Neat Little Tricks Are Good to Know

[TSandM]

No, I don't use an STA -- I use a DSS wing. I had to move my tank much higher on my back. My dear class and practice buddy figured that out, after watching me struggle.

 

[redacted]

60+ Y/O shoulders just don't want to reach back and get the knob on a single tank. My solution was to release my BP waist strap as I reach up and grab a hand full of hoses close to the 1st stage. A good pull up and over on the hoses and the valve is easy to reach. I don't use a STA so my single tank is about as close as it can get. But I don't have any problem hitting my head. The 60+ Y/O neck bones don't bend far enough back any more. Just one more advantage of maturity.

 

[elmer fudd]

It's actually possible to position a single tank so you can reach the valve. I didn't believe it until we pulled it off (turning on your valve is required for a Fundies rec pass). I had to move the tank up a WHOLE lot further than I was accustomed to having it.

It can be done with the tank down low too. A few weeks ago I forgot to turn my tank on while using a double hose regulator, which for ease of breathing really need to be mounted low. I caught my mistake during my predive checks, but I didn't want to strip everything off again, and since I was diving solo I didn't have a buddy available to do it for me, so I decided this would be a great time to practice my valve skills. With a good hard tug from my left hand on the bottom of the tank and a little contortion of my right arm I was able to turn it all the way on. Not something I'd care to do while struggling to breathe underwater, but I'm sure adrenaline would help get things done.

 

[Mike Boswell]

While we're on the subject of neat little tricks.

1- Cough up a good mucousy blob of flem, the more sound effects the better, and rub it around the inside of your mask and (when boat diving), leave it there until you jump in. Then rinse your mask once you're in the water. .

I used to use spit when I was a kid, but my spit, at least, is only fair. Certain kinds of seaweed works better than spit, and the commercial defog stuff works real well. I've heard that fabric softener works well, too.

In Roatan our DM used a squeeze bottle full of blue liquid stuff that worked perfectly, and when Katy asked him what it was he said it was just powdered laundry soap mixed with water.

So now we just use dry powdered laundry soap. And a little spit.

 

[Mike Boswell]

It's actually possible to position a single tank so you can reach the valve. I didn't believe it until we pulled it off (turning on your valve is required for a Fundies rec pass). I had to move the tank up a WHOLE lot further than I was accustomed to having it.

After thinking about it for a while I realized that the kind of regulator you have might affect this. On our regs (AL Titan), the first stage barrel is in-line with the valve and yoke assembly, whereas other reg first stages I've seen turn down at 90 degrees and would seem to make more room for your head.

 

[TSandM]

Another good tip for anybody missing a buckle -- a ziptie pulled around 2" webbing until the webbing just begins to curl will keep a canister light on

Oh -- and my singles reg IS an AL Titan, and used to be yoke.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Holding your depth while unstowing, rigging, and deploying a SMB.
... look at the particulate matter in the water to maintain your depth while rigging your SMB to deploy it , it gives you immediate and direct feedback on if your rising or dropping in the water column ... you can look at rigging it in your peripheral vision and only after getting it ready to go do you need to look at it and check over you to see if it's clear

Only if the water column has no up and down to it; Molokini's backside "wall" often has ocean swells impacting against it, so even pretty far away the water column is also moving up and down. Fringe reefs also create up and down motion when swells pass overhead.

 

[NAM001]

you can use the particulate in the water to help in navigation. the particles will flow straight down the mask if going in a straight line they sweep to the side if turning.

also try using a coating of bar soap on the mask inside lense and rub till clear for the fog. test this in your bathroom on a mirror that fogs when the shower runs.. no more fog.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

you can use the particulate in the water to help in navigation. the particles will flow straight down the mask if going in a straight line they sweep to the side if turning.

What if the water has current &/or surge? Perhaps those two tricks should be prefaced with "When you are diving in a static body of water..."

 

[Mike Boswell]

I wonder if anybody knows a trick for loosening the knob on the yoke valve! Man, sometimes those puppies are TIGHT.