is finding an open circuit diver to use their gas to fill them! (Don’t have spare gas on a rebreather)

DSMBs & SMBs from Kent Tooling Diving Products

www.divingproducts.co.uk

 

[Wibble]

CO2 cartridge SMB on Kent Tooling reel

 

[RedSeaDiver2]

Kent Tooling sell a "crack bottle" SMB.

Personally I much prefer their CO2 cartridge inflated SMBs. Lighter and very easy to deploy. Main challenge with crack bottles is finding an open circuit diver to use their gas to fill them! (Don’t have spare gas on a rebreather)

DSMBs & SMBs from Kent Tooling Diving Products

www.divingproducts.co.uk

Cheers Wibble - they do look the goods! With the version with 2x CO2 cartridges do you let one cartridge off and then hold it partly inflated while letting the second cartridge go or ?

 

[Wibble]

With the version with 2x CO2 cartridges do you let one cartridge off and then hold it partly inflated while letting the second cartridge go or ?

They make a single cartridge version, but it's a bit skinny IMHO. The double 16gm cartridge version is great; a big stiff bag, nobody wants a flaccid one!

I unclip the reel which has the SMB attached using bungee. Undo the bungee and the second bungee loop keeping the SMB rolled up. Flick out the SMB and make sure it's away from me, then pull one of the CO2 firing toggles.

At 30m or deeper, the gas from one cartridge isn't too great to pull on you -- even on a CCR I can easily hold the buoyancy. I then do another look around check: above and in the direction of the current (don't want to float into the wreck!). Then make sure I've got the reel properly held, ensure any spare line's wound back, put my thumb on the reel release button (not pressing down), then tug on the second CO2 cartridge firing toggle.

I press my thumb down on the reel release and it flies upwards. I occasionally lift my thumb to check the rapidly rising bag's progress. As it nears the surface and is becoming fully inflated, it really pulls!

Once it stops rotating, it's on the surface. Then wind in any slack and start the ascent.

The good thing about a large spool is a single rotation winds in about a foot/30cm, so you're winding at a comfortable pace -- compared with a little spool where you're like Road Runner spinning your reel handle!

Periodically need to dump from the wing. Not a big issue and the line can be quickly reeled in.

The reel and SMB clip to the RHS and lay on top of my (sidemounted) deco bailout if carried. It seems happy there

Pic on a lovely little wreck this weekend -- WW1 and only 70m long, but amazing amount of life on it. Loads of penetration action.

 

[RedSeaDiver2]

They make a single cartridge version, but it's a bit skinny IMHO. The double 16gm cartridge version is great; a big stiff bag, nobody wants a flaccid one!

I unclip the reel which has the SMB attached using bungee. Undo the bungee and the second bungee loop keeping the SMB rolled up. Flick out the SMB and make sure it's away from me, then pull one of the CO2 firing toggles.

At 30m or deeper, the gas from one cartridge isn't too great to pull on you -- even on a CCR I can easily hold the buoyancy. I then do another look around check: above and in the direction of the current (don't want to float into the wreck!). Then make sure I've got the reel properly held, ensure any spare line's wound back, put my thumb on the reel release button (not pressing down), then tug on the second CO2 cartridge firing toggle.

I press my thumb down on the reel release and it flies upwards. I occasionally lift my thumb to check the rapidly rising bag's progress. As it nears the surface and is becoming fully inflated, it really pulls!

Once it stops rotating, it's on the surface. Then wind in any slack and start the ascent.

The good thing about a large spool is a single rotation winds in about a foot/30cm, so you're winding at a comfortable pace -- compared with a little spool where you're like Road Runner spinning your reel handle!

Periodically need to dump from the wing. Not a big issue and the line can be quickly reeled in.

The reel and SMB clip to the RHS and lay on top of my (sidemounted) deco bailout if carried. It seems happy there

Pic on a lovely little wreck this weekend -- WW1 and only 70m long, but amazing amount of life on it. Loads of penetration action.
View attachment 787896

Many thanks for the comprehensive guide on how to make it all work! That definitely seems like a better option than the crack bottle - and the CO2 cartridges don't need to be hydro'd annually!

 

[Wibble]

I buy the CO2 cartridges by the 100, so it's about £$€1 a blow (i.e. £50 for 100).

One rule: never roll up the SMB with used cartridges!

Maintenance: occasionally squeeze a 'pea' of silicone grease into the firing mechanisms.

 

[RedSeaDiver2]

I buy the CO2 cartridges by the 100, so it's about £$€1 a blow (i.e. £50 for 100).

One rule: never roll up the SMB with used cartridges!

Maintenance: occasionally squeeze a 'pea' of silicone grease into the firing mechanisms.

They are pretty cheap on ebay, it seems that bicycle shops sell them x lots.

Is the never roll up with used so that you remember to put new ones on?

OK that sounds like pretty simple maintenance!

 

[Wibble]

Is the never roll up with used so that you remember to put new ones on?

Yes! If I forgot to throw spares in the dive bag, then I'll not roll up the SMB, just stuff it in the bag for later.

Must remember to bung in spares for the four day French trip we've got in a couple of weeks. Travelling all the way across the water to that foreign land of strange but lovely foods and great wine... Always wondered why even the French don't eat seagulls -- they must really taste bad!

 

[RedSeaDiver2]

Yes! If I forgot to throw spares in the dive bag, then I'll not roll up the SMB, just stuff it in the bag for later.

Must remember to bung in spares for the four day French trip we've got in a couple of weeks. Travelling all the way across the water to that foreign land of strange but lovely foods and great wine... Always wondered why even the French don't eat seagulls -- they must really taste bad!

Haven't dived Fancois - have fun!