Always bring a First Aid Kit

[milktrayman]

Hi SB,

I find when i go diving, depending on the boat and the dive company, it always pays to bring your own First Aid Kit. Thankfully most cuts and scrapes and jellyfish stings can be dealt with..

 

[mwhities]

Good suggestion. I always bring my save a dive kit too. I helped save an iinstructor with an o-ring.

Michael

 

[vel525]

don't most boats have first aid kits? what do you include in your first aid kit that a boat would not have?

and i always, bring a save a dive kit too, but don't usually bring a first aid kit, with the exception of a few band aids and some dramamine.

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

I always carry a save-a-dive kit in my spare akona weight bag and I keep a rather extensive first aid kit in my car in a pair of Pelican cases. I have yet go go on a charter on someone elses boat but I take the first aid supplies on the family boat too. murphy says what ever can happen will and what you are prepared for will never suprise you (or something like that I think).

 

[musicalmike]

ANYTIME I travel I take a well stocked first aid kit. I keep one on my boat, I take one with me for beach and boat dives and when I go on vacations with my friends or family I also bring one. I even keep one in my car. Too many times have I been in a location where the first aid kit supplied by the boat or facility does not have a particular needed treatment. Oops...we forgot to restock our kit with band-aids or tape. This happend about a month ago when I was on a 1/2 day fishing charter with my kids. A young child walked through a doorway and the heavy metal door closed on his finger. This kid most likely needed stiches, but the boat had no gauze and no antibacterial or anything to help treat him. Of course a paper towel will work, but they are not too sterile. Fortunatly I had my trusty FA kit. It's like American Express.....don't leave home without it!

 

[saltydawg]

being a fire department rescue first responder I cary a tackle box modified with save a dive stuff on one shelf and first aid in the rest of the box, alcohol, betadine soap, peroxide ,vinegar,earwash,water, gaze, tape, blood pressure cuff and steth,pen light, shears,neaver leave home with any of this gear

 

[mudhole]

don't most boats have first aid kits? what do you include in your first aid kit that a boat would not have?

and i always, bring a save a dive kit too, but don't usually bring a first aid kit, with the exception of a few band aids and some dramamine.

If you rely on someone else's first aid kit. . . it may be empty, or wet. . . For more than 20 years I've carried a plastic welding rod case. It's bright red, has a belt clip and an O-ring seal. It has never leaked even when handled roughly in the dive bag.

Inside I carry a 6x6 sterile pad, a lot of 4x4's a couple of 4" roller gauze wraps, a 1" gauze wrap, a ziplock baggy with band aids, knuckle bandages and first out of the tube is nylon tape dispenser. In the top of the rod case I carry a boxed triangular bandage. Every couple of weeks someone on the boat will need bandaids, pass around the ziploc baggie, not the whole kit. I've wrapped dislocated shoulders, serious open wounds, sprained ankles. . . build in versatility and simple tools will handle any need.

 

[Jcsgt]

It's always good to have your own first aid kit, even if the charter boat has one. You don't know how well theirs is maintained and you probably have stuff you need that they don't have.

I love those little sample packs of Ibuprofen, Aleve, etc. I collect these whenever I can get my hands on them and keep them in a plastic baggie with my other supplies.

Sudafed strips are great, since they are individually packed, get into your system very quickly and you don't need water to take them. I sometimes have trouble clearing one ear, so I pop one of these strips in my mouth a few minutes before my second dive.

A little bottle of liquid bandaid is also handy. They're easy to apply and once dry, don't fall off like regular bandaids under water.

 

[PfcAJ]

I normally carry a very well equipped first aid kit with me all the time. Naturally, the one time I didn't have my normal kit, someone got hurt badly. Scooter diver impacted the celing of a cave, 6 inch laceration to the scalp. All I had was a little gauze pad. Lesson learned, for me.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I normally carry a very well equipped first aid kit with me all the time. Naturally, the one time I didn't have my normal kit, someone got hurt badly. Scooter diver impacted the celing of a cave, 6 inch laceration to the scalp. All I had was a little gauze pad. Lesson learned, for me.

I'll second that. The one time I forgot to take my first aid kit out of the truck and put it in our ski boat I had my eyebrow split open by a knee board during a voluntary dismount. I think my sister dug a used kleenex out of her purse to stop the blood flow, I probably should have had a couple of stitches. I don't leave home without a first aid kit of some sort now.
Ber :lilbunny: