Help -- Drowning in gear!

[Kingpatzer]

Ok, I'm not sure how it happened, but I looked around today and I realized I have gear everywhere. I have gear in the dining room. I have gear in the garage. I have gear in the living room. I have gear in 3 different closets. I have gear at the LDS. I have gear in my car. I have gear under the deck. I have gear . . . well, you get the idea.

How do folks organize your stuff when you have quite a bit of it?

I'm thinking that I could use something like a large rubber maid bin one for each type of diving I do (confined water instruction, open water instruction, single tank tank fun diving, doubles, ice, and so on). And perhaps have a small bin for the stuff that is common to all or most of those things.

What about spare parts? Extra suits, hoses, slates, lights, and so on?

I'm drowning under this stuff and it's starting to drive my wife nuts. Considering she's a DM and has actually named her BC and reg because she loves them so much, you know I'm in a bad way . . .

 

[letterboy]

I have a grey bin for "spare parts" a tool box with drawers for tools and small spares (bolt snaps, o-rings, widgets and gadgets).

Thats all stacked on one of the wire shelving units that has adjustable shelf heights. I have 4 shelves each is set up for a different type/persons gear.

I also have one of the wire racks designed for hanging items I have hangers for all my plates and BCs on one side and suits on the other, my lights and other items that have bolt snaps hang from the wire rack ontop.

underneath I slide my fins, i have 3 sets underneath with 3 sets of booties so all I have to grab is a set of fins and the correct booties are in them already. . .

hope this makes sense...

 

[tkdgodess]

Spare bedroom in my house (the basement bedroom). I have a desk, filing cabinet, shelves for dive books/files/education. Bins for gear, closet organizer mounted on the wall for stuff that needs hanging. Nice and organized. My husband built me a rack to hang up all my stuff by our back shed for rinsing and drying.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Consolidate gear storage if possible. My apartment is rather small. On account of this, my scuba storage needed to be organized, out-of-sight (or at least not an eyesore), and make efficient use of space. An IKEA standalone closet was the answer for me. I can hang my wetsuits inside of it. I placed a Rubbermaid drawer set inside the closet to keep all of my scuba tools, parts, and accessories. I created a dedicated shelf for my drysuit + undergarments. Gear that gets used on every dive (BP/W, lights, mask, drygloves, regulator) is packed and stored in a Rubbermaid container under a table in the corner of the living room. Tanks stand at attention along the wall near the front door (couldn't think of a more convenient place). I store gear that isn't needed very often (roller bags, AL BP/harness, spares) in my downstairs storage closet. Be creative and be organized. Good luck!

 

[pnw_diver]

The first thing you need to do is realize that you have a gear obsession. You seem to have taken this step.

I'd recommend taking your excess gear, and shipping it to me. I'll dispose of it in a safe, humane manner.

 

[spectrum]

Nearly 1/4 of the basement works well.

In the warmer months the active gear is in a garage bay.

Good storage not only lets you find the stuff but it keeps it safe and in good condition.

Pete

 

[TSandM]

I took a wall of our downstairs "rec" room and put up wire shelving, with a section at the end with a hanging pole for suits. I bought plastic boxes and put the regs in them. BCs hang at the bottom of the whole setup. I thought I had posted a picture of the room, once I got it finished, but I can't find the photo.

I saw a photo yesterday of a guy who bought one of those "cube" bookcases from IKEA, and bought plastic boxes with lids on them that just fit in the openings, and he put all the small stuff into those.

 

[Scott]

I have a 12'x20' 'sports' room with wall to wall shelving and a rack for hanging items. I have to gear up for five for everything.
Gloves, hoods, booties, fins, lights all have their own bin on the shelves.
BC's and wetsuits hang.
Regs are in a bin or in a reg bag in the bin. PDC being used are typically in the reg bag with regs.
Drysuits depending on the time of year are in gear bags or in vacuum bags on the shelves.
Tanks are in the garage with the weights in a box with dividers next to the tanks.

 

[Ana]

There is no help, you can pretend to keep things under control but it is truly useless.

What feels like the other day (early 90's) I had already more gear than any normal person should have. One room (mid-size bedroom) full of items, the just in case I go to the north pole or if I go to lake Titicaca, plus one full set of gear in my car.

Then I got married and the addition of his gear meant: A two car garage, plus one room and 2 full sets of gear in the vehicle. That's without counting the boxes of double hose regs that we don't use but HAVE to have.

Then we got a boat so it was: 2 sets of gear in the boat plus spares and "must haves", garage, the room and the vehicle.

Then we decided we need to go back to south Florida, but can't move 100% so now is a shed and a garage in Pompano, plus all the places mentioned above.

Is worse than the 12 days of Xmas.

Fear of missing a dive for lack of gear is our worst enemy. The worse thing of it all, is that I have a tendency to dive with the exact gear all the time because I take it with me always, all that spare stuff is just there in a shelf or a hanger waiting to be used when the current gear brakes. But it never brakes ...it just get more comfy with each dive.

 

[Mike Boswell]

Hi Kingpatzer,

I was thinking about buying more gear (watches, wrist computers, travel BC's) but you talked me out of it.

Thanks!