AP Valves SMB (Semi-Closed Surface Marker Buoy)
The "legendary" AP Valves Self-Sealing Surface Marker Buoy - still pretty much the best buoy on the market in terms of price vs. value.
Our definite favourite of the SMBs - large and strong enough for a "hang-in-there-deco-stop", large enough to be seen as a tag/swim-along buoy (some countries or dive sites require one per dive team or buddy pair to drag a surface marker buoy along during a dive), but still compact enough to be easily stoved in the backplate pocket or attached to the back D-ring with a spool.
The AP Valves SMB has the advantage of being a self-sealing model. What does this mean?
Traditional, "open-ended" buoys are easy to inflate due to their large opening, but unfortunately they are prone to deflating rapidly if the hit the surface and fall over, for example if the line goes slack at any time - most air can easily escape and the surface marker is little more than a wet piece of rug bopping on the waves.
With the design AP Valves has used here, the air goes in just as easily under water, but a simple (in operation) valve makes sure the air stays in. Thanks to an over-pressure release valve, there is no risk of damaging the SMB, for example if it is inflated beyond the needs at a deeper depth.
Colour choices:
Orange (sometimes referred to as red)
Yellow
Orange/Yellow - one side orange, one side yellow
Which one to chose?
Depends on what the other divers and skippers use and expect where you dive. In the UK, and as far as I can tell in a growing number of countries (Sweden, Germany, Austria, Switzerland for example), the orange is the "standard" one, which is deployed in the purpose of letting others know where you will surface. A orange buoy marks a spot to be avoided by (small) boat traffic (don't expect a freight ship or oil tanker to yield in its course because of little you! Stay out of major shipping lanes at all times or make sure your dive boat knows about the schedules etc!). A yellow buoy indicates "something is wrong!". Ideally, before your dive, you tell the shipper and dive leader what buoys you carry and how you intend to deploy them and/or ask them for their modus operandi. In the UK, usually the orange goes up first, and then a yellow one is clipped to the SAME line as the orange one if you want to indicate you have a problem. If you have no yellow emergency buoy, and your dive buddy has another orange buoy, you can send both up on the same line - the message to the surface crew again reads: "We're in a bad situation, please assist!". Some buoys, such as this one, can have a slate attached to the top so you could write more information on the slate if there is time for it, or to attach a strobe to it. Again, make sure your surface crew knows how to react - it might otherwise go unnoticed if they think you're just doing your safety stop.
You may have noticed that some other buoys come with pre-printed text on them, for example "HELP" or "NEED AIR". As is probably clear by now, the color itself is the only thing that is easily and quickly identified by the surface crew - and they are the only one seeing your call for help.
I'd personally stay away from mixed colour buoys as this clearly sends a, well, mixed message. Also, few divers seem carry them, probably for that very reason. Orange and yellow are quite commonly carried.
Some newer buoys are on the market with Radar Reflective elements, these are usually quite expensive though, and sometimes bulky. We'll cover them in a future review.
For added visibility, we recommend fitting your SMB with a reflective SOLAS name tag by divesigns.com. See the article under related content.
