Diver safety / trepidation

Very good idea, we achieve this already by shining a torch into the SMB but I am sure it will sell.....

Alternatively I have been known to strap a strobe to the top of the smb...

Well done getting someone to take it to Market, but yes, we already do that with a bog standard SMB and a small torch for night/dusk dives.

Is the difference with a normal SMB just the zipped pocket to avoide having to affix the torch yourself?

Nice one, hope it does really well. Lots of folk make up their own bits of kit rather than buy a finished product, however there's plenty that will pay for a decent bit of kit.

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good luck but....
With a standard SMB, the baffle is transparent and I can shine my primary straight up it and make it light up as stated earlier. I can put my torch up the SMB at any time and remove it to use as a direct signal. Can you do this with the zipped pocket when inflated or do you have to put the little torch in when deflated?

I have seen a prototype of this in action and was very impressed. It stood out well and could be seen from an incredible distance.

Just to make it clear, this SMB is illuminated throughout the night dive, not just when you are at the surface and able to use your main torch to signal.

BNH Diver said:

good luck but....
With a standard SMB, the baffle is transparent and I can shine my primary straight up it and make it light up as stated earlier. I can put my torch up the SMB at any time and remove it to use as a direct signal. Can you do this with the zipped pocket when inflated or do you have to put the little torch in when deflated?

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Yes, but...
Can you shine your primary up it from the seabed?
If the boats following the SMB's for an hour or more of deco, this can only help the skipper in low light or poor visibility. Not many DSMBs have any means of attaching strobes to the top or enough material outside the seal to do it yourself. It also keeps the weight at the bottom so it should stand up without the diver having to hang on the line.
A lot of people had similar responses when DSMB's first appeared - how often do you see a fixed SMB these days?
Great idea and good luck with it.

Timw said:

If the boats following the SMB's for an hour or more of deco, this can only help the skipper in low light or poor visibility.

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Which begs the question, aside from night diving - what is a skipper doing putting you in the water in low light or poor visibility?

As an idea, it's a good one - some people will buy it. Good luck with it, although it's a shame you had it made by CD. I hope the quality is better than their 'wreck' reels.

londonsean69 said:

Which begs the question, aside from night diving - what is a skipper doing putting you in the water in low light or poor visibility?

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If we didn't dive when there was low light and/or poor visibility on the surface we would hardly ever get in the bloody water up here.

GordyP said:

If we didn't dive when there was low light and/or poor visibility on the surface we would hardly ever get in the bloody water up here.

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I suppose it all depends on people definition of poor

I do think it's a good idea, and people will buy it. Those looking for a first DSMB might well be more likely to buy it than someone who already owns a couple, but there is always SKS (Shiney Kit Syndrome) to pick up a few more.

londonsean69 said:

Which begs the question, aside from night diving - what is a skipper doing putting you in the water in low light or poor visibility?

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Evening dives at the height of the British summer? (like yesterday...)
Mist coming in while the divers are down?

Timw said:

Evening dives at the height of the British summer? (like yesterday...)
Mist coming in while the divers are down?

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I would put evening dives in the same bracket as night diving
The mist has come down for years, yet we do not hear about hordes of divers going missing.

Like I said, it's a good product, but I don't think it is a panacea.

One thing that is missing from this SMB is SOLAS tape. No idea how much it helps, but I do like to have it on my SMBs where possible.

I was thinking of the crappy weather yesterday - raining and a bit murky... typical summer's evening !
We don't hear about hordes of divers going missing but some do - I've had a few uncomfortable moments looking for SMBs that we've lost sight of for a bit in mist - this isn't a panacea but it can help.
Solas tape helps but you still need a source of light for it to work. The Solas divesigns are quite good for identifying SMBs from a distance except the lettering falls off after a while and marker pen fades very quickly and then isn't very clear.
It's a good idea but I probably wouldn't buy one - I may poach the idea for one of my existing SMBs for now....

It's a nice solution but I'm not sure I get the problem it is trying to fix apart from poor planning. Night diving somewhere that's got the potential to drift you further than you can see the boat and give the skipper a light flash doesn't need an SMB, it needs a clip round the ear for someone.

As an idea, it's a good one - some people will buy it. Good luck with it, although it's a shame you had it made by CD. I hope the quality is better than their 'wreck' reels.

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I think wreck reel is the perfect term for it, somes them up very well. Anyone remember the comedy stainless tin cannister lights?

NotDeadYet said:

Anyone remember the comedy stainless tin cannister lights?

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Yep, woul have have done better with a candle in a jam jar, at least that wouldn't leak till around 10m

If you're towing an SMB on a night dive you could just chuck a wee torch in an old 5 litre plastic jerrycan, screw the lid on and tie your string to the handle.

For fancy you could use different coloured light sticks in the can instead of a torch for different buddy pairs.

Hickdive said:

For fancy you could use different coloured light sticks in the can instead of a torch for different buddy pairs.

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glow sticks, strobes, small torches, we have been strapping them all to SMBs for years to overcome the issue with regards to night dives....

It is a good solution for people a bit too dim to work things out for themselves I guess.. therefore it will sell...

I think the 'patent applied for' is a bit wishful thinking - ideas have to be novel and not obvious to be patented - and it is clear from the thread above that homemade solutions have been around for a long time - and indeed a true smb with light pocket has been on the market for some time

and indeed a true smb with light pocket has been on the market for some time

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I thought I'd seen one before.

londonsean69 said:

Yep, woul have have done better with a candle in a jam jar, at least that wouldn't leak till around 10m

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The ones with the tin can battery pack and the plastic lid were great. I asked the CD rep at the dive show how you get the lid off, he said pour boiling water over the tin can. I asked him how are you supposed to do that on a RIB when the light has flooded again. He didn't like that

londonsean69 said:

I would put evening dives in the same bracket as night diving
The mist has come down for years, yet we do not hear about hordes of divers going missing.

Like I said, it's a good product, but I don't think it is a panacea.

One thing that is missing from this SMB is SOLAS tape. No idea how much it helps, but I do like to have it on my SMBs where possible.

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If you conatct CD, Alex will make a seeker version of the SeeMe, this has radar reflective material inbuilt.
Thanks for the comments tho