Drysuit Pockets - Necessary or Not??

[ronanm98]

Hi,

In the process of buying a new membrane drysuit, I was contemplating ordering pocket/s for leg/s, which one, I don't know either cargo or slimline pocket on leg/s.

Are they any good or are they a burden, does one really use them?

What type of pocket should one get? large or small, cargo standard or large, slimline pocket for knife, etc!

What location should be used? top of leg, side of leg, is there a drag element?

Thanks for all help, Ro.

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Hi there Ro -

Drysuit pockets are a godsend and I don’t know how I lived without them – it gets your gear off your harness and tucked away into a more streamlined and accessable configuration.

Personally, I think two bellows style pockets, which collapse down when not in use, would give you the best balance between size and compactness. (click here for an example)

I have one neoprene cargo pocket for wet notes, one small smb pocket and one knife pocket on my neoprene suit but would go with two cargo or bellows pockets if I did it again on a membrane . The pockets are great for holding mask, gloves, hood, computer etc while gearing up above water - and this pre- and post-dive activity is where I find the pockets most useful.

D rings or grommets on the pockets outside help attach whats inside to yourself – preventing accidental loss. Zips tend to break: I prefer velcro fasteners.

I'd place them where you have pockets on your normal clothing - on top of thigh orientated half way between the front and side of your leg.

Cheers,
Rohan.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Another vote for pockets. I dive a bp/w with harness and don't have anywhere to tuck things away there. Personally, I made my own pockets and glued them on. Bellows are definitely the way to go. The slim line just don't allow you to put much in them.

 

[mccabe]

Pockets are an absolute must IMO if you dive with a harness!! Before I got them I had to leave a few things behind but now I have everything to hand.

Andy

 

[jim T.]

How are the Dive Rite "strap on" the leg pockets/thigh pocket? Do they do as good a job as glued on? One advantage is that they can be used with more than one suit or to decide if you even want a glued on or not.

I'm thinking of giving one a try but would like to know if they slip around much or have any other issues. I'm drysuit diving in case it matters.

Thanks

 

[Rick Inman]

DS pockets are like cell phones. Before you get one, you wonder if the cost and hassle is worth it. But once you own one, you can't leave the house without it.

I'm so used to my pockets that before I went on vacation recently in Hawaii, I glued some pockets onto my 3/2 wet suit. Otherwise, where am I gonna keep my spool and sausage and shears and wetnotes and spare mask and spare double-ender and lenses and lens covers and car keys and stuff??

 

[moneysavr]

Pockets
You need them!

 

[dbulmer]

Ronan,
I think I've seen your questions on another board - if I am right you're going for an Otter Britannic right?

Assuming you are, do not get the standard pockets. They are zippered and are placed a couple of inches above the knee.

I have an Otter Britannic.

Here are 4 reasons why you don't want them:

a) They have zips which you have to pull in 2 different directions - one zip to the left one to the right. The zips can jam in either direction and require a bit of pulling .

b) You have to reach down (bend down) to get at them which is awkward particularly if you dive in a horizontal position ie you end up going vertical to reach them ie This is really irritating when you want to put up a blob (DSMB).

c) If you dive from RIBS it can make it more difficult to get back on the boat because the pockets get in the way.

d) There is extra drag on your legs which can affect your trim and your comfort in the water.

Do as Tassie suggests - I didn't and regretted it.

On a separate thread you asked about the undersuit - go for the 200g and make sure you have braces fitted. You can also unzip your suit and place the arms through the braces to avoid getting too warm in the summer. BTW the 200g is quite warm but needs a little air to work well.

Any other questions feel free to pm me and if it's not an Otter Britannic you are getting .... still listen to Tassie - he's giving you great advice.

**** JimT ****

Leading on to JimT - because of the above I used a DiveRite leg pocket and placed it on my BP harness on the right hand side just under my shoulder. It's not an optimal solution but works reasonably ok with one added advantage in that you can detach the pocket if you don't need it.

 

[scubadobadoo]

Don't have them. Wish I did!

 

[Darnold9999]

Have one, will add another as required. With BP/W no good place to put odds and ends. The pocket carries my backup light and safety sausage at the moment, will add other odds and ends that I don't regularly need, so don't want on a DRing but want to have with me in the water. The one I have closes with velcro and has a ring and strap inside to attach things that might fall out if the velcro is open. Fumbling inside with gloves means I really don't want too many things in each pocket.

A little drag, and I suspect could catch on something but the convenience factor wins for me.

Keys go inside the drysuit - damn key is worth way too much to put in salt water regularly.