Dive gear configuration, good ideas!

[MB NZ]

Shamelessly borrowed from another thread which has turned in to a bun fight for some reason. Post your dive gear choices and configurations that may be outside the mainstream. Share you experience for the benefit of others, but prepare to be criticised. No need to get in to a row about standardization (which has it's advantages); if that's your thing, great, but this isn't the thread for you. I'll start.

1. Open cell freediving wetsuit for temperate water wetsuit diving. Game changer in terms of warmth and comfort.

2. Foot wear for wetsuit diving. Neoprene sock with baseball boots on top. Very comfortable.

3. Plate rings for attaching slung pony and DSMB/spool. No saggy belt.
Backplate Mounting Ring System 95mm
www.divingproducts.co.uk

4. I don't usually have an octopus on my rig. As a solo diver, I consider it more of a liability than a life-saving addition. Note that I use a redundant gas source.

5. Stainless steel backplate. Additional weight in trim pockets. No weight belt, whoohoo!

Plus in the past, I ran my SPG over my shoulder like rebreather divers do. It's a very convenient spot to see it easily without using hands. Good for photographers.

 

[Nemrod]

For this year, my tropical travel rig, Oxy Ultra-lite plate, VDH 23 or Oxy 18 wing, basic Hog rig save for being weight integrated:



And a new (Florida rigged) Mark 11 with a G250 second stage, 40 inches braided hose and a DGX BCI and B&G SPG:



If I wear a wetsuit or rubber junk it is a shorty, swimsuit and rash guard under, neoprene soft booties, a beanie cap and one of these:



Atomic Frameless mask or Scubapro Frameless mask with full prescriptions, Scubapro Go Sport Gorilla fins, Peregrine standard for back up (on camera usually) and Peregrine TX for primary computer without an AI Tx. I usually also carry a DSMB and spool on the butt D-ring.

But, if I wanted to go old school, BCs are really kind of a crutch, J rod reserve, DH single stage USD Mistral, Nemrod mask, Nemrod Super A Professional fins, oh, and the Aqua Video (my video phase did not last long before returning to film Nikonos).

 

[BoltSnap]

new (Florida rigged) Mark 11

What's a "Florida rigged"?

 

[Nemrod]

What's a "Florida rigged"?

An open water long hose, donate primary regulator configuration borrowed from Hogarthian cave/tech but with a 40 inches hose instead of a 72 inches hose and ran under the arm with a swivel for the primary second stage. Also referred to as an open water streamlined rig. The secondary is usually a similar second stage on a short hose, necklaced but taken to extreme is what you see in my post.

 

[pdwh]

Shamelessly borrowed from another thread which has turned in to a bun fight for some reason. Post your dive gear choices and configurations that may be outside the mainstream. Share you experience for the benefit of others, but prepare to be criticised. No need to get in to a row about standardization (which has it's advantages); if that's your thing, great, but this isn't the thread for you. I'll start.

1. Open cell freediving wetsuit for temperate water wetsuit diving. Game changer in terms of warmth and comfort.

2. Foot wear for wetsuit diving. Neoprene sock with baseball boots on top. Very comfortable.

3. Plate rings for attaching slung pony and DSMB/spool. No saggy belt.
Backplate Mounting Ring System 95mm
www.divingproducts.co.uk

4. I don't usually have an octopus on my rig. As a solo diver, I consider it more of a liability than a life-saving addition. Note that I use a redundant gas source.

5. Stainless steel backplate. Additional weight in trim pockets. No weight belt, whoohoo!

Plus in the past, I ran my SPG over my shoulder like rebreather divers do. It's a very convenient spot to see it easily without using hands. Good for photographers.

On the backplate, depending on your size and weight needs, a little digging shows you can get them even heavier than the 6 pounds or so of a normal stainless steel one.

I just started using a ScubaForce Black Devil Long and Heavy backplate when I decided to try a backplate/wing setup. It's 12 pounds and about 3 inches longer than most and broader at the shoulders so the weight is more forward. It's made a HUGE difference in my trim, control, and air consumption.

BACKPLATES

 

[scrane]

Regs:
Conshelf SE2/ SP d400 w/ AL Legend Octo, Oceanic transmitter
US Divers Aqua Master Phoenix DH w/ DGX Gears D6 Octo, Oceanic transmitter

VDH Backplate w/ Hollis 22lb wing.
Atomic Frameless mask, Original Force Fins.
Shearwater Perdix AI and Garmin Descent Mk1 backup.
5mm Pinnacle Shorty wetsuit
Save-a-dive: SPG, SP Mk2 first, Atomic T1 second.

Obviously, no one confuses their gear with mine on the boat.

Everything plus clothes &etc fit in standard carryon and personal item.

 

[lowwall]

I've got the heavyweight version of @Nemrod's setup. I just got back from a dive trip to Cozumel with it. I did have to pay for a checked bag, but everything fit nicely in the one checked bag and a backpack.

The advantage is that I didn't need to add any lead with any of Aldora's steel tanks. I mainly used an HP100 (1 dive with an HP117) with my wetsuit, but also an HP80 without a wetsuit for shore dives.

Long SS Freedom Plate with VDH 18# wing. XS trim pockets for weights (if needed). Not shown next to the right trim pocket is a pair of EMT shears in a sheath. Normally clipped on is a DGX600 button light, a GoPro with a boltsnap zip tied to its case, and a DSMB with spool.

Mares MR22 with Proton Metal seconds. My primary is currently on a 48" rubber hose that I route under the arm. I had a 40" braided but it was too short (I've got a large chest). I'm going to get a 44" braided, but the trip was made on short notice and the only thing I could get in time was this rubber hose. Its boltsnap is missing because I tried to tie it on from memory and obviously screwed up the knot. My bungeed backup is on a 24" braided hose.

Other gear for this trip. Henderson 3mm full front zip jacket (shorty with full length arms), rash guards, Mares Superchannel full foot fins, Tusa mask with lenses from Prescription Dive Masks.

 

[Eric802]

My gear is pretty simple, I think. And I don't have a ton of dives, obviously, but I've had a few since I got into this configuration and it seems to work well so far.

I have a HOG SS backplate with the adjustable harness - I've had shoulder surgery and the adjustable is just easier to get into. I have a DiveRite line cutter on the belt, and a not-so BFK that goes on my left calf. I have a DSMB pre-rigged to a spool that I clip on a butt D-ring. I put one flashlight on a chest D-ring on the right side, and have a back-up light attached to my backplate with a couple loops of bungee through the holes on the plate (one loop gets the boltsnap clipped to it, and the head of the light goes in the other loop). If I was doing a wreck or night dive I'd have a light in a soft Goodman handle on my right hand. I always make sure at least one light has a strobe function.

My camera is a GoPro knockoff on a tray with a single video light; I have a boltsnap attached to that and can clip it off to a shoulder D-ring when I'm not using it. I also clip my SPG off to the plastic D-ring on the adjustable shoulder harness, left side, so it doesn't dangle more that a couple inches when I'm horizontal.

My harness has built-in weight pockets, so no weight belt. The pockets also have D-rings on the bottom so if I'm bringing something like a reel I can clip it onto one of those.

Peregrine on the wrist, and a repurposed snorkel keeper to hold my octo. That's about it. I probably need a whistle or something like that.