Private Scuba › PADI Certification Levels › Specialties › DSMB Diver
Delayed Surface Marker Buoy Diver
Carrying a delayed surface marker buoy (SMBs) is required safety equipment in some diving locations around the world.
This help guide explains how to become a PADI DSMB Diver specialist and why the proper deployment and use of signaling devices is so important.
PADI DSMB Diver Course | List of Contents
- Age Limits and Depth Restrictions for DSMB Diver Specialty
- Benefits of the Delayed Surface Marker Buoy Certification
- Completing the Independent Study Lessons with eLearning™
- Course Requirements for PADI DSMB Specialty Diver Certification
- Diving Gear and other Specialised Equipment You Can Use
- FAQ Section (including Diving Medical Questionnaire)
- Price for PADI DSMB Diver Course in Pattaya, Thailand
- Video and Related Help Guides about DSMB Diving
- What Comes after PADI Delayed Surface Marker Buoy (DSMB) Diver?
Important: The DSMB Diver Specialty certification may count towards the PADI Master Scuba Diver Rating. Check out our PADI® Specialty Courses List for further details on more than thirty other specialties (listed from A to Z) that might help you 'go with the flow'.
What is the Meaning of Specialty Diver?
In simple terms, a Specialty Diver is someone with enhanced scuba diving abilities beyond entry level certifications (e.g. Discover Programs, Scuba Diver, Open Water Diver).
Signing up for specialist scuba courses is the ideal path to take if you want to learn new techniques and experience different kinds of underwater exploration.
Furthermore, you will get the best opportunity to acquire superior knowledge and skills in the diving activities that interest you most because a 'Specialty Instructor' will be supervising the training.
Scuba Diving with SMBs
There's no getting away from it, divers often need to deal with boat traffic and water movement - especially at the end of a dive.
On the flip side, boaters can find it difficult to see divers in the area. That's why most experienced divers will carry trusty surface signaling devices.
Age, Depth, and Prerequisite Certification
There are minimum age requirements and maximum depth limits for all the specialties that require open water training dives.
As a result, before you can enrol in the PADI Delayed Surface Marker Buoy (DSMB) Diver Specialty course you will need to be (all):
- At least twelve (12) years old.
- Already certified as (either):
- PADI Junior Open Water Diver
- PADI Open Water Diver or have an equivalent entry-level certification (e.g. from one of the recognised and approved qualifying dive agency crossovers)
Number of Days: One (1) Day (minimum)
Open Water Training Dives: Two (2)
Maximum Depth: Depends on age and certification level
Important: Even though scuba certifications do not expire, we recommend taking the PADI ReActivate® Scuba Review if you have been inactive from diving for a while (e.g. longer than six months).
Benefits of Becoming a DSMB Diver Specialist
All divers should know how to launch a delayed surface marker buoy. In fact, sending a visual signal up to the surface before you ascend can be a life saver.
This is because scuba divers use surface marker buoys to alert others about their location in advance of the actual ascent to sea level.
Plus, DSMBs provide divers with an extra layer of safety. Using the line as a visual reference, such as when performing a safety stop, is another benefit of the training.
Some of the best dive sites in the world have restrictions that enforce divers to use a signaling device. As a result, learning how to launch and control a DSMB is the primary skill taught in this course.
The PADI Delayed Surface Marker Buoy (DSMB) Diver course prepares you for surfacing in dive sites where boat propeller accidents may be more likely to happen, such as:
- HMS Maori Tribal-class Destroyer Wreck
- Havelock Island at Andamans
- Koh Rong Samloem Dive Spots in Cambodia
- Koh Klun Bedan at Pattaya Islands
- Phi Phi Islands near Ao Nang
- Um El faroud Shipwreck in Malta
It's important to understand that the techniques and procedures used when entering and exiting the water during any dive may vary at different locations.
Exploring Offshore Dive Sites
Having the knowledge and unique skills to explore distant locations away from the shore is another reason for taking the course.
Do you like swimming with big fish?
If so, you need to go diving in deeper water that attracts schooling vertebrates and pelagics, such as large sharks, groupers, and sea turtles.
Digital Learning Programs for Self-Study
In general, it is much easier for divers with a busy schedule to choose the online learning option to start scuba lessons.
Being able to complete the independent study portion of a multiple day course offers you some flexibility and convenience.
As long as you have a computer or a mobile device, you will be able to study the knowledge development portion at your own pace (online or offline).
Signing Up for PADI eLearning™
You can complete some self-study assignments online with eLearning®. Then, you would need to contact the dive shop to perform any required scuba training dives with a PADI Instructor.
DSMB Diver: What Skills Will You Learn?
There are several different kinds of marker buoys available on the market. They differ in style, use, and purpose.
During the two training dives, you learn about the most common types of DSMB and how to use a reel to control them, including:
- How to prepare and stow a signaling device (DSMB) and reel.
- The safe deployment of an DSMB from a stationary position and then from mid-water.
- Practice of swimming while towing a DSMB and how to manage the reel and line.
- Making a safety stop using the line of the Delayed Surface Marker Buoy (DSMB) as a visual reference.
Important: The first dive conducted in the PADI DSMB Diver course may be credited as an Adventure Dive towards the Advanced Open Water Diver certification.
Dive Gear and Specialist Equipment
You will need to be wearing traditional scuba gear for the two open water training dives. Other specialist scuba diving equipment that you may, includes:
- Dive computer and underwater diving watch
- Dive flag and float (e.g. diver down and Alpha flags)
- Scuba accessory clips, hooks, and retractor reels
- Surface signaling devices or inflatable signal tube (e.g. safety sausage, surface marker buoy)
- Underwater Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV)
- Underwater navigation tools (e.g. compass, nav-finder)
- Waterproof cameras and underwater photography equipment
FAQ Section and Medical Questionnaire Form
Can I Touch the Creatures Underwater?
Divers share a common responsibility to protect and conserve nature. As a result, passive interaction with aquatic animals helps to safeguard the habitats of delicate and sensitive sea life.
Is there anything I Shouldn't Do after Diving?
After cleaning the gear, there are several kinds of activities that divers should avoid doing after using scuba equipment, including:
- Exercising
- Flying in a plane (including traveling to altitude, such as mountain hiking)
- Having a deep tissue massage, hot bath, or hot shower
- Drinking alcohol
- Forgetting to log the dives
When Should You Do a Scuba Refresher?
Suppose you don't go diving for more than six months. There is a simple way to refresh the knowledge and skills that you already learned.
After a long period of inactivity, taking the PADI ReActivate® program will help you brush up on the safety procedures and scuba diving fundamentals.
Medical Requirements: Free Download
You must be in good physical and mental health and be medically fit for recreational scuba diving. You can review the Diver Medical Participant Questionnaire Online to check whether you need to be evaluated by a physician.
It is not appropriate to ask dive staff (e.g. divemasters, instructors) for medical advice or clearance to go diving. Instead, you can contact the Divers Alert Network (DAN) if you have questions about your medical fitness to dive.
Price for PADI DSMB Diver Specialty Course in Thailand 8,500 THB*
We have qualified instructors and expert dive guides who can teach in several languages, including English, Thai, and Chinese.
The price includes (all):
Boat trips (with free soft drinks served on board)
Professional tuition from a "Private Scuba" Instructor
Free rental of required diving equipment (including a dive computer)
PADI DSMB Diver Specialty Manual and Certification Card
Hotel transfers within Pattaya City limits
Important: You will usually be making two (2) scuba training dives in the same day. The PADI flying after diving guidelines say you need to wait a minimum of eighteen (18) hours after the second dive before you go to altitude. Please send us an email if you need further information.
YouTube Video and Knowledge Base for DSMB Divers
Most of the information and advice in this page focuses on scuba diving activities conducted from different types of watercraft and from sandy beaches.
We also have a list of blog articles about snorkeling which relate to popular boating adventures - especially around the tropical islands in Thailand.
Scuba Diving Help Guides
- DAN Flying after Scuba Diving and Free-diving Guidelines
- How to Prevent Entanglement Underwater: Tips for Beginners
- PADI Scuba Diving Hand Signals Chart (Free Download)
Pro Tip: The short video tutorial presented by Simply Scuba explains some of the best ways to deploy a dSMB while underwater.
What Comes after the SMB Diver Specialty?
So what's the next course on the list? This certification links to most scuba certifications, including popular Specialty Courses available through the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI).
PADI DSMB Diver course combines well with several other specialties, such as Boat Diver, Deep Diver, and Multilevel Diver.
Note: All course prices for diving are subject to change and assume that all prerequisites have been met to start the training. Click here to contact the team at Private Scuba in Thailand to make a booking or send an enquiry.