What Dive Gear & Accessories Have You REMOVED from Your Kit, or replaced with something different?

[SlugLife]

What are some pieces of dive-gear you personally bought, carried, equipped, or used but then removed?

Bonus questions:

• Why did you originally get the item?
• Why did you remove it?
• Was the item's functionality replaced by another item?

Just to be clear, no straight upgrades, like a "a more awesome dive knife" but you can include "side-grades," like swapping a 10-inch knife for mini line-cutter. You can also include items where you discovered you bought the wrong thing (like an SMB, when you needed a DSMB).

 

[SlugLife]

My list:

• Spare Air (3cu) - Hey, don't laugh! Ok, fine you can laugh. To be fair, I only spent $70 on it. At the time I bought it, I thought it would be easy redundant air. Soon after I did research, and discovered they're basically useless for divers & have since upgraded to a 19cu tank with decent regulators. I have used the spare-air a couple times, including retrieving sunglasses at 15ft and unhooking an anchor at 20ft. However, every time I've used it, it's felt super sketchy and I'm not a fan.
• Backplate/Wing - About 1-month after I invested in and built a BP+W setup, I discovered side-mount. So, I've side-graded to side-mount. I do like my BP+Wing a LOT more than my jacket-style BC, and would use it in any back-mount dive, and have no complaints. It's just that I discovered I wanted something completely different right after I bought it. This is not a knock at BP+W, just a personal preference.
• Replaced SMB (Surface Marker Bouy) with DSMB. This might be considered an "upgrade" however, I bought an SMB only to discover 2-weeks later that DSMBs existed, and felt the SMB was just a waste of space and money. I'll probably give the SMB to a diver that doesn't have one.
• Metal Detector - My experience was terrible. The metal-detector has a very short range. If in a silty-location (everywhere near me is silty), digging to find the metal item just silts the water. It also mostly detects beer-cans, which are everywhere, and ended up being a time-waster when I can just find loot with my eyes that much better. The really expensive metal-detectors might be worthwhile in niche instances, but I'm not looking to drop $800 or more on one. I let my dive-buddies try the metal-detector after I bought it, and they all immediately lost interest in buying one (or even borrowing it).
• Too Many D Rings - There was a short phase where I went nuts with d-rings and similar attachments. I've since cut back, and learned to better store items I'm not using out of the way & position d-rings where they're easier to find.

 

[kelemvor]

Full Face masks. I bought them hoping they'd be the greatest thing ever. Talking to my wife while diving rather than fooling with handsigns? Awesome! Free classes with the purchase at a LDS. We used them exclusively for about 18 months (about 40 dives) before giving up. Never could get my air consumption anywhere near where it was with a normal regulator. We got tired of being the first people back on the boat, even when there were noob divers. We decided to switch back to regular mask/regulators (scubapro s600, not that the specific model matters much). I just stumbled on the receipt for them last week ($1,800.00 for two masks plus comms!). She wants to sell, I just can't bring myself to do it.. so they continue to sit in my dive closet.

Dive Knife It was something I never used, but frequently replaced after finding it had fallen out of the sheath. Replaced with a Trilobyte eezycut and "trauma" shears.

Trilobyte eezycut The trilobyte worked okay but it's got a metal blade. Eventually the blade rusts, so it looks bad and requires maintenance every few years. After the free blades were used up, I wasn't about to buy another given that there is a better option: Replaced with a DGX sharpcut which has a ceramic blade. Mine's only 3 years old (2 years longer than a trilobyte blade lasts) but so far it is still sharp and there's no metal to rust.

 

[Wibble]

Machete/swords -- A short but stout dive knife that fits in the pocket (Remora). Easily cuts through thick rope. Large knives, especially on your lower leg, are hard to get to and can trap line. Quickly learned that.

Line cutters -- on the waist belt and the computers on both arms. Work exceedingly well for cutting fishing line and netting to rescue crabs and critters caught up in the ghost fishing nets. Massively better than dive knives which are rubbish cutting netting. Try it.

Quackers and shakers -- no. Just no. The DiveMaster might have a use when herding a bunch of divers, but everyone else doesn't need to hear your racket.

Cheap torches -- seems that quality costs money. After going through maybe half a dozen cheapo far-eastern torches that fail within a few dives, finally stumped up the cash for a decent torch which is still going strong after 500+ dives. Alas you pay for these torches. Now have several!

Recreational fins -- those crazy ScubaPro things which are rubbish at finning. Replaced with proper Hollis H1s which are heavy and work very well for all forms of finning techniques: frog, mod-frog, back-kick, helicopter turns.

Retractors and other recreational tat -- just do it properly; clip torches off on your chest D-ring or put stuff in your pockets (yes, you do need to get them fitted to your suits)

Big suit pockets -- changes your life! Two SMBs, reels, spare mask, knife, wetnotes. All fit in without problem.

BCD -- replaced with a backplate + wing. BCDs are so cumbersome in comparison.

Big, heavy 100m/330' reel with self-inflating SMB -- so much easier to put up from all depths. Just works without the faff of inflating one with your drysuit hose / regulator.

Octopus -- replaced with a simple necklaced backup on a short hose, with 2.1m/7' longhose. So much better.

Backmount -- replaced with sidemount if doing shallow open circuit dives

Open circuit -- replaced with a rebreather of course! A deep dive with helium for $30. Plus thousands for the unit and training ;-)

 

[SlugLife]

Full Face masks.

Dive Knife

Trilobyte eezycut

I just got one of those DGX eezycuts a couple days ago, but I haven't dove with it yet. The thing is pretty awesome, it's tiny, cuts 2x layers of webbing easily, and you can even manage a good grip using a combo of the handle & the velcro strap.

I also recently got some "trauma shears," which I find myself using on the surface a lot to cut stuff. They store on the BC a lot easier, lightweight, inexpensive, cut well, and less likely to stab myself.

Cheap torches

Retractors and other recreational tat

Big suit pockets -- changes your life! Two SMBs, reels, spare mask, knife, wetnotes. All fit in without problem.


Big, heavy 100m/330' reel with self-inflating SMB -- so much easier to put up from all depths. Just works without the faff of inflating one with your drysuit hose / regulator.

Octopus -- replaced with a simple necklaced backup on a short hose, with 2.1m/7' longhose. So much better.

Backmount -- replaced with sidemount if doing shallow open circuit dives

Open circuit -- replaced with a rebreather of course! A deep dive with helium for $30. Plus thousands for the unit and training ;-)

Cheap torches make good backup torches. I also use them for marking sites from the surface, tied to a float/anchor combo. Agreed on retractors, they never do what you want them to do.

Which "Big suit pockets" do you use? I've done some fairly extensive modifications to my "sidemount butt pouch" and am always looking for ideas.

Self-inflating SMB sounds neat. I inflate mine using my alternate octo or alternate regulator. I recently wrapped my DSMBs in 18-ft of line, so it's one less thing to fuss with when shooting them from a safety stop. I can still attach them to my reel if I need a longer line for some reason.

Jealous of rebreather, but can't justify the cost at the moment

 

[kelemvor]

Cheap torches make good backup torches. I also use them for marking sites from the surface, tied to a float/anchor combo. Agreed on retractors, they never do what you want them to do.

Ain't that the truth. I've got 3 fully plastic "1000 lumen" led lights that take a single 18650. They're 3 or 4 years old now and no problems at all. I use them in the pool and as loaners when buddies don't have a light. $6 well spent. One of the few things I've bought on scambay over the years. I thought for sure they'd leak or crack or something.. but so far no problems.

 

[rhwestfall]

everything, and multiple times....

 

[Esprise Me]

Nobody's mentioned a snorkel yet?

Got it because the OW course said to have it. Got rid of it after switching to long hose. Replaced with doing surface swims on my back.

 

[broncobowsher]

There is my progression of lights. Started with a basic halogen light. That was run of the mill 25 years ago.
Stepped up to a big boy light cannon, HID and pretty damn fancy for a recreational light. Sometimes a bit finiky, and bulky.
Next up was the DRIS 1,000 Lumen LED light. Cheap, and better than the light cannon. I still have it and would still recommend it as a good basic dive light.
But that doesn't compare to UWLD canister light.

The basic stiff wetsuit changed to a Henderson gold core. That changed out to a Aqualock that was so much more comfortable. But I needed more time in the water than a wetsuit would allow so we went to drysuits. First off a used one, then a new one off the shelf sizing, had a warranty claim and stepped up to a made to measure. Even if you fit an off the shelf size, the made to measure is worth a few hundred more.
I don't know what happen to the first suit, the gold core is in the rental/training fleet at the dive shop I got the aqualock at. Still have that last wetsuit, even put it in the water for the first time in 2 years a couple weeks ago. The old drysuits are sitting in the closet with zero plans for them.

 

[Ulfhedinn]

Went from a poodle vest to BP/W within a few months

Standard octo and reg to long hose and secondary within a few months.

Went from a Rambo knife to a broken steak knife.

Went from some colorful fins to Jets/F1s with a few months.

Never looked back.