Scuba Tech Tips: Surface Marker Buoys (SMB) – S02E14

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Know the difference between a SMB and a Delay SMB? Still diving in Palau, Alec explains both types of Surface Marker Buoy’s with a demonstration of how to deploy at depth. Enjoy his last Scuba Tech Tip filmed on the live-aboard MV Solitude One.

***** Alec Peirce Scuba *****

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Rating: 4.86

23 Comments
  1. mik3ydll says

    really like your tech tips videos, but here the smb deployment wasn't good. There is a way better way of doing it see here https://youtu.be/gw08cdMEQPs. Also like another comment pointed out delayed comes from the SMBs that stay inflated all the time and then towed around during the dive (https://www.simplyscuba.com/blogs/blog/whats-a-smb)

  2. Kimon Froussios says

    The difference is not the presence of a line/reel. It's that an SMB is not designed to be carried and deployed underwater. It's designed to be towed on surface through the whole duration of the dive (mostly useful to snorkellers). It can still have a line if you snorkel dive a lot. The "delayed" part of the DSMB refers to your ability to not have it up for the entire dive but to send it up later when you are returning to surface away from the cover of your boat.

  3. Dan Flaherty says

    Another great video Alec! DSMBs are very handy when doing drift dives in currents. Toward the end of the dive the boat can follow the buoy while the divers are moving with the current below. By the way I noticed that some of the wetsuits were NOT turned inside out while drying, as you nicely mentioned in your wetsuit tip. You'l need to get on those folks! Ha.

  4. Caleb says

    Great tip!

  5. Jeff Morgan says

    Infaltable sausage LOL

  6. Terence Callaghan says

    Cracking video! Well explained, Thank you!

  7. crossroads says

    Thanks for the video! I was in Palau last month. 18 dives with Sam's Tours. How does Palau rank with all of the other destinations you visited? Blue Corner, Blue Hole, and Sandbar were my favs! What were your favorites?

  8. Mike McLean says

    Alec, you rock! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Love your vids!

  9. Murphy Sy says

    great video sir

  10. Ali Hartono says

    We simply call it "sosis" (sausage) a nickname frequently use here in indonesia for SMB.

    Thank you Alec for your insight into another scuba gear.

    Salam,

  11. Michael Frymus says

    You should link the products / names into the descritption

  12. Agustin Machetanz says

    Thanks Alec, very clear your explanation!

  13. John Delta says

    i regret not watching this episode before buying my current SMB…. i supposedly bought a DSMB…. btw thanks for the info sir

  14. iVlogBuzz says

    Great video Alec, I like the fact that the audio is real and not "studio".
    Really enjoying your videos.

  15. MasonZ. says

    the audio is not good enough. wish you could redo, or edit it.

  16. PurplePenguin says

    I have one similar to the modern one, but I can't use my octopus to bring it to the surface.

  17. toriless says

    How about when to USE a SMB. There seems to be 8 thousand standards. I got one anyway but am never sure when to use it. Of course I got the reel with clip too. Some people use them the whole dive, some for emergencies, some at the (optional but advised) decompression stop. It's all a mess. Personally, I would at the latter. It seems like a reasonable time to warn about a diver coming up there but the internet is full of people using them billions of ways.

  18. Big Benis Smith says

    The ship you are on looks nice

  19. Ted Reitsma says

    First of all, I greatly appreciate these videos and find them educational AND entertaining. For this video I have 2 comments. In very cold water, it should be mentioned that it is best to use the spout to inflate the DSMB and not to use the octopus. The reason is that using octopus can cause a free flow to persist in it due to the already cold temperature and creating a deliberate free flow makes the 2nd stage even colder. My second comment is that there is a much, much safer way to use the inflator hose (which I see no reason to use anyway). You can get an adaptor to connect to the inflation hose that is somewhat like a spout. This will connect to some of these DSMB. This is MUCH safer that blowing up a DSMB with the low pressure inflator as shown and then scrambling to try to disconnect it before you are shot to the surface.

  20. madrx2 says

    Great video! I'm so Jealous, Sitting here in cold old Melbourne, wishing I was in Palau!

  21. 454chevy454 says

    I would love to know what you do to ur equickment after a dive holiday, do you take apart your second stages octopus from regulator to wash?

  22. Karl Marx says

    thanks a million

  23. EmpiricalPenguin says

    Thanks for this one Alec, very informative!

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