The Smith – McIntyre grab is used to collect coarse-grained sediment like sand in shallow water and deep sea.

Smith-McIntyre grab samplers are mounted on steel frames and the sampler remains vertical during decent. The two spring-loaded jaws are released when the frame comes to rest on the bottom. The jaw tops are covered with screens and rubber flaps to minimize the bow wave on the descent and prevent sample washout on the ascent. The sediment sample can be sub-sampled from the top of the sampler. The typical sampled area is about 450mm by 400 mm rectangle. Smith-McIntyre samplers can sample soft, fine-grained to sandy sediments and are designed primarily for deployment in marine environments. The sampler requires a power winch to deploy