Too much gear? Or standardized setup?

[stuartv]

You worry too much.

I have no idea what you're talking about!

 

[dmaziuk]

One disadvantage of standardized setups is running into someone somewhere who follows a different standard. One could have a bit of a problem if one forgot how things can be different and one's life depended on it.

 

[eelnoraa]

I would say that this is the same for divers who dive the so called non-"standardized" gear. I don't believe any average divers will have several different set of gears, different config for the same type of gears. Even in stuartv's case, I think he mainly use one type for each config. So when an average divers with random dive gear meet another diver with another config, she/she will need to learn something about that gear to. Using so called standardized gear doesn't mean the refusal of other people's choice of gear. Not at all

 

[george_austin]

mask fins (snorkel) weight belt reg/tank and harness - spg, bottom timer and compass (usually) - SMB on dive trips. USMC Mk2 knife on waist strap. Quality flashlight maybe.

 

[Schwob]

Can you wear "too much" gear?

On a recent Bonaire dive trip we witnessed a group of "club divers" that seemed to be wearing just about everything possible. To me they looked like an advertisement for buying everything the LDS sold.

In my mind, the more gear you have the more things there are to check and verify and manage and the more opportunity for error or screwup or failure. More gear is more complex.

The flip side could be that these divers have established a standardized setup that they use for all types of diving, regardless of the dive conditions. We also have a standard setup that we use for all dives, but it is fairly minimal since all of our dives are very similar: warm water, great viz, no current. We dive in probably the easiest dive conditions possible, so least amount of gear required. The only changes I make is I use a tank marker light and take a backup light for night dives.

Does it make sense to tailor your gear to the type of dive and leave extra stuff behind? Or wear everything you own?

Too much gear for what and for whom?
Since I am fairly new to diving and since this is easily done on shore dives, if I see something on a diver that peaks my interest or that I wonder about, I ask.
They probably would have told you why they think they wear all that stuff.

Is your shore dive the same as someone elses?
Maybe. Or maybe someone is practicing navigation and you are not. Maybe somebody "nervous ... or diligent... " prepares for a night dive and rigs up "as if". Maybe somebody has not seen it all already and is still trying to figure out what there is or isn't to see in "holes". Maybe someone just feels they bought it so they carry it, so they dive less efficiently and they are just fine with that ... or it's just that the new X-Mas ornament received needs to be displayed on the tree, or else the gift giver is offended... - who knows what their reasons were or if they had any, really.
No real point here other than:
Why not just ask the very divers you are wondering about next time?

 

[Beyond_Diving]

Gear preferences are extremely subjective. However, I am a firm believer in taking only what is necessary to conduct the dive. I try to instill the same philosophy on all of my students. Whether they are doing a basic open water diver course or a full cave course, if it isn't needed, it shouldn't be taken, and it should definitely never be dangling.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

For the newer diver, having some extra gear is not so much of a problem,. But the task loading of trying to do too many things at once becomes an issue. Can even be a safety issue.

I take more gear than I expect to use, and lately have been somewhat casual in that all my dive alerts are broke and I haven't been carrying my marine radio in the case for a while.

I still carry 2 knives, 3 smb/ lift bag, a light and whatever gear I plan on using... Often a reel and dive hook with a float, a pole spear, a speargun. A catch bag, a lobster net and lately a lionfish container. Haven't been wearing a snorkel much. Since the headstrap of the go pro kinda conflicts with it some.

 

[IBjones]

I gear up according to the dive I've planned.

On the rock jetty at 40 feet, at noon time, I'm not carrying a flashlight, let alone hauling around two of them. On the same dive at night I'll carry two. With a max depth of 30 feet on that jetty, I'm not hauling spare air or a pony bottle. I can CESA all day long from 30 feet if I have to. I'm not hauling a wreck reel all over the sand bottom, there's nothing to tie it to anyway but coral or an occasional rock. I will carry my compass because the bottom is sandy and it's easy to get turned around. I'm not hauling the safety sausage because it's basically a shore dive at 30 feet depth and I'm never more than a couple hundred yards from a shoreline anyway. If I get "lost" I'd probably just holler over to the guy on the beach and ask him how to get there.

If I'm diving a wreck, I'll carry that wreck reel. I probably won't carry a compass because the steel wreck screws it up anyway, I have to 300 yard long boat lying on the bottom to navigate by, and even if I did get washed out to sea somehow or left behind by the dive boat, the 30 mile swim back home is too far even if I knew which was northwest was anyway. I'll carry the safety sausage so Pedro can find me in the middle of the Atlantic.

I think a lot of the "Christmas tree" thing is either, "Look at all the cool stuff I got", or the PADI, "You're gonna certainly die if you don't dive with two of everything made for the Scuba industry" thing they push to drive income to their "PADI Dive Centers".

Went on a charter last year. There were some NOAA guys along with us They were doing something like setting up underwater cameras so they could get time-lapse photos of what the wreck life did when divers weren't there. Apparently their "rule for all NOAA divers" is that everyone must have a pony bottle. So we all gear up and I head over to the gunwale to jump in. The NOAA guys were doing their own thing on their own time line. As I get to the gunwale by the gate, some NOAA kid sees me and frantically says, "Oh hey hey, you don't have a pony bottle! We have extra pony bottles. Would you like me to get you a pony bottle?"

I just said, "Nah. Thanks kid, but I got an SPG."

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

My Transpac and backplate are set up the same way. Smb/reel on my right hip d ring. Small day dive light on left shoulder d ring and banded. Line cutter on left strap, below the quick release. Small dive Knife in utility pocket on waist strap, save a dive kit in the small zippered pocket on the utility pocket. Whistle zip tied to inflator hose. I have a small mirror I've been meaning to put in The small pocket.

For night dives, my primary light is on my wrist when I go in. A strobe goes in the utility pocket. We just bought some marker lights, not sure if I want them on all the time on night dives or not. They will probably go on the tank straps if used.

I put a 5 foot hose on my wife's reg set to extend our dive times. My worst fear (other than the obvious) is shortening someone else's dive due to my air consumption. It's easy to stow and gives a little more length when we are diving together.

I still have to laugh at the guy with the BFK on a Cozumel reef dive. Probably took 2-3 pounds of lead off though. If that thing came out of its sheath, I'd be leaving. My wife either hired him to collect on insurance, or whatever he was going to use it on, I didn't want any part of. CESA for me, gotta go!!

Safe diving guys,
Jay

 

[TMHeimer]

Gear preferences are extremely subjective. However, I am a firm believer in taking only what is necessary to conduct the dive. I try to instill the same philosophy on all of my students. Whether they are doing a basic open water diver course or a full cave course, if it isn't needed, it shouldn't be taken, and it should definitely never be dangling.

Agree. Take what you need to do the dive safely--and other objectives like photography, spear, etc. I have several things that sometimes go, sometimes not:
-- foldable snorkel (take if current, etc.)
--shell collecting bag (take if pockets won't be enough)
--knife (usually take unless I'm sure no entanglements possible)
--Dive Alert (take if current)
--poke spear (take if right time of year for flounders)
--computer (take only if going deeper than 30')
--hose for pushing wetsuit leg out a little for pee flow (no take if only wearing farmer john top or in shorty...)
--dive light (rarely take them--if it's that dark I will turn around)