TESTCENTRE
The biggest buoy
Being seen at sea is a crucial aspect of diver safety , which is why the Surface Marker Buoy ( SMB ) or Delayed Surface Marker Buoy ( dSMB ) is such an essential piece of kit for every diver .
Available in a variety of sizes and colours , the dSMB is about
SMB9 3m Delayed Surface Marker Buoy
as simple a piece of safety equipment you can get . Deployed correctly it will announce a diver ’ s position to a charter skipper or club cox ’ n and make his or her task that much easier .
The standard sized ‘ sausage ’ or ‘ blob ’ is typically a metre to metreand-a-half in height and should get you seen in a calm to moderate sea state . However , there are certain conditions and / or circumstances when something with a little more ‘ loft ’ could make a difference .
Remote locations , open-ocean diving or increased swell can all conspire to make a normally-effective dSMB considerably less so . Lomo Watersports ’ SMB9 , is a towering , three metre tall ‘ superblob ’, which is probably about as tall a buoy can feasibly get before becoming oversized and inefficient .
While some dSMBs offer oral , low-pressure hose or mini-cylinder inflation options , Lomo keeps things simple ( and costs down ) by sticking with the open-ended / second stage inflation method . While half-expecting to find that I ’ d have to empty the contents of my 3-litre pony cylinder to set the buoy on its way , that wasn ’ t the case at all .
Tying off my reel to a substantial lump of metal I purged my alternate air source into the buoy ’ s 56cm circumference open end until it began to rise , added a little extra blast , then watched it head up to the surface . There was a little bit of trial and error to perfect deployment : too little air and it would sit limply at the surface , too much and it ’ d shoot off like an Exocet missile .
In either case , due to its self-sealing valve there ’ s no danger of the buoy spilling air topside , nor of bursting thanks to its over-pressure / dump valve . Once perfected , I found that keeping a taught line on ascent was paramount in ensuring the buoy remained vertical rather than topple over with lack of tension .
The buoy has welded seams along its length . Both the lower edge , with its D-ring attachment point and upper half-metre are reinforced and stitched with webbing . That top section also features three SOLAS reflective bands plus a webbing handle incorporating a translucent pouch . This is suitable for inserting a glow stick or small strobe .
A loop of Velcro is also supplied for attaching a slate to communicate a message your surface cover . Despite its large dimensions , once rolled up and using the integral bungee cord to prevent unfurling , the buoy could happily squeeze into the bellows pocket of my drysuit .
In a side-by-side comparison with a 1.5m tall buoy it wasn ’ t surprising to find that this 3m big-buoy was fifty per-cent more visible from distance . In large swells it would undoubtably offer a similar advantage . NH
SCUBA SAYS
If you ’ re keen to be seen then Lomo ’ s inexpensive 3m-tall Super-Blob will double your chances compared to a standard-sized DSMB .
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