What to do with all the dangly things (lights, camera..)

[Wheeler925]

I specifically put this in advanced scuba because I want some advice from people with more time underwater. What do yall do with your smaller lights? Currently I just hang it off about 8" of line attached to my right shoulder. Hate it but can't find a better spot. Thinking about maybe a hand/wrist strap, but how do those fare with dry gloves? Other ideas? Same thought with the go-pro, which typically hangs on a yoyo with floating handle in scuba housing.. not a fan but haven't found better. Thanks yall.

 

[ontdiver]

A soft Goodman type handle works just fine on dry gloves. But you want to mount your larger light, not a small one, which can go on a retractor rather than a piece of line that does not really offer much in the way of control. As for the go-pro, there is nothing wrong with the floating handle, but you really need to make sure that you keep it close when not filming.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

use cut up inner tubing threaded on to your harness to hold them tight against you until you are using them.

get rid of the gopro handle and just clip off the camera / housing to your harness as far back on your waist belt as possible. I keep d-rings tight up against my backplate for gopro, dsmb, and dinky little camera when i am using one.

nobody likes the danglies.

 

[Subcooled]

I specifically put this in advanced scuba because I want some advice from people with more time underwater. What do yall do with your smaller lights? Currently I just hang it off about 8" of line attached to my right shoulder. Hate it but can't find a better spot.

I have a three inch wide dual layer elastic band with sewn in channels for a knife and a backup light etc. around my arm. My gopro is attached by bungee and a snoopy loop around my arm.

Thinking about maybe a hand/wrist strap, but how do those fare with dry gloves?

My drysuit has latex wrist seals. And so do my dry gloves. Ensuring a good, wrinkle free, seal is a pain, but once it's done, the gloves are lovely under water. No bulky plastic rings!

Other ideas? Same thought with the go-pro, which typically hangs on a yoyo with floating handle in scuba housing.. not a fan but haven't found better. Thanks yall.

A motorcycle or moped inner tube is always a great start. Add double enders and bungee to suit. Be creative in wrapping things around your arm.

 

[SelfDiver]

I specifically put this in advanced scuba because I want some advice from people with more time underwater. What do yall do with your smaller lights? Currently I just hang it off about 8" of line attached to my right shoulder. Hate it but can't find a better spot. Thinking about maybe a hand/wrist strap, but how do those fare with dry gloves? Other ideas? Same thought with the go-pro, which typically hangs on a yoyo with floating handle in scuba housing.. not a fan but haven't found better. Thanks yall.

Pockets on the waist strap.
DIR folks would have a bolt snap on the end with an inner tube on the shoulder strap.

Post in thread 'Best way to stow a backup light on my left D-ring'

Post in thread 'Best way to stow a backup light on my left D-ring'

Jun 26, 2018

I concur with tbone, should not be using a double ender for a light. Small bolt snap is very appropriate and then bungee it in some fashion to the strap, either with a bungee loop, piece of inner tube or whatever other method you choose to secure it.

• Doby45

Tons of threads on how to secure lights

 

[OTF]

Here's another example of a light stored streamline, boltsnapped to a chest D-ring and "rubber banded" tight against the harness strap with a piece of mountain bike innertube.

For bigger bulkier items (reels, cameras, 2nd DSMB) I will clip them to a hip D-ring or hole in the bottom corner of my backplate so they hang almost behind me when not in use. Or better yet, I use some "drop D-rings" on the bottom of my backplate so I can actually clip stuff behind me (essentially under the tank) and very out of the way. That's a good spot for big cameras or a sidemount style "butt pouch" zipper pocket of tools when the dive requires it. Just don't sit on it and crush it.

Also pockets. Get tech shorts, or glue big pockets to your wetsuit, or dive a drysuit with big pockets. Bigger is better. Velcro not zipper since zippers jam with sand.

Eliminate what you can. If you don't actually need a gadget, don't bring it.

Use simple boltsnaps not carabiners ("suicide clips") or retractors. There are many youtube videos on how to properly tie a boltsnap to a light or similar object.

 

[Rilelen]

Boltsnaps, with a bungee around the webbing/straps to hold the bottom of things like lights to the harness or BC.

 

[Subcooled]

I have a three inch wide dual layer elastic band with sewn in channels for a knife and a backup light etc. around my arm. My gopro is attached by bungee and a snoopy loop around my arm.

My drysuit has latex wrist seals. And so do my dry gloves. Ensuring a good, wrinkle free, seal is a pain, but once it's done, the gloves are lovely under water. No bulky plastic rings!

A motorcycle or moped inner tube is always a great start. Add double enders and bungee to suit. Be creative in wrapping things around your arm.

You asked about the smaller lights. There are some great pictures above how to attach backup lights neatly on a certain type of standard harness. That might work with many BCDs too. I want to highlight the option of attaching things to your forearm, though. This can sometimes be practical. I love this especially for knifes and cutters, but also for a frequently used GoPro.

Pictures: 2-layer elastic band with sewn-in channels. Snoopy loops (rubber bands).

Snoopy loops keeping clothes pegs (used in british cave diving as line markers), a dive knife or a dive light attached to my arm. The Heser backup light is carried in a soft goodman handle but was prone to slipping and falling off prior to proper anchoring.

These things are strapped on my forearm, typically. Light and knife/tools on the left arm (sometimes I carry a canister light, sometimes a cave diving helmet with lights, sometimes a Heser backup light on my left arm). Gauges and computers go on the right arm (reason: my drysuit exhaust valve operates if I lift the left arm; I do not want that to happen when I look at my computer/gauges; hence, they have to go to the right).

 

[mr_v]

Bring only the items you need for the dive plan.

Small stuff - attach the to webbing as seen above, put in drysuit leg pockets, or get a butt pouch.