Don't do this!!

[guamguy]

So here I am, last dive of my advanced open water cert, just my Instructor and I (others were out sick). Finished up the dive and were gearing down on the beach by my truck. At some point I removed my computer (wristwatch) and set it on the windshield wiper (first mistake). We decided to do another dive just for fun, so during our surface interval, we would go top off tanks. Loaded the gear into the truck and drove to the dive shop (computer still on windshield). Got to the shop and started filling tanks, went inside to shoot the bull. That's when I realized I didn't remember what I did with the computer (brand new Oceanic Geo-about 10 dives on it). Went back to the truck, luckily enough, there it sat on the windshield. That would have been an expensive mistake. Don't try this at home:cool2:

 

[NudeDiver]

I did that once, except it was with a camera placed on the roof - and it didn't survive the experience. It sucked.

 

[cflJason]

When I get out of the water, particularly on a boat, and I remove my watch and computer, I secure them to the BCD shoulder strap. Even if I forget to put them back on, they are still with me when I jump in the water again.

 

[jvevea]

I did something very similar. First day diving with my new prescription mask. I put it on top of the car and drove 45 minutes home from Monterey to Santa Cruz. Fortunately I was still using a snorkel in those days, and it snagged on the roof rack, so I didn't lose the mask. Since then, though, I've made it an inviolate rule never to put any piece of equipment on the roof.

So here I am, last dive of my advanced open water cert, just my Instructor and I (others were out sick). Finished up the dive and were gearing down on the beach by my truck. At some point I removed my computer (wristwatch) and set it on the windshield wiper (first mistake). We decided to do another dive just for fun, so during our surface interval, we would go top off tanks. Loaded the gear into the truck and drove to the dive shop (computer still on windshield). Got to the shop and started filling tanks, went inside to shoot the bull. That's when I realized I didn't remember what I did with the computer (brand new Oceanic Geo-about 10 dives on it). Went back to the truck, luckily enough, there it sat on the windshield. That would have been an expensive mistake. Don't try this at home:cool2:

 

[Dan Weidert]

I did something very similar. First day diving with my new prescription mask. I put it on top of the car and drove 45 minutes home from Monterey to Santa Cruz. Fortunately I was still using a snorkel in those days, and it snagged on the roof rack, so I didn't lose the mask. Since then, though, I've made it an inviolate rule never to put any piece of equipment on the roof.

My answer is to put most things on the roof on one side of the car - mask, fins, compass, computer, hood, gloves. I like having them up off the ground and always in the same place when I gear up (shore dives). At the end of the dive I take them all off the roof at the same time and store them, do a walk around, drive out of the parking spot, stop the car, and do another walk around. So far, so good-------

Dan

 

[don Francisco]

Over the years, I've had my share of unbelievable good luck and bad luck with the car roof over the years. I've come to the conclusion that car roofs are really sacrificial alters where we offer up our favorite posessions to the gods.

Given their small size, I'm fairly sure that more wrist computers are lost, stolen, forgotten, accidently dropped into the sea, or otherwise sacrificed, than actually used until they die a "natural" death.

I've hung onto mine for five years by avoiding taking it off. When I have to remove it, even for a minute like to put on or take off my wetsuit, I loop it onto a BC D-ring.

 

[Garrobo]

In the few years that I have been diving the only thing I have lost is a pair of gloves which I was drying out on a lamp in a motel room. One time while I had my wetsuit in the dryer someone stole a plastic bag of dirty underwear and socks. Hope they liked them.

 

[Rick Inman]

Light charger left in New York Motel.

Stage bottle/reg left in shallow water back at the lake (one of the other divers grabbed it for me).

And the worst... I have a DIY rolling wooden platform in the back of my truck so I can roll it out and get to my gear without climbing into the back under the canopy. After one dive, I just jump into the truck and drive off. As I'm heading up a hill and get to the intersection, I see in my review mirror the platform roll right out of the back of the truck (I'd left the gate open!) and crash down onto the street behind me into traffic and start rolling down the hill - with tanks and all my gear going with it! :shocked2: I jump out of the truck (leaving it squarely blocking traffic in the middle of the intersection) and start chasing my gear down the hill. I get to it, roll it back up the hill and put everything back into the truck.

None of the waiting traffic ever honked. They just watched me in fascination, some laughing... All my gear survived without damage.

 

[mike_556]

Did that once with an old motorola brick-sized cell phone........That thing went into many pieces after an impact with asphalt...

 

[DivingPrincessE]

My BF did that with a cell phone on the rear bumper/ledge area of his SUV. Drove all the way from Boynton to Lauderdale (about 45 minutes)...and it didn't fall off :shocked2: