Dive Slates

[Johndog]

!" mini blinds make the best quick slates. Either scrounge or buy
the blinds(a 3 X 5 window size will give you and all your friends a life time supply and probably cost about $4.00). Cuts strips from the edges into just past the elongated hole that the cords run through (or shorter/longer if you prefer, you will just have to drill a new hole) , stack how ever many you want: 5-6 strips gives you lots of area, and thread them on a split ring. A bit of line and a golf pencil and you are set to go. They tuck nicely into the sleeve of your wetsuit since they are form fitted, put them in a pocket, clip them on a D ring. Write deco info on them (plenty of room as they stack book like... Keep up with photo info... You get tired of the writing on them...just rip out the strip and toss it and replace it with a new one (remember you have a lifetime supply) Write skills instructions for your students... LOTS of uses.

 

[Braunbehrens]

Another option is to use some kind of underwater note pad, a few companies make them.

Otherwise you can try any place that sells signs...if the material is thick enough, and white on the back, it should work.

Stuff like this can often be scrounged for free if you know where to look. A sign maker probably has scraps.

I was in need of a few sheets of rubber a couple years ago and went to a local place that produced them. They gave me several huge rolls for free, to them this was just waste material.

You could probably also use the material that is used to make computers and other such parts out of. Most major urban areas have stores where old electronic components end up, along with various other treasures. A stroll through one of these might be worthwhile, and usually everything goes cheap.

Good luck.

 

[ebbdiver]

You can use the back of those plastic "For Sale" signs you buy at the hardware store. They're easy to cut and make a good writing surface for pencil.

 

[gazzahawkes]

Here on a island in Thailand we do not have the luxury of
giant home depots so we go for recycling stuff,

Ideal for us has been old oil containers, often recovered from reefs (plastic) scour the printing of or simply use the inside for you wrighting surface.
If its to shiny use lowgrade paper to ruff it up.
As for the shape cut to size.
quite often we will then strap our new cheap slates to a tin of beans then leave them in hot water so they retain shape then after cooling they fit your fore-arm perfectly.

As for attaching old oxygen tubing is ideal as is any quick snap bcd fitting .

cheers gary
ut:

 

[DIR Tec Diver]

Look at wetnotes. Easy to get anywhere (even in Thailand), reusable and allows you about 1000% the storage space in the same thickness as a traditional slate. Not to mention that it is flexible and easily stowed.

Wrist slates are a solution to a problem that shold not be present to begin with proper dive planning, and traditional slates can (not always) be cumbersome, hard to clean off, bulky and limit the area needed for recording information or communicating

 

[Charlie99]

As others have noted, Wetnotes is a good alternative to a slate.

I use the similar Rite-in-the-Rain waterproof paper. www.riteintherain.com The plastic paper DuraRite is best, but the waterproof paper works also.

Rather than bring a whole notebook, though, I just wrap a few sheets around a 3x4" or 4x6" signal mirror (available at most boating stores).

 

[blacknet]

Hello,

goto a local plastic company and get the 6 foot square sheets and take sandpaper to them, you can get them in 1/16" or 1/8", both will work fine. If you want printed material on them you can find someone with an offset press.

The other option is to get a pack of paper from rite in the rain (last post) and use that in a laser printer.

Personaly I do both. I make a 'booklet' and have printed material and use key rings in the side. you have a hard outter shell and the paper in the middle. the paper is made the same way paper is but instead of wood pulp it's plastic fibers.

Another popular option is to use PVC pipe and cut to have a non-circle to fit over your arm.

Ed

 

[pcscuba]

That's a good idea charlie, I've never thought of that.

 

[WVMike]

Thanks for the info. I had a pad of rainwriter that I used for camping and started using while diving ( on the shore) to get dive info from computer. Did not think of trying it UW.

Last night I took a sheet UW and wrote on it with a pencil and it worked great. But I was using my slate to back it up and the whole process was awkard. So how do you attach the paper to the mirror?

For my test I wrote "Now I need a mini clip board"

As to PVC pipe for arm slate, 3 inch schedule 30 cut in half seems to be a good fit. I think when attaching webbing an old piece of neoprene or some kind of foam strip under end closest to wrist would even it out.

Mike

 

[DIR Tec Diver]

What will you do when you need to communicate detailed information to your dive buddy? Will you hold out your arm and hope that he can read the writing? What if you have your deco schedules taking up most of the room? What if it entangles on something.

Not trying to be a jerk, but ditch the wrist slate and stick with wet notes...