Downsize my gear please.

[scubafanatic]

It has been my experience that it's the 'lite weight' traveling divers that always end up approaching me to 'sponge' off various spare parts/bits and even things like whole regs sets ...or have me use my tools to conduct field repairs ! Being the good natured Good Samaritan that I am, I'll often step in and 'volunteer' such help, so maybe it's my fault, but still I guess it's just my nature, Mr. Cub Scout, Always Prepared!

 

[scubafanatic]

Do you really need a compass on guided dives, a hooded upper, a knife, a snorkel, a bunch of tools, etc.?

Sounds like a 'plan', UNTIL Murphy shows up and things go 'pear-shaped', then all that silly redundant/safety gear suddenly looks a lot less expendable.

 

[SangP]

I forgot to include that I would always carry my dive pouch with contains the fore mentioned items like sausage, spool, wrist compass, spare mask, the surgical scissors are always on my harness : )

SangP

 

[vladimir]

SangP, even with my stripped-down kit, I bring a spare mask, sausage, and spool. I have a digital compass in my computer, which is okay for tropical diving. And, for the record, I have never had to borrow any spare parts from scubafanatic or his ilk, but I have gotten a chuckle or two at watching them lug the kitchen sink onto a dive boat. If you have well-maintained, quality gear there is no reason to bring a dive shop with you. It's impossible to prepare for every contingency, and even the remotest dive operation can usually get you past any equipment obstacles. Thailand is not that far off the beaten path--I used to get dive gear there when I couldn't find it in Singapore.

 

[vladimir]

might get expensive---compared to back home, no?

No doubt, and in a lot of the best dive destinations mounting a shopping expedition would be a real challenge and really time consuming. There was no Walmart in Port Moresby last time I checked. The real expense is the waste of your precious vacation time.

 

[scubafanatic]

SangP, even with my stripped-down kit, I bring a spare mask, sausage, and spool. I have a digital compass in my computer, which is okay for tropical diving. And, for the record, I have never had to borrow any spare parts from scubafanatic or his ilk, but I have gotten a chuckle or two at watching them lug the kitchen sink onto a dive boat. If you have well-maintained, quality gear there is no reason to bring a dive shop with you. It's impossible to prepare for every eventuality, and even the remotest dive operation can usually get you past any equipment obstacles. Thailand is not that far off the beaten path--I used to get dive gear there when I couldn't find it in Singapore.

Well, you've likely never called upon the Coast Guard either, but it's good to know they're available 'in the event', isn't it ? Common examples of things NOT available 'on site' are specialized computer/light batteries, and rental masks that actually fit.....and some dive ops won't do repairs for liability reasons.....even simple repairs like swapping out a hose or a dive computer battery, and many divers have zero mechanical aptitude, and appreciate 'Johnny on the spot'! Additonally, rental gear is usually very well worn/high mileage/low end gear, which can quickly sour that big-bucks remote liveaboard experience. YMMV

 

[scubafanatic]

No doubt, and in a lot of the best dive destinations mounting a shopping expedition would be a real challenge and really time consuming. There was no Walmart in Port Moresby last time I checked. The real expense is the waste of your precious vacation time.

One of my favorite examples of short-sighted divers "wasting their precious vacation time" are those who underestimate their thermal protection requirements, thinking they're going to the 'tropics' so they'll be OK in a bikini or skin, and end up sitting out a bunch of '$ 500 per dive' dives (because that's the real price of many remote dives when you factor in airfare and other ancillary expenses), penny wise and pound foolish!

 

[vladimir]

.....

 

[cdolphin]

It has been my experience that it's the 'lite weight' traveling divers that always end up approaching me to 'sponge' off various spare parts/bits and even things like whole regs sets ...or have me use my tools to conduct field repairs ! Being the good natured Good Samaritan that I am, I'll often step in and 'volunteer' such help, so maybe it's my fault, but still I guess it's just my nature, Mr. Cub Scout, Always Prepared!

PADI has a SCUBA Boy Scout badge now.:chuckle:

I get blamed for too much stuff all the time, it's the Girl Scout in me. But I don't spend two hours trying to get to the store in [insert remote vacation spot here] because I refused to carry extra batteries weighing five ounces.

 

[shawrg]

I pack the wal-mart brand of sythetic Ts (polyester). As you say, they pack small and light, comfortable, cheap and they also dry much quicker than cotton.

I quit carrying any cotton clothes to warm diving destinations. They're bulky and heavy, and the new synthetic stuff is cheap (Target, Walmart) and more comfortable in the humidity. I can pack ALL of my clothes for a 3-week trip into a space about the size and weight of a loaf of good bread.