As divers, we have to carry a range of smaller equipment like SMBs, reels and spools, decompression tables, notes and a raft of other bits and bobs in order to conduct the dive successfully and safely. On this page, you’ll find Surface marker buoys, reels and spools, notebooks and stage cylider hardware.
The use of SMBs on open water dives is almost compulsory, certainly in the UK. They make it easy for the boat to monitor our position, and track us through our ascent. There are a range of options for the SMBs, both in terms of size and method of inflation.
Sizes range from 1m through to 1.8m. The small 1m bag is small and neat and packs to a tiny volume. Its use is only recommended in the calmest of seas, as a significant swell would make it very difficult to spot. The 1.3m or the 1.8m SMBs are preferred in larger seas.
The low pressure inflate SMBs are inflated by connecting a drysuit inflator to a non-locking connector on the SMB, and simply pressing the hose to inflate the bag. These are much easier to use than they sound! They are closed circuit, so will not spill gas on the surface. An overpressure valve prevents the bag from being over-inflated. These are available in 1, 1.3 and 1.8m sizes.
The oral inflate SMBs have a small valve attached which allow the bag to be inflated by blowing into the tube. They are very simple and easy to use. However, they do not incorporate an overpressure valve, so great care should be exercised if inflating them from depth not to ut too much gas into them. These are only available in the 1m size.
Don’t forget that for an extra £10 you can get a Divesigns SOLAS name label fitted to your DSMB. Well worth it!
It doesn’t matter if you’re a wreck diver, scenic diver or a cave diver. The use of line is important to lead us back to the exit, mark our position to the surface, or to connect one guideline to another in a cave. We can choose either reels or spools, and the application generally dictates which choice to make.
In caves, we tend to use large primary reels to run line into the cave, tie it off regularly, and essentially allow us to exit the cave in zero visibility by following the line. The ability to deploy the line smoothly, and also to retrieve it if necessary it important, so reels tend to be preferred here. Spools are used to jump from one permanently installed line to another. A side passage in a cave, off the main cave conduit, would be a good example of this.
For sending up SMBs,we prefer to use a spool, around 40m long. This is small to carry, and is very easy to deploy. Also, it is virtually impossible to jam. Reel jams while setting off SMBs are frequent causes of rapid ascent incidents, so the simpler we can make this process, the better. Obviously, if we need to set an SMB off from deeper than around 30m, then the use of a larger primary reel can be considered.
Many divers already know the advantage of carrying a slate, for those moments when hand signals are just not enough. Expanding this concept to carrying a whole notebook brings a new dimension to written communication underwater. You can write down conversations, invaluable when complex decisions need to be made, instructions if teaching, survey information, decompression schedules, in fact, anything you’d use a piece of paper for on the surface.
The notebooks come with a plastic pencil which will not split on immersion, like normal wooden pencils. A clear window allows frequently used information like decompression tables to be viewed quickly. They come in a tough Cordura wallet, with 50 pages of plastic paper which can be refilled when full. They slide neatly into a suit pocket, and are a very nice piece of equipment to have.
Stage kits always seem like a lot of money for a couple of boltsnaps and some string. Break it all down, though, and when you add in the aggravation of finding decent quality stainless jubilee clips, and it does start to seem an easier option to just buy the kit. However, in order to try and add a little more value, Wreck and Cave have got together with our friends at Divesigns.com and if you order any stage kit, we will throw in your name label for free (up to 3 letters). Don’t forget that the kits already come with your choice of 21 or OXYGEN 6 labels, , so your name label completes the marking system. With a choice of of 7L, 40 cu ft, or 80 cu ft cylinder sizes, thats got to be a good deal less hassle than making your own.
To show you how good these divesigns labels are, I’ve taken a few pictures of the ones that I use. I’ve done this in normal light, in normal light with a flash, and in the dark with dive lights illuminating the label so you can see how well they show up. I used a halogen scout, an LED scout and an 18W HID light for the last three pictures.
