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What Dive Gear & Accessories Have You REMOVED from Your Kit, or replaced with something different?
- Thread starter SlugLife
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Full foot fins changed to open heel fins with boots when I started diving in Saudi back in the 80s, 99% of my dives were shore dives in the Red Sea.
Changed to spring straps about 10 years ago on my Mares fins, made a massive difference.
Changed to a long hose about eight years ago and removed my octopus when I started carrying a 13 cu ft pony
Changed the 13 cu ft pony to a 30 cu ft pony / deco / stage seven years ago.
Changed from BCD to BPW seven or eight years ago.
Changed to spring straps about 10 years ago on my Mares fins, made a massive difference.
Changed to a long hose about eight years ago and removed my octopus when I started carrying a 13 cu ft pony
Changed the 13 cu ft pony to a 30 cu ft pony / deco / stage seven years ago.
Changed from BCD to BPW seven or eight years ago.
Hmm.
BFK - In fairness I was pretty sure I wouldn't use it long-term, but it was cool to use for my first year of diving. Replaced with dir (steak) knife and line cutters.
Cheap Chinese light- Still works, I just don't trust it for deeper dives. Replaced with DGX800.
Snorkel - Gave it to a friend interested in scuba
Floppy rec fins - gave them away, replaced with Deep6 Eddy (wet) and Hollis F1lt (dry)
Sidemount Butt Pouch - I much prefer tank-mounted pockets. Having all your accessories in a highly droppable bag doesn't fill me with confidence.
BFK - In fairness I was pretty sure I wouldn't use it long-term, but it was cool to use for my first year of diving. Replaced with dir (steak) knife and line cutters.
Cheap Chinese light- Still works, I just don't trust it for deeper dives. Replaced with DGX800.
Snorkel - Gave it to a friend interested in scuba
Floppy rec fins - gave them away, replaced with Deep6 Eddy (wet) and Hollis F1lt (dry)
Sidemount Butt Pouch - I much prefer tank-mounted pockets. Having all your accessories in a highly droppable bag doesn't fill me with confidence.
OP
SlugLife
Contributor
Can you please share pictures? I've been considering ideas for moving the pouch over to the tank, and found the butt-pouch to be a pain in the butt.
I did secure the butt-pouch in a way it's less droppable, but I'm also not a fan of double-enders & the process of clipping/unclipping from those rear rings. I get that the pragmatic idea is that you can squeeze through restrictions, but I'm not doing restriction diving.
Sorry for the delay, but here you are.
The top buckle strap goes around the tank neck, the elastic thigh strap circles the tank, and the bottom cinch takes a 1" strap mounted under the stainless steel hose clamp. This stabilizes the pocket in all directions. To make the bottom strap I use a foot of 1" webbing and fold it over twice at one end, which I then sew shut with a needle and nylon thread. Nothing fancy or involved, just enough stitches to keep it together. I trim a bit off the open end of the strap after I have it fitted, but you need a few inches of excess tail to cinch the strap to the pocket.
I have 3 sets of sidemount tanks and each one is set up for these pockets. I normally keep my backup mask in one and 2 dsmb's and a spool in the other.
I am sure they're not the best solution for everyone, but for Great Lakes wreck diving they are awesome.
Sorry for the delay, but here you are.
I learned about it from my tech sidemount instructor Chris Reed. I use a pair of Dive Rite thigh pouches on my tanks. They face inwards and down (close to but not against the body) diving and are very easy to access.
The top buckle strap goes around the tank neck, the elastic thigh strap circles the tank, and the bottom cinch takes a 1" strap mounted under the stainless steel hose clamp. This stabilizes the pocket in all directions. To make the bottom strap I use a foot of 1" webbing and fold it over twice at one end, which I then sew shut with a needle and nylon thread. Nothing fancy or involved, just enough stitches to keep it together. I trim a bit off the open end of the strap after I have it fitted, but you need a few inches of excess tail to cinch the strap to the pocket.
I have 3 sets of sidemount tanks and each one is set up for these pockets. I normally keep my backup mask in one and 2 dsmb's and a spool in the other.
I am sure they're not the best solution for everyone, but for Great Lakes wreck diving they are awesome.
Do you feel any detriment on streamlining? In theory the butt pouch should have less impact but I am curious to hear your experience with both options
I did not notice any additional drag from the pouches. Someone in a high-flow situation or with a less walrus-like physique may notice more than I would.
My butt pouch did not add noticable drag either, but it did touch the top of my thighs while finning which irritated me. It is a large pouch. I generally try to avoid using equipment that irritates me.
OP
SlugLife
Contributor
Sorry for the delay, but here you are.
I learned about it from my tech sidemount instructor Chris Reed. I use a pair of Dive Rite thigh pouches on my tanks. They face inwards and down (close to but not against the body) diving and are very easy to access.
The top buckle strap goes around the tank neck, the elastic thigh strap circles the tank, and the bottom cinch takes a 1" strap mounted under the stainless steel hose clamp. This stabilizes the pocket in all directions. To make the bottom strap I use a foot of 1" webbing and fold it over twice at one end, which I then sew shut with a needle and nylon thread. Nothing fancy or involved, just enough stitches to keep it together. I trim a bit off the open end of the strap after I have it fitted, but you need a few inches of excess tail to cinch the strap to the pocket.
I have 3 sets of sidemount tanks and each one is set up for these pockets. I normally keep my backup mask in one and 2 dsmb's and a spool in the other.
I am sure they're not the best solution for everyone, but for Great Lakes wreck diving they are awesome.
Thank you, this is very helpful!
I should be able to rig up something almost identical fairly quick with what I already have. I suppose the only thing I need to decide is whether I want to keep the pocket & tank-rigging separate or combine them. For various reasons I occasionally rent tanks and have to swap my rigging, and like to keep that process as fast as possible.
Do you typically move the rigging & pockets from one side-mount tank to the next, as you switch tanks? Or just the pockets?
I rarely deal with currents myself. If anything, I often have a giant bag of loot I picked off the bottom of a lake flopping around and creating drag.
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