SMBs

[Joshua Smith]

Well, since it's been a topic of much discussion lately- thought I'd start a new thread on them. I'm a huge fan of the AP valves self inflator:

http://www.apvalves.com/uk/products/smb/smbci/

As a rebreather diver, I love not having to grab a reg off one of my bailout bottles to inflate, but you CAN still inflate these that way, if the bottle isn't charged. As an added bonus, it will fully deploy even when you shoot from 3 feet underwater- or if you bring it out on the surface, to signal a boat or something. But several of my OC buddies love these as well. They're fun to shoot!

[Grateful Diver]

I once saw someone swimming around down by the I-beams with one of those ... inflated. It was clipped off to his butt D-ring, and he didn't even realize it was "loaded" ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[Marc]

I like the KISS principle of dive gear. I am afraid that I would roll the valve on AP at a bad time.

Halcyon's bag works for me. Fits in a pocket pretty easily, inflates pretty well. Simple.

[Joshua Smith]

I once saw someone swimming around down by the I-beams with one of those ... inflated. It was clipped off to his butt D-ring, and he didn't even realize it was "loaded" ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Good lord. I'm not sure how much lift they generate, but he must have been seriously overweighted! And given how they stow away, I don't really know HOW you could roll the valve open. I have had mine for over 2 years now- maybe 150 dives with it, and no "accidents".

[Marc]

If it can possibly be F'd up or broken, I can do it.

[Nwbrewer]

I have 2, I have the DSS one, and one that's a little bigger that's a DIY. The DIY one is a little taller, and a lot wider at the top then the DSS one, but both of them work well.

[Joshua Smith]

I like the KISS principle of dive gear. I am afraid that I would roll the valve on AP at a bad time.

Halcyon's bag works for me. Fits in a pocket pretty easily, inflates pretty well. Simple.

Normally, I fall into the same camp. I was suspicious of these for a while, but I'm totally sold now. Next time we dive, I'll hand it to you in the shallows- you should try shooting it once, it's kind of a hoot.

[Sounder]

I tested the AP Valves one in my pocket. If it's accidentally "blown" while rolled up in a pocket or secured (tightly) with a strap, it will purge all the gas from the purge valve and won't inflate... er, "shouldn't."

That said, I sold mine and have gone back to a DSS small one for my pocket and a Halcyon large one for bigger dives.

I like the HOG "Quick-shot" inflator from a deco bottle a lot too for the larger bags. For the small 3' DSS bag, one breath is more than enough.

[Marc]

I like the KISS principle of dive gear. I am afraid that I would roll the valve on AP at a bad time.

Halcyon's bag works for me. Fits in a pocket pretty easily, inflates pretty well. Simple.

Normally, I fall into the same camp. I was suspicious of these for a while, but I'm totally sold now. Next time we dive, I'll hand it to you in the shallows- you should try shooting it once, it's kind of a hoot.

I shoot no bags shallower than 90fsw.

[Marc]

I like the HOG "Quick-shot" inflator from a deco bottle a lot too for the larger bags. For the small 3' DSS bag, one breath is more than enough.

I have heard you talk in the parking lot before a dive... are you sure you need a whole breath?

[Agent 47]

I fell in love with the Halcion bags during my last class, the ones with the LP hose inflator nipple. As A rebreather diver I cant stand deploying a reg and hoping to catch some of the bubbles from the second stage in the opening of my bag. just feels like wasting gas ( something I have become verry averse to doing ) I am able to pull it out of my pocket and deploy it in a few seconds by poping the LP hose from my bailout into it and watch it fly. so a big +1 to Halcion

[Sounder]

I like the HOG "Quick-shot" inflator from a deco bottle a lot too for the larger bags. For the small 3' DSS bag, one breath is more than enough.

I have heard you talk in the parking lot before a dive... are you sure you need a whole breath?

Well played.

[Marc]

Couldn't resist. Sorry to jack the thread.

[spatman]

i used the DSS for a while, and never liked it. the Halcyon bag is far easier to deploy.

[ljjames]

At some point i'll ask permission from the victim if i can post a short clip of 'why you don't wanna inflate an SMB with your LP inflator whip".

Seriously folks (and at times i've been known to dive a CCR as well) the amount of gas it takes to start an SMB up is minimal, and if you are not shooting it from 3' beneath the surface, i'm pretty confident it will be rather full by the time it gets there.

The nice thing about shooting your SMB in a controlled fashion (breath controlled) is that you have time. You have time to make sure its not wrapped around things, your bolt snap is clipped off, your buddy (or instructor) is not above you, that every system is "GO" before launch. I honestly believe its a safer method. what i mean by this is that you and your SMB are essentially neutral or ever so slightly positive that is fully fin-able against when you take a breath before sending it up.

I love the halcyon SMB's, they are simply awesome. (I thought this even before i was a Blue H fan-girl)

that said, I will never really enjoy trying to make my cold numb lips work with the inflator nipple and i always worry for a second that my clumsy cold hands will cause me to chip a tooth, but i've learned if i use the side of my mouth it seems to work better. it was amazing how much easier it was without numb lips when i shot an SMB in MAUI the trade off for control is well worth it though.

[ktb]

that said, I will never really enjoy trying to make my cold numb lips work with the inflator nipple and i always worry for a second that my clumsy cold hands will cause me to chip a tooth, but i've learned if i use the side of my mouth it seems to work better. it was amazing how much easier it was without numb lips when i shot an SMB in MAUI the trade off for control is well worth it though.

That was my expereince when I borrowed bdub's in class--I kept thinking I was chipping my front teeth. (And one of my front teeth is a full cap thanks to chipping it in junior high.)

So is there a small, 3-4 foot SMB that DOESN'T have a metal inflator?

[lamont]

At some point i'll ask permission from the victim if i can post a short clip of 'why you don't wanna inflate an SMB with your LP inflator whip".

Permission Denied.

If you use the LP inflator nipple sooner or later either the bag goes up without you, or the bag drags you to the surface.

It is not something to do on a dive where it matters.

CCR or not, I wouldn't do it. Find a better way.

[spatman]

So is there a small, 3-4 foot SMB that DOESN'T have a metal inflator?

the DSS is plastic.

[Joshua Smith]

Find a better way.

AP valves makes a pretty cool self inflator......

[Agent 47]

At some point i'll ask permission from the victim if i can post a short clip of 'why you don't wanna inflate an SMB with your LP inflator whip".

Permission Denied.

If you use the LP inflator nipple sooner or later either the bag goes up without you, or the bag drags you to the surface.

It is not something to do on a dive where it matters.

CCR or not, I wouldn't do it. Find a better way.

PLease elaborate, I cant see how this could happen a short burst from my spare LP hose beats the hell out of closing my DSV and trying to deploy a bag with half a breath of air and hoping to be able to go back on the loop, clear my dsv and then somehow re-establish loop volume all wile my SMB is screeming line from between my fingers. I find it much safer to simply pop a squirt of air into it from a LP hose and keep breathing normally while my bag goes up. I see nothing that would likely go wrong with this and a whole slew of things that can go wrong if I try blowing it manually.

[spatman]

what about those quickshot inflators? they seem pretty popular.

[Mattleycrue76]

At some point i'll ask permission from the victim if i can post a short clip of 'why you don't wanna inflate an SMB with your LP inflator whip".

Permission Denied.

If you use the LP inflator nipple sooner or later either the bag goes up without you, or the bag drags you to the surface.

It is not something to do on a dive where it matters.

CCR or not, I wouldn't do it. Find a better way.

PLease elaborate, I cant see how this could happen a short burst from my spare LP hose beats the hell out of closing my DSV and trying to deploy a bag with half a breath of air and hoping to be able to go back on the loop, clear my dsv and then somehow re-establish loop volume all wile my SMB is screeming line from between my fingers. I find it much safer to simply pop a squirt of air into it from a LP hose and keep breathing normally while my bag goes up. I see nothing that would likely go wrong with this and a whole slew of things that can go wrong if I try blowing it manually.

Not really sure about the mechanics of a CCR but I'm curious about this as well

[Grateful Diver]

I once saw someone swimming around down by the I-beams with one of those ... inflated. It was clipped off to his butt D-ring, and he didn't even realize it was "loaded" ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Good lord. I'm not sure how much lift they generate, but he must have been seriously overweighted! And given how they stow away, I don't really know HOW you could roll the valve open. I have had mine for over 2 years now- maybe 150 dives with it, and no "accidents".

... if I told you who it was, you wouldn't even be surprised ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[whatevah]

My surface marker is a Carter Personal Float (the 35lb model). I've used it as a lift bag, a marker float when I find something during a search, and of course as a SMB. It has been through a lot and is still holding up great - really happy with it. They're bulkier and perhaps more complicated to deploy than some but I think that's the price to pay for something multi-purpose.

[guitarmaker]

Part 2 of the SMB question (at least in my mind) is whats your favorite reel to use with an smb? After reading the Original, original post - I went and bought a simple thumb spool to start out with.

Good discussion - Thanx!