Neat Little Tricks Are Good to Know

[Ith]

The fastest way to keep track of buddies that are behind you: Tuck your chin down to your chest and look behind you from underneath your body. Sure beats trying to turn around every minute!

This is how i keep an eye out for Jaws

 

[Tool Belt]

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

Not being a wise a$$ but we don't need to tighten them as much as we think to begin with.

 

[Jax]

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

Not being a wise a$$ but we don't need to tighten them as much as we think to begin with.

pure noob here, but I did learn this on scubaboard - sometimes we think all the gas pressure is gone, but it's not -- hold your purge valve down again, in case some residual pressure is still in there, as you loosen the yoke.

 

[ameneon]

The fastest way to keep track of buddies that are behind you: Tuck your chin down to your chest and look behind you from underneath your body. Sure beats trying to turn around every minute!

Not really recommended with a drysuit though. Very likely that water will get through the neck seal.

Be careful. I have heard from many sources that a lot of differant conditioners will breakdown latex on suits.

All products containing oil will break down the latex fast.

 

[PfcAJ]

If your DS leaks when you look down, it might be too loose.

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

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

Not being a wise a$$ but we don't need to tighten them as much as we think to begin with.

Wiggle the body of the first stage while you turn the yoke screw. Also soak the yoke screw in vinegar to make sure the threads are clean, then add a touch of WD40. Don't get any in the inlet port.

 

[Mike Boswell]

I have done a bit of travel over the last few years. About half the time, I have come down with a cold 2-3 days after stepping off the airplane. This is a major bummer on dive vacations.

I have talked to doctors and done a lot of research on this, and the most common advice I get is that we mostly catch colds because we touch something with cold virus on it, and then we touch our face, and the germs squiggle into our lips or eyes or nose, and BOOM - three days later we come down with a cold.

So, last time I traveled I imagined that every surface was glowing bright red, pulsating with germs. I had wet wipes in my pockets. I washed my hands. I boarded the plane and didn't touch anything. When I sat down I used the wet wipes to wipe the table and armrests. I never touched a magazine or a door handle.

And I never caught a cold. YAY!

 

[idocsteve]

I have done a bit of travel over the last few years. About half the time, I have come down with a cold 2-3 days after stepping off the airplane. This is a major bummer on dive vacations.

I have talked to doctors and done a lot of research on this, and the most common advice I get is that we mostly catch colds because we touch something with cold virus on it, and then we touch our face, and the germs squiggle into our lips or eyes or nose, and BOOM - three days later we come down with a cold.

So, last time I traveled I imagined that every surface was glowing bright red, pulsating with germs. I had wet wipes in my pockets. I washed my hands. I boarded the plane and didn't touch anything. When I sat down I used the wet wipes to wipe the table and armrests. I never touched a magazine or a door handle.

And I never caught a cold. YAY!

This could be one of the best tips I ever read on an internet discussion board.

I almost can't wait for my next plane trip to try this out, because I too, get sick within a few days of airplane travel almost every single time.

As long as I'm posting on this "neat tricks" thread, here's one to try on your next dive.

When a diver does that really annoying, useless and potentially damaging technique of blowing out their reg cap by turning on the air, sneak up next to them and open your own valve full force next to their ear. You can tell them anything, such as "I was just cleaning out your ears for you" or "I am just taking your annoying technique and "paying it forward" or "oops sorry that was an accident".

They may not stop the annoying behavior but they just might think twice about it.

 

[txapacheguy]

As long as I'm posting on this "neat tricks" thread, here's one to try on your next dive.

When a diver does that really annoying, useless and potentially damaging technique of blowing out their reg cap by turning on the air, sneak up next to them and open your own valve full force next to their ear. You can tell them anything, such as "I was just cleaning out your ears for you" or "I am just taking your annoying technique and "paying it forward" or "oops sorry that was an accident".

They may not stop the annoying behavior but they just might think twice about it.

I admit that I do not possess a great deal of diving experience, but please explain to me why it is useless and potentially damaging to dry your reg cap by using compressed air from your tank. I concede that it could be considered slightly annoying if you were to turn the air on excessively or unexpectedly around other divers.

This is a technique my wife and I were taught during our initial open water training, and one that I regularly see recreational divers use when preparing regulators for storage following a dive.

What technique do you recommend to ensure your dust cap is dry prior to storing the regulator?

Please do not take my question as an insult, trolling, or anything of the sort. I would like to learn, and if there is a reason and a better technique, I will learn from this, modify my future behavior, and share that knowledge with others...

 

[Mike Boswell]

I admit that I do not possess a great deal of diving experience, but please explain to me why it is useless and potentially damaging to dry your reg cap by using compressed air from your tank. I concede that it could be considered slightly annoying if you were to turn the air on excessively or unexpectedly around other divers.

This is a technique my wife and I were taught during our initial open water training, and one that I regularly see recreational divers use when preparing regulators for storage following a dive.

What technique do you recommend to ensure your dust cap is dry prior to storing the regulator?

Please do not take my question as an insult, trolling, or anything of the sort. I would like to learn, and if there is a reason and a better technique, I will learn from this, modify my future behavior, and share that knowledge with others...

In the classes my wife and I took they also taught students to blow dry the reg dust covers with a blast of air. It's no problem on the beach, but in close quarters on a boat with 37 other divers it can be annoying. Thing is, it's actually easier for me just to use a rag, t-shirt or towel.