Why Carry a Safety Sausage!

A lot of divers seem to neglect the purpose of a safety sausage (SMB). Divers may think they don’t need one, and, or they don’t need to bring it on a dive. However, I am telling you now that an SMB should be brought on EVERY dive.  WHY? Well let’s think of it this way, when you’re sitting at the surface, your head is the only thing out of the water. This isn’t very easy to see anyway. Your head is like a coconut floating in the middle of the ocean and is almost impossible to see  A safety sausage make you visible so if you come up away from the boat, then the boat crew can be seen.

Coming to the surface and expecting to be found or helped by anyone without a way or signalling would just be silly. As divers, we all want the newest and latest equipment but what is the point of buying top-notch gear and then not even getting the very basics. I think one of the most important dive accessories to have is hands down an SMB.  Divers need to be better prepared and more so take responsibility for their own safety. A lot of charters will not allow divers on their boats without an SMB. When there is boat traffic or significant current, the diver should deploy the SMB from depth using a reel.  The most important aspect of diving is ending your dive and getting back onto the boat safely, so this is why everyone should carry and know how to use a surface- marker buoy. Any diver can get into a sticky situation no matter how experienced. Just because you are experienced does not mean you can prevent what mother nature intends to happen. With this, all being said get an SMB!