DSS 1M SMB Comments

**neilh** · August 21st, 2006, 03:17 PM

Having spent the week up in Scapa trying my new DSS 1M SMB in anger I thought I'd put a quick post up about my experience.

All in all I have to say I love it

We had arranged in advance that we (Moz and I) would be coming up together and would put up a main SMB with a smaller one on the same line to let the skipper know there were two of us there (and that it was the DIR boys!)

The conditions in the flow were ideal for it, so it was also nice and visible on it's own.

It folds up nice and small to go in the pocket - loverly. However my one gripe would be that instead of the d-ring a boltsnap with a big enough "loop" for a double ender to pass through would be more useful. I ended up attaching a double-ender to the bungee so I could clip it off in the pocket and then clip it off to the line to send it up.

Inflating it was no bother at all - and the lack of bouyancy change makes it nice and relaxed to deploy. We would clip the small bag to the line with a double-ender and then inflate and release. The double-ender plus length of inflator mean the line wasn't too close, which was nice. It doesn't take much to get enough air into it for it to be solid on the surface.

Once on the boat it's quick and easy to fold up and stick back in the pocket. I'm not sure whether it's advisable or not, but I found that whilst rolling it up I could poke the nipple of my suit inflation valve in the end of the tube on the bag to release the air.

Finally we also discovered that it's possible to clip the bag off to the crotch d-ring and relax hands-free, lying back a little. Not sure whether the photos of this will make it onto here, but it was fun

A great SMB that I'll be taking everywhere with me

Howard Payne · August 21st, 2006, 03:25 PM

I've got one too Neil and I agree there are some great features to it. The size and position of the dump valve so it folds flat and you can drain the water out of the bottom and the ability to change the bungee loop plus the tapering to reduce air needed to fill are all really cool. I really don't think it's big / tall enough tho' in anything but flat calm. Bigger size please Phill / Tobin?

TobinGeorge · August 21st, 2006, 03:32 PM

Quote: (Originally Posted by Howard Payne)

I've got one too Neil and I agree there are some great features to it. The size and position of the dump valve so it folds flat and you can drain the water out of the bottom and the ability to change the bungee loop plus the tapering to reduce air needed to fill are all really cool. I really don't think it's big / tall enough tho' in anything but flat calm. Bigger size please Phill / Tobin?

Howard,

Thanks for the kind words. The problem with "bigger" is that you will loose some of the benefits of the current design.

Bigger means more volume quickly, potentially making pure oral inflate impratical.

More volume might overwhelm the OPV, insufficient flow, testing continues

Tobin

Howard Payne · August 21st, 2006, 04:10 PM

Even a conventional dump valve at the bottom is better than existing solutions - it makes it so much easier to drain water out. The taper is a great idea too because it means you're not having to fill it with un-necessary gas to gain height. A conventional "Halcyon" style inflator so that you could use your suit inflate on a bigger design would be fine. You clearly put a lot of thought in to your products fella

*Clare* · August 21st, 2006, 05:02 PM

Thanks for that Niel. Sure it will be helpful for people looking to buy a DSMB.

Quote: (Originally Posted by neilh)

Finally we also discovered that it's possible to clip the bag off to the crotch d-ring and relax hands-free, lying back a little. Not sure whether the photos of this will make it onto here, but it was fun

Sure it was fun but be very wary of ever clipping yourself to a bag. Twice I've had a boat drift over my SMB line and take it up - you don't want to have that happen if you will be dragged up with it.

Rob Dobson · August 21st, 2006, 05:13 PM

Someone was using one of these on our boat last week and I have to agree with Howard: they are too small for anything other than a backup. At worst we had only mild or moderate swell last week and still the skipper missed our three 4.5' Halcyon blobs - one of these on their own? No chance.

**GLOC** · August 21st, 2006, 05:58 PM

Quote: (Originally Posted by Clare Gledhill)

Sure it was fun but be very wary of ever clipping yourself to a bag. Twice I've had a boat drift over my SMB line and take it up - you don't want to have that happen if you will be dragged up with it.

They were being purile and lying on their backs with the SMBs pointing upwards

vid · August 21st, 2006, 06:34 PM

Quote: (Originally Posted by Rob Dobson)

one of these on their own? No chance.

seems to be general agreement - use one of these with the main blob, when a skipper wants one bag per diver

Quote: (Originally Posted by Rob Dobson)

At worst we had only mild or moderate swell last week and still the skipper missed our three 4.5' Halcyon blobs

how "moderate" was moderate if the skipper missed 3 "big alert markers"?

4.5' is just about the standard/common length in the uk - ap valves / aquion / aquatec etc etc

i'm off to scapa this week - hope the swell is less, but just in case should i take one of these?

Moz · August 21st, 2006, 07:21 PM

Quote: (Originally Posted by Clare Gledhill)

Sure it was fun but be very wary of ever clipping yourself to a bag. Twice I've had a boat drift over my SMB line and take it up - you don't want to have that happen if you will be dragged up with it.

It was on the surface whilst waiting to be picked up, Clare

Childish? You bet!

I do get your poin't as ironically my blob WAS run over on one of the dives, a spool emptying from 15m means its time to say bye bye

Moz

August 21st, 2006, 03:25 PM	#2 (permalink)
Howard Payne(Offline) The Voices And The Becks Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: London Posts: 2,024	I've got one too Neil and I agree there are some great features to it. The size and position of the dump valve so it folds flat and you can drain the water out of the bottom and the ability to change the bungee loop plus the tapering to reduce air needed to fill are all really cool. I really don't think it's big / tall enough tho' in anything but flat calm. Bigger size please Phill / Tobin? __________________ Eastbourne Sub-Aqua Club 0513 Nitrox & Trimix, Club Boat, Plenty of Good Value Diving, Regular Club Trips & Holidays, Rec & Tech Training, GUE / Hogarthian Friendly Come Try Us!

August 21st, 2006, 03:32 PM	#3 (permalink)
TobinGeorge (Online) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Southern California Posts: 694	Quote: (Originally Posted by Howard Payne) I've got one too Neil and I agree there are some great features to it. The size and position of the dump valve so it folds flat and you can drain the water out of the bottom and the ability to change the bungee loop plus the tapering to reduce air needed to fill are all really cool. I really don't think it's big / tall enough tho' in anything but flat calm. Bigger size please Phill / Tobin? Howard, Thanks for the kind words. The problem with "bigger" is that you will loose some of the benefits of the current design. Bigger means more volume quickly, potentially making pure oral inflate impratical. More volume might overwhelm the OPV, insufficient flow, testing continues Tobin __________________ http://www.deepseasupply.com

August 21st, 2006, 04:10 PM	#4 (permalink)
Howard Payne(Offline) The Voices And The Becks Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: London Posts: 2,024	Even a conventional dump valve at the bottom is better than existing solutions - it makes it so much easier to drain water out. The taper is a great idea too because it means you're not having to fill it with un-necessary gas to gain height. A conventional "Halcyon" style inflator so that you could use your suit inflate on a bigger design would be fine. You clearly put a lot of thought in to your products fella __________________ Eastbourne Sub-Aqua Club 0513 Nitrox & Trimix, Club Boat, Plenty of Good Value Diving, Regular Club Trips & Holidays, Rec & Tech Training, GUE / Hogarthian Friendly Come Try Us!

August 21st, 2006, 05:02 PM	#5 (permalink)
Clare(Offline) GUE Instructor Site Admin Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: UK Posts: 1,930	Thanks for that Niel. Sure it will be helpful for people looking to buy a DSMB. Quote: (Originally Posted by neilh) Finally we also discovered that it's possible to clip the bag off to the crotch d-ring and relax hands-free, lying back a little. Not sure whether the photos of this will make it onto here, but it was fun Sure it was fun but be very wary of ever clipping yourself to a bag. Twice I've had a boat drift over my SMB line and take it up - you don't want to have that happen if you will be dragged up with it. __________________ Clare . "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions....Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too can become great." Interested in DIR dive training? Always happy to chat/answer questions so get in touch via PM or visit www.dirdiver.co.uk

August 21st, 2006, 05:58 PM	#7 (permalink)
GLOC(Offline) Moderator and aka Mavis Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Malmesbury, Wilts Posts: 2,772	Quote: (Originally Posted by Clare Gledhill) Sure it was fun but be very wary of ever clipping yourself to a bag. Twice I've had a boat drift over my SMB line and take it up - you don't want to have that happen if you will be dragged up with it. They were being purile and lying on their backs with the SMBs pointing upwards __________________ Gareth Images of Life Photography DIR Team Foxturd Travels Underwater and Further Afar “Set your expectations high; find men and women whose integrity and values you respect; get their agreement on a course of action; and give them your ultimate trust.” “It is far better to be trusted and respected that it is to be liked.”

August 21st, 2006, 03:17 PM	#1 (permalink)
neilh(Offline) Wreck Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Barnsley, UK Posts: 2,667	Having spent the week up in Scapa trying my new DSS 1M SMB in anger I thought I'd put a quick post up about my experience. All in all I have to say I love it We had arranged in advance that we (Moz and I) would be coming up together and would put up a main SMB with a smaller one on the same line to let the skipper know there were two of us there (and that it was the DIR boys!) The conditions in the flow were ideal for it, so it was also nice and visible on it's own. It folds up nice and small to go in the pocket - loverly. However my one gripe would be that instead of the d-ring a boltsnap with a big enough "loop" for a double ender to pass through would be more useful. I ended up attaching a double-ender to the bungee so I could clip it off in the pocket and then clip it off to the line to send it up. Inflating it was no bother at all - and the lack of bouyancy change makes it nice and relaxed to deploy. We would clip the small bag to the line with a double-ender and then inflate and release. The double-ender plus length of inflator mean the line wasn't too close, which was nice. It doesn't take much to get enough air into it for it to be solid on the surface. Once on the boat it's quick and easy to fold up and stick back in the pocket. I'm not sure whether it's advisable or not, but I found that whilst rolling it up I could poke the nipple of my suit inflation valve in the end of the tube on the bag to release the air. Finally we also discovered that it's possible to clip the bag off to the crotch d-ring and relax hands-free, lying back a little. Not sure whether the photos of this will make it onto here, but it was fun A great SMB that I'll be taking everywhere with me

August 21st, 2006, 05:13 PM	#6 (permalink)
Rob Dobson(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Oxford Posts: 690	Someone was using one of these on our boat last week and I have to agree with Howard: they are too small for anything other than a backup. At worst we had only mild or moderate swell last week and still the skipper missed our three 4.5' Halcyon blobs - one of these on their own? No chance.

August 21st, 2006, 06:34 PM	#8 (permalink)
vid(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: london/surrey border, UK Posts: 356	Quote: (Originally Posted by Rob Dobson) one of these on their own? No chance. seems to be general agreement - use one of these with the main blob, when a skipper wants one bag per diver Quote: (Originally Posted by Rob Dobson) At worst we had only mild or moderate swell last week and still the skipper missed our three 4.5' Halcyon blobs how "moderate" was moderate if the skipper missed 3 "big alert markers"? 4.5' is just about the standard/common length in the uk - ap valves / aquion / aquatec etc etc i'm off to scapa this week - hope the swell is less, but just in case should i take one of these?

August 21st, 2006, 07:21 PM	#9 (permalink)
Moz(Offline) New Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Gateshead Posts: 211	Quote: (Originally Posted by Clare Gledhill) Sure it was fun but be very wary of ever clipping yourself to a bag. Twice I've had a boat drift over my SMB line and take it up - you don't want to have that happen if you will be dragged up with it. It was on the surface whilst waiting to be picked up, Clare Childish? You bet! I do get your poin't as ironically my blob WAS run over on one of the dives, a spool emptying from 15m means its time to say bye bye Moz