2 Liter Smaco Dive Tank Review: The Pros, The Cons, The Does and The Don’ts

[@colinrogers9927]

I am a certified diver and just got one of these so I can do short dives in my area of Costa Rica. With that being said, this video is a wealth of information. I would highly recommend that non-certified divers learn the risks of ascending too quickly. Even though I have only used this setup in my pool so far, I feel its not something that you should take deeper than 20 feet. Maybe I will change my mind after some open water dives with this setup but my initial thoughts are to not go very deep as the air only lasts about 30 minutes in my pool which is only 4 feet. At a depth of 20-30 feet the air should last much less time. That can be extremely dangerous...

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Thanks for the comments. I’m doing another video with all ranges from .5L, .8L, 1 L, and 2 L. These are all the ones I’ve reviewed, but I’m trying to make a more comprehensive video. SMACO was not happy when I stated it “could kill you” because of the buoyancy issues, but the truth can hurt

[@rossgrant2529]

Great to see what seems like a completely unbiased review of usability and dangers. Makes a change from: Manufacturer - "Everything is fine. Buy it!", and hardcore diver - "Use this and you will definitely die"

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Really appreciate that!

[@shootingbricks8554]

Recommendations for non certified divers: Don't hold your breath while surfacing. Don't surface faster than your bubbles. Don't go deeper than 30ft with this thing. Your air volume would be half the amount as on the surface. I'd limit this to 15ft.

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Great advice

[@elcompamartinez2647]

I havea spanish as my native lenguage but your way of explaining leaves no doubt in my mind that you need to be a certified diver to stay on the safe side SALUDOS DESDE CANCUN!!!

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Thanks!

[@marcuspeatree8120]

I want to use this mainly for exploring my local lake, and harpooning I have gone ocean diving 3 times just want to boost my confidence with this set up by asking some questions

[@ludigracic]

This is great for me. I catch bobit worms during summer time and this thing will be super helpful. I dive at 5-6 meters max.

[@cilirhammersteel5515]

This is something I would use for gold prospecting in the rivers, for medium and deep areas.

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Not a bad idea

[@GaryEast-j2k]

Very informative Jason. Thank you. I am looking at purchasing one only to use to clean the hull of my 34 foot boat.... Ok for that sort of use?? Yes I am not certified or experienced. Appreciate your input

[@overtlycriticaldork3524]

I recall before getting certified I would sink like a brick. Now that Im certified I cant sink without weights. A lot of good advice in this video, I still want to get the SMACO as a pony.

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Thank you!

[@shootingbricks8554]

I think it would be a good pony for shallow dives like 30 ft or less

[@UltimaTheSeraph]

Nice review! This bottle is something I would use for redundancy. Using it for a shallow dive isn't enough since the only time I'd do shallow dive is when I'm muck diving, and I'd take my sweet time looking for those little critters 😁

[@mharto456]

Great review, very thorough. I need to get out diving again

[@discepolodelvento]

Thorough review. Thanks. I'd be interested in the cost and time required for PADI certification? I think this cost and time required could be a barrier for many, and perhaps the reason people are turning towards these DIY rigs. I'd also mention the risk to ears and sinuses during an emergency ascent. Another consideration, PADI offers their Open Water Divers course in an online format. It's excellent and I'd highly recommend at least completing the online portion before using any SCUBA gear at any depth. Don't forget to breath and always have a buddy to help.

[@UltimaTheSeraph]

PADI OWD course isn't that expensive nowadays and you only have to do it once...besides, there are more affordable agencies that's just as good but cheaper, like SSI, NAUI, etc and they're recognised internationally. My suggestion is to take your certification when you're traveling abroad, especially to south east Asia where the cost of an OWC is around $200-$500.

[@Berkcam]

I think you've gotten the wrong information on the emergency ascent scenario. Ears and sinuses are mostly problematic on descent and rarely cause problems on ascent - the real danger is to your lungs. A ruptured lung can occur from as shallow as 2-3 meters and this can lead to severe complications.

[@michaelfrancis1715]

What the deepest you ever dove? Thanks for sharing your experience

[@allthingsrandom8137]

The deepest I ever dove with actual scuba gear was about 80 feet under the surface, with these the deepest I’ve ever gone is about 20 because I understand the safety issues and holes in the product.

[@FaithisKey792]

Good review brother. I use this as a little back up to my 80 cu. ft scuba tank.

[@Mr.Zizu.No1.]

Can we use it on like i have compressor for pumping stuff or to blow out dust and stuff its fast and strong or pumping tures on bikes and cars what tipe of adapter fits??

[@allthingsrandom8137]

The average compressor only goes to 100-200 psi. You need a special compressor that will pump 3000 psi

[@wishbone5785]

Very good review. I have a 1 litre and 3 litre Catalinas that I use for pontoon mooring checks in 4 m water, perfect for that. Any work is done using 7 or 12 litre steel fabers all pumped to 225 bar on my Bauer Junior/Poseidon PE100 compressor.

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Nice!

[@LvlZone1]

is fine as long as you dont hold your breath when going up nitrogen sicknes is going to be rear cuz in 20 meaters it will last like 9 to 15 minuts so you dont really have to decompres just go up as fast as the smalest air bubbles

[@MrRedeoarknot]

was looking at this for cleaning sailboat bottom or checking prop when passage. Think that would be good enough for that?

[@allthingsrandom8137]

For that, this is a great investment

[@pocpocpocky]

I am buying this for the exact reason, have you tried it out yet? I am only diving around 2m to the bottom of the keel.

[@discepolodelvento]

that's what I got it for; 4.5 ft draught. and maybe to dive on the anchor

[@TwitchFlys]

This is why I got intrigued by this and I am open water certified. But I would never use it for more than going 5-10 ft deep at most

[@chaosopher23]

Is it possible to use this tank as an accumulator for a surface compressor? I live in a region that's got an estuary that has a couple of nice spots to dive. To stay down with small hardware would be awesome. 40 feet, I think, is the maximum natural depth, but the interesting stuff is between 3 and 15 feet.

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Yes, absolutely

[@chaosopher23]

@@allthingsrandom8137Excellent! There are a few small caves, and those yacht people drop stuff all the time. ...and I hate litter.

[@IIFaDedII]

Its very dangerous as you said for non divers but great starter kit for somebody whos learning/aware of how diving works or getting certified and dont want to use bcd rig everytime for full diving sessions. For myself i will get this 2l this summer as i get my local certification or will wait for 3l version and use it at where i ussualy snorkel/freedive not below 10 meters since where i live we have black sea and its not that great at a larger depth.

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Just be careful!

[@superprim12]

if i want to go max 5 to 8 ft am going to have deal with what your saying?

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Just keep breathing, especially as you’re surfacing..

[@aripeart9792]

Excellent video literally exactly the video I needed to see before buying one. I still like the idea and want one but definitely want to just get dive cert’d now first.

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Next week, I’m actually releasing a video where I go through the pros and cons of every single dive tank I’ve ever done. From .5, .8, 1 L, and 2 L.

[@aidangaldino4110]

I have my PADI advanced open water and was looking at the 2L tank, but in this video you mentioned Smaco was coming out with a 3L tank. Do you know when these are coming out?

[@allthingsrandom8137]

No idea. They mentioned it to me, but that was it

[@canukillacs7022]

OMG.....that is sure to contribute to serious injury and death

[@leander2843]

Hey there, just a Quick question : would this thing be safe for anchor recovery in around 8 meters depth and checking a sailing yachts underwater body? Nothing Else than what i described.

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Should be fine, anchor recovery is a relatively quick process. And I would say hull inspection should be fine also

[@leander2843]

@@allthingsrandom8137 thanks buddy. Better to hear it from an experienced one than from those windy salesmen.

[@allthingsrandom8137]

@@leander2843 LOL, yeah…. SMACO was not happy when I released a shorts video about the bouncy issue stating it could kill you. For me people will use it no matter what I say, so might as well be honest and safe with it

[@leander2843]

​@@allthingsrandom8137 wait, i should mention im completly i experienced apart from snorkling and lungs only diving ( Personal depth record is 7 meters for 30 secondary, without the dive down and up time) like i said, it'd be just for recovering a yachts anchor in less than 10 meters depth ( which would be my safety Limit) and checking the boats body for barnicles or other damages ( my father is cruising around in the orca alley if that does Ring a bell)

[@scottarmstrong5273]

What about using this rig just for checking the bottom of my boat or getting line out of the prop? Is this rig still a bad idea?

[@scottmcewan6612]

I have a pcp air compressor (GX CS2), is there a filter that would create breathable air from this air compressor?

[@allthingsrandom8137]

It’s really hard to say. There’s a four tier system at the dive shop. But the manual pump is not that clean either.

[@surfersage8319]

Knowledgeable, conscise, appreciate the information

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Thanks!

[@peterm7548]

I would never use this in open water. I have bought one for use in my home pool for short periods such as retrieving items that have fallen into the pool or basic maintenance as its a lot easier to put on than a normal sized scuba tank. Its NOT a proper scuba system for longer open water dives which should only be done after certification and with proper scuba gear.

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Agreed

[@Outdoor-adventures-New-zealand]

Awsome video I’ve been looking for a mini kit like this to supplement free diving for crays in max 6m etc so can go down check cracks etc without having to go up and down so only using as a supliment if wana stay down a couple of breaths do you think this would be ok for that ? In your opinion

[@allthingsrandom8137]

I think it’s a great application

[@Berkcam]

The average unfit person will consume around 25-30 liters of air per minute while swimming on the surface. At 10 meters/33ft depth that figure is doubled. A 2 liter cylinder charged to 200 bar contains approximately 400 liters. So, 400 ÷ 60 = 6.6 minutes duration. Hover, that is a perfect world scenario as in reality the tank pressure will drop when you enter the water due to cooling. Add things like increased physical exertion, anxiety or leaks and suddenly you have less than 5 minutes duration. Not worth the expense... and these mini cylinders were never originally intended for diving use. If you want to know the source of my information - it's almost 50 years as a professional diver, military, commercial oilfield and even certified scuba instructor.

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Great points

[@travelwithus2there198]

Good info, that being said, I’m certed with about 25 dives plus maybe 1k snorkel dives and still want to try this for 20-25 feet dives in my backyard (Caribbean) do you think I should go a bit heavy on weights to compensate for excess buoyancy at exit? Just your thoughts, thanks

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Yes, cause as it empties out you’ll runaway to the surface. So many be two extra pounds. Plus you never want to run anything completely empty

[@travelwithus2there198]

see, I just notice my question to you a year ago, still have not done it, and I don't think I will do the 2L because of the added weight compensation issues, any thoughts

[@themanformerlyknownascomme777]

I'm honestly more curious if this tank would be more useful in the mountains as a kind of improvised oxygen tank.

[@allthingsrandom8137]

🤔🤔

[@weizhang7711]

you need to carry it mate. 😂 it is quite heavy when it is full.

[@uzakurt734]

Is it possible get decompression sicknes with this and what we can do avoid this i would very happy if you answer thank you

[@allthingsrandom8137]

This depends on the depth and time under water. If you follow what I say as a safety issue, there shouldn’t be a problem

[@wishbone5785]

Generally no but if you have a severe patent foramen ovale (hole in your heart wall) it may be possible.

[@canukillacs7022]

yes you can get decompression sickness using this product with no training and to not know how to avoid getting it......period

[@travelwithus2there198]

I am scuba Naui with much experience but I find myself snorkeling on my own more often than not, I see more under 25 ft just free diving but sometimes need another few minutes down there, not looking to carry my 135lbs body with large tank and gear, so what do you think any of these recommended? I give a lot of thought to this and been bouncing it around for over a year.

[@warrenf3765]

Thanks for the great information 😊

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Anytime

[@angelobowman4322]

Is it safe if I just plan on going no wear near 20ft and want something pretty nice as long as I check my pressure and don’t go up to quick

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Should be good to go. Just always remember to never hold your breath while breathing compressed air

[@angelobowman4322]

@@allthingsrandom8137 OK so ill just remember to always maintain a consistent breathing rate and never come up fast, thanks for the video to keep others and me safe

[@allthingsrandom8137]

@@angelobowman4322 anytime!

[@randenbrown7230]

Amazing video, the review is simply perfect

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Thanks!

[@johnlaccohee-joslin4477]

As a sats diver, i am somewhat concerned at the lack of contriol at the regulator. I am ver used to a much older syxten nused by the sabre outfint, with drop weights betwwen the tanks, the side control valve for equalization during down time. In this set up the valve controls yo a big degree the change in depth and your stack rate. Diving is a very much self control exercise, and the ability to keep your ears and eyes about you, i never used a watch as used today, so paid good attention to gauges. We also were well trained in looking after the demand valve as using in really cold water where ther was the chance of ice particals reaching inside the regulatot. I am surprized that a bit of equipment used many years ago, is still not used where the gear consisted of a bladder that had a container full of protasosb that took the co2 out before passing tbe oxygen refill gases back to the reathing side that removed the outlet of exhaust bubbles so you were to a much greater devree undetectable. The only problem was firxtly the charginh of pure oxygen to high pressure and the fact that the proasorb needed chancing on ever re pressurizing of tbe oxygen tank. The most effective standard gear would have to be the sabre vear, and a fully charged set was weighty to say the least, also including the fact that there was a box that container flat lead weight plates that had a quick release gear to drop weights. This did of courze mean a really good comercial compresser whit very good filtration and constant pressure control duringbre charging. This bit of kit is to me not a good idea, it piints people in the wrong directiion, as even with use say cleaning boat hulls is still subject to problems which i am sure are not inculded in the instructions. Our gear was set in an alloy frame with two shoulder rests, it was easy to get out of and very good for assistance to another diver who had t0 run into problems, some even haing a seperate breather tube with its own regulator, both regulators being something we made sure that they were both checkes and kept in top working condition because of the inviroment they were being used, plus the fact we were using dry suits with cuff seals and neck seals, so bouancy was always a proble, i use to uses grays n Havings small wrists plus being able to ventbthe suit via the neck seal, the only problem being getting in and out of the suite through the neck not a one man operation really. All in all i see this kind of gear leading to over confidence od those less aware of the dangers involve. This was at a time where large bottle surface demand gear was coming to the for with a much more complex head gear all of it being a lot more solid allowing surface contact, and entered the area of deep dives where bells were starting to come into their own and mixed diving was starting to be widely used. Other than this, the idear is sound but feel a lot more safety needs taking into account, how ever an interesting video

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Thanks for the good information added to the conversation

[@MPPC10]

so just took my open ocean certification, i do want to buy a backup rig for 20MT or bit more, just in case... to have a bit more time to in case of an emergency, even to go with my closer buddy.... it wont work? wich one you recommend 2 liter seems huge to have it next to my BCD

[@allthingsrandom8137]

So I do more shallow water, maybe down to 60 meters, generally. This is fine as a back up for ascending to a safety stop, where it’ll give you a bit more time. That being said, my buddy is a tech diver who uses the 19 liter as a back up. But remember they are only backups, and his out of hundreds of dives have never been needed. Chose what works for your dives at your depths. More shallow doesn’t need a large backup.

[@manuellaracastillo4746]

@@allthingsrandom8137 60mts is shallow? That’s a lot for me lol I think the a 1 lt spare tank will work? I won’t do even 30 mts now

[@allthingsrandom8137]

@@manuellaracastillo4746 should be fine there as a spare

[@shootingbricks8554]

​@@manuellaracastillo4746 safety stops are done at 5 meters. If you had to use a 2L tank for air at 60 meters, you're screwed.

[@jimmyofthesea1883]

Nice, review. The 1 liter SMACO's are the same quality as the one you've got there.

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Well, I did a review on the 1 L, the .5 L, and then the .8 L for a mini dive. With a 1 L, and. 5 L, the quality is the same, except the. 5 L has a lower quality plastic mouthpiece and valve, but the 1L was kind of the same. I still think the 2 L is better quality Especially when it comes to mouthpiece, and the gauge

[@OzzySafa]

You told me you wouldn’t cover it:) I knew you would in the end 🤙🏽

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Well… It’s hard to say no.. plus I was just so bewildered about the price and the issues(Buoyancy) I had never considered until I used it

[@OzzySafa]

@@allthingsrandom8137 can’t wait to see the comparison video. Will you be moving or just keeping still ?

[@allthingsrandom8137]

@@OzzySafa a true review is used in standard operation!

[@Aysia-marie]

What you think about using this with a seabob for snorkelling?

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Probably a good use.

[@Sailaboat]

This product ok for cleaning hulls ?. Draft is 1.5m..

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Yes, great job for this equipment

[@stainz5714]

Amazing device

[@JohnSmith-bz9be]

Excellent video. And appreciated

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Thanks!

[@MiguelFernandes-xs4mq]

Amazing video!! Thanks for the content. I already had two dives also below 15 meters, and have some certificates from PADI. Now i want to buy this because i really found a hobby. Im pretty sure i dont need that many breaths in one minute as an beginner Diver. I want to buy the 1 L tank because it would be 350€ for me. Do you think thats a good idea for being 10-15 mins underwater? I dont have a diving license.

[@allthingsrandom8137]

It’s hard for me to really say whether or not it’s a good idea. That’s why I give all the safety stipulations. I do have a video where I review the 1 L dive tank. Take a look at that at my channel, and that will sort of give you a rundown of what to expect with a 1 L. Because you’re really only looking at maybe 6 to 8 minutes underwater with a 1 L maybe 10, if you stay around maybe 2-3 meters

[@allthingsrandom8137]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKS1lZ2YirGggbs

[@canukillacs7022]

15 meters down ! ? with a 1 litre !......because you want to save money ?......how much is your life worth ?

[@DanaCrosby]

Good job!

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Thanks!

[@xOC3Zx]

Can i take the tank of and go up in the Walter ?.?

[@allthingsrandom8137]

im having a hard time understanding the question

[@Ekiso_1]

can you use this for fun?

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Of course

[@bartvanriel6767]

It’s a 2 liter tank at 200 bar giving 400 liters of air. If your sac rate is 20 liters per minute its a 20 minute tank and if your sac rate is 16 liters per minute its a 25 minute tank at the surface. Half that if you’re at 10 meters/ 33 feet depth

[@wishbone5785]

Spot on mate, that's the information everyone contemplating one of these things should know about. And of course not breath holding on the way up.

[@Secondwind2010]

I want one to clean the bottom of my boat

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Great option

[@philthefriendlyfrog]

Well atleast you didnt say you can fill them with a bicycle pump...wouldnt my life on these...no way

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Yeah, I’ve seen too many videos of disinformation that I lay it out there as best as I can. If you do use it understand the safety risks because people are going to use whatever they want anyway.

[@markpauletich5243]

50 breats in 60 seconds? Are you dizzy?

[@allthingsrandom8137]

In which scenario are you referring? For the experienced, or the inexperienced? Because for an extremely inexperienced person, yeah that’s not unlikely

[@allthingsrandom8137]

It’s nearly panic with new people

[@urbanspaceman7183]

I wouldn't use that compressor to fill a tank with breathing air.

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Not ideal. Ideal is from a dive shop with 4 times filtration system..

[@brianvandy4002]

It's no more dangerous than an actual scuba rig that also doesn't require any kind of certification to buy. You keep emphasizing "sold to non-certified divers." You're implying a non-certified diver somehow cannot buy actual scuba gear, which is not true at all. I'll agree, that anyone should get training, it isn't that expensive or a large time commitment. Like buying a dirt bike, if you don't get training, you're taking your life in your hands. Assuming people buying that tank are inexperienced is elitist-talk. Not every dive requires long duration or deep dives. If I want to dive in a backwoods lake, I may not want to hike in with 60# of gear. It's a great option for shallow water short duration use for anyone. This tank, or even the 1L tank are great for short uses like a boat owner who wants to go defoul the propeller, or recover something dropped into shallow water.

[@allthingsrandom8137]

No, I never implied a non-certified diver couldn’t buy scuba gear. I had scuba gear. But you can’t rent a tank or even get a tank filled with air without a certification from a proper dive shop. Can you sure as hell ain’t gonna use a tiny air compressor to fill up a Steel 80. The reason I emphasize that these are for non-certified divers are because you can use a hand pump with a small electric pump. It’s targeted for people who are untrained, which is what makes it so deadly. Maybe one out of 1000 certified divers would actually buy this. And mostly they would buy it for something like their boat. If they just need to go scrape the hull or untangle a line in a propeller

[@allthingsrandom8137]

And it still can be dangerous in shallow water. Which is why I mentioned in my 1 L, and my re-review of the 1 L the possibility of something like a shallow water blackout. Which can also kill you.

[@allthingsrandom8137]

And elitist? Give me a fucking break…

[@brianvandy4002]

@@allthingsrandom8137 I agree with you, but remember a lot of people do have budgets. It was a lot cheaper to get something like this and a small compressor than an entire rig. Plus where I like to dive there aren't a whole lot of dive shops. I don't want to take away from what you said that diving is dangerous and anyone doing it needs training, I just don't feel the equipment is any more dangerous than 'real' scuba gear. Not any more dangerous than someone buying used gear at a fraction of the price of new. Heck, I've seen entire scuba setups for what it would cost for one of these small tanks and a small compressor.

[@tylersasser7749]

Not certified but want to get one just to take some underwater pictures maybe 10ft or so ill learn what to do by watching video of exspirenced divers

[@kamikariad]

It's a ten minute tank. A regular tank has 11.2 liters and I get an hour out of it. That's 5.35 minutes per liter. Times 2 is a ten minute tank. Period.

[@evolvedmonkey9978]

I really don't understand how a device like this can be sold to non divers, it's your money... yes it is, but these can be deathtraps for many people that don't know nothing about the risks of breathing compressed air under water, it's their lives.. yes.. but on other sports, there are red lines to avoid premature deaths, human life is the most important, also some shops sell those bigger kits with 5 liter tanks that they call "boat emergency kits" to recover anchors and to do maintenance on hulls, at least those to fill require that you are certified. People that are not certified divers might think.. ahh those certified guys being snobbish or elitist pricks, it's not like this guys, a certification will cost you some 350 bucks, it's not that expensive, and it's not dense or boring, after certification bought all my gear, including a second hand 12 liter tank with hydraulic test, for under 900 dollars, the price you pay for a "toy" like this you can pay a good certification and decent gear, get certified, don't buy stuff like this that can put you at serious risk, be safe. For those that are certified and want to buy it... please go ahead, but... for the horrendous price they ask, you can buy a pony tank a cheap bcd and a regulator first stage and second stage for less than 150 dollars, for example, my first stage and second stage was 130 dollars, new, a Mares Rover 2S.

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Agreed

[@LacayoDe]

So many people will die with these things so sad 😅 is life .. people don’t listen I can already see it coming a mile away. As a diver I kinda want one . But mostly for surface ..

[@Berkcam]

It's plain to see from the profoundly dumb questions being asked that so many people know absolutely zero about diving and the dangers involved. My sincere advice as s full time professional diver will 50 years under my belt is - avoid these Chinese toys and get properly scuba certified. There will be serious incidents and deaths from using these without training. 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@allthingsrandom8137]

i completely agree

[@donkeykong1357]

First

[@allthingsrandom8137]

Nice!