Can I Use a dSMB as a Lift Bag?

[@Sherwoody]

My dive club took on the task of cleaning up a local quarry that’s used as a public park. It’s big enough for swimming, paddle boards, kayaks, snorkelling and diving. We cleaned the bottom of bottles, cans, an old vacuum cleaner etc. We were discussing this video and hung our mesh bags from our DSMB’s, saving us lugging them around. There’s still a few big items we’ll use lift bags on, but this worked just dandy. BTW, we collected enough empty beer cans and bottles to treat ourselves to pizza, wings and beer.

[@paulcook602]

#askmark Hi Mark, I'm a PADI Advanced diver with 200 dives. I am currently being monitored for high blood pressure. I understand the risks of diving with hypertension and so currently my diving is on hold. Do you think I will ever be able to dive again should medication bring my blood pressure down? How would the fact that I've been diagnosed with hypertension effect dive insurance or even being able to dive from liveaboards?

[@ScubaDiverMagazine]

This is best answered by diving medical professionals such as DAN or your local dive doctor after a discussion. A non-diving General Practitioner may not have the diving expertise to fully advise. Dive companies will always defer to qualified medical professionals and require their sign off before taking you on a dive. I have known divers with recommended limitations after consulting a diving doctor, such as 'dive no deeper than 18m'. You may need periodical medicals and you would have to disclose any diagnosis or change.

[@markrogers2629]

#askmark Hi have come to scuba late in life discovering it in my fifties I love it & have found your channel very helpful. What I am struggling with is buoyancy in a drysuit. I have tried just using the Drysuit for buoyancy, I have tried a combination of my wing & Drysuit just using the Drysuit suit to relieve squeezing. I seem to find this better for me but what would you recommend. Thank you.Mark Portsmouth UK

[@ScubaDiverMagazine]

It's really up to you. As long as you can control your buoyancy, prevent a runaway ascent and it works for you then combination is the best method for you. Personally, I only tend to use my BCD on the surface and use my drysuit underwater because it works for me and I don't need to touch my BCD unless I need to. But keep practicing and dive your way. The more experience you have with a drysuit the better you will be at controlling your buoyancy and may change over time.

[@markrogers2629]

Thank you Mark I will keep on practicing ❤

[@mikedavies4694]

THANKS for the answer. 😊

[@Yggdrasil42]

Why do lift bags not use autodump valves like in a drysuit? You could set the desired capacity by turning the valve and any excess gas is dumped on ascent.

[@theapm33]

what's wrong with a lift bag going straight to the surface? presumably it's on spool

[@souswes]

You could strike an object or divers that are above you. You could also get hung up on whatever you’re salvaging.

[@theapm33]

@@souswes makes sense, thanks

[@hervechappuis1491]

I wonder me if diving can cause disease for dive guide throughout year because of absorbing nitrogen?

[@aftvlog3925]

Hi Mark. can I fit the xdeep ls200 second stage to my apeks dst first stage? #askmark

[@ScubaDiverMagazine]

Yes *but* , it will probably need adjusting to balance it to the Interstage Pressure. And the combination hasn't been officially tested so it's very much on you to assemble it yourself and if something malfunctions or doesn't function properly it's on you.

[@reubenang6541]

Like the video but preferred the older ones workout the jarring sound effects and music

[@harambeexpress]

Avoid that Hollis DSMB in my opinion. It's a poor design. 1) The sling is liable to get caught on your reg, wrist or something else and pull you up. At best you'll get bent, but otherwise you may meet a gruesome end. 2) The bottom is open. This means if you don't have the line taught enough it is liable to flop over and sink, or just not stand up effectively. Imagine this during an emergency scenario. Rubbish. 3) Isn't it weird that the OPV is down near the open bottom?. It will probably vent out the bottom before then OPV activates, and it's too low down to use as a purge valve to control an ascent. 4) This is not necessarily a flaw: but it is often (not always) preferable to have an DSMB you can inflate with one large breath. This one is too big for that. A thinner one makes it easier to deploy while neutrally buoyant (holding a safety/deco stop) and in full control.

[@harambeexpress]

Hollis isn't the only one that makes that design though. Avoid any with those flaws.

[@mikedavies4694]

Yes, my Hollis DSMB can be filled from the bottom. It is also self sealing, unlike an SMB which is totally open. Once filled, this DSMB retains the air inside. On the surface, if tension comes off the line, the DSMB stays inflated. You are wrong that the air will escape, it does not. The "sling" that it is in, is attached to the bottom of my BCD. My finger spool is clipped to me, separate from the DSMB. Once I attach the two, I send up the DSMB as normal. If I am deep, below 40' ish, I use my exhaust gas, shallow, SS depth, I use the LP whip on my pony.

[@mikedavies4694]

I have prob launched my DSMB, at least a hundred times. Never had the webbing at the bottom hook onto anything.