I just started using the
Harbor Freight stackable boxes - mainly for pool time (teaching), one quarry dive on NY Day. Haven't been able to try it out yet on a boat situation.
I went with the HF stuff since they seemed to, at the time, be the only ones with a "milk crate" type basket. I have the big rolling box, with spares like regs, and camera stuff, then the "small modular toolbox" (with the opaque lid) is the save-a-dive stuff. I have the clear-lid organizer that generally stays home on the workbench with service parts and such. In the basket I pack the stuff I know I"m probably going to use on the dive, and it's where wet stuff goes for the ride home (I have a truck with a cap, so not worried about leakage). BPW gets worn...
Same, I use the Harbor freight versions for that very reason, the milk crate drains really well and are just about the perfect size. I use them for both shore diving and for boat diving. The bottom wheeled unit has all the heavy stuff like a transfill whip and spares that I need to have with me, but not necessarily on the boat or at the shore, and I stack two of the HF milk crates on top of that in the back seat of the truck. The one on top is for my drysuit neatly folded and the middle one has everything else (lights, smb, wet notes, dry gloves, undergarments, cutting devices, computers, compass, etc).
I keep regs in a separate bag, tanks on a rack, and backplate on a hanger.
When I'm shore diving by truck, I grab both milk crates off the top of the stack, and toss them in the bed of the truck, pull a drybag from one of the milk crates for my clothes and swap my clothes for undergarments, suit up on the tailgate, lock up the truck, leaving just the empty milk crates and clothes in a drybag in the back. Best part about harbor freight gear is no one bothers them in the open bed of the truck. I'm 100% sure Milwaukee brand cases would grow legs. After the dive(s), I can just remove the drysuit and fold it up wet into one of the milk crates, and take all the other wet stuff and dump it back in the other. When I get home, its just two milk crates of stuff to rinse out, dry out and stow.
When boat diving, same deal, but I'll haul my tanks, regs and backplate to the boat, lock up the truck, put on the drysuit in the parking lot, and then just grab the other milk crate that has everything else I'll need for diving and tuck it under one of the benches and finish kitting up as we get close to the dive site.
It works pretty well for me, and when we're at the quarry for an all-day event, I can take the entire wheeled unit out so I have tools and spares to support the rest of the team.
I started using one of those smaller parts container boxes to sort things out, and that just made the stack too tall, so instead I keep spares zippered into canvas bags in the larger wheeled tote, tools in the the toolbin that floats inside the wheeled tote.
For style points, those Bauer plates pop right out (same system is sold through other retailers such as menards with other branding), and I 3D printed some red diver down flags with my name instead. When we go diving together, we won't be mixing up each other's stuff.
