Need Help With A Project On Camping And Diving?

[Shipwreckscanada]

For many in Canada our local diving season has just started, unless you like to dive under the ice of course. For most it’s a day trip to a lake, quarry, river, or the ocean. For others like me it’s a weekend of camping and diving with friends.

I would like to put together a document with advice for those who would like to take up this combined activity. If I receive enough feedback from you, I will be able to put together something that can be useful and fun at the same time. This document will also include a checklist to make sure all will go well. Once I’m done I will make it available, for free of course, to anyone who wants it on this forum.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to combine scuba diving and camping? Or tell us a good experience you had and would like to share.

My input:

Find a camp site that will allow you to hang your wet and dry suits so they can properly dry.
Try to camp as close as possible to the water entry point.
Plan to meet up with other divers; it makes for a fun experience around a camp fire at the end of the day.

Thank you

 

[AlexL]

Find a camp site that will allow you to hang your wet and dry suits so they can properly dry.
Try to camp as close as possible to the water entry point.

hanging suits based on the camp site can be hit or miss. sometimes the camping area is bare rock and there is not a usable tree in the whole area. we have a portable canopy tent which serves double duty as shelter as well as a place to hang gear off of.

if you're tent camping at a quarry or beach, bring some bricks wrapped in old socks, sometimes ground pegs just wont work and you'll need something to keep the tent from blowing away. brick in each corner / side works fairly well, and the sock keeps the tent from getting tore up.

cheap blue tarps, we use em as a tent under layer as well as a place to lay out gear.

if you have paracord, ratchet straps, zip ties, and duct tape, you can fix almost any problem that comes up.

Rubbermaid bins! dry stuff stays dry, wet stuff stays wet, and never the two shall meet. it also makes the packing checklist easier to deal with. once you get back home, they do double duty for cleaning bins. if you're cleaning gear in the bathtub, the lids are nice for keeping the enamel from getting too beat up.

attached is our camping checklist.

 

[rivers]

Err, things I want:
electric hook-up (I like to pimp my tent).
10-15 minute drive to the sea
Walking distance to a pub
BBQ grills allowed
Good friends, good times, and good banter a must
As for checklist:
Tent, sleeping bag, camp chair, air mattress and pump, torches, dive kit, cooler, breakfast food, water, beer, BBQ food, outdoor electrical hook-up, and some clothes/toiletries. That's pretty much it.

Chances are, unless I've had a drysuit leak, I'm not worried about drying it out before the next day of diving.

 

[Sonnylynnvick75]

I camp in my ENO hammock. I just need straps to hang it. If I'm worried about rain, I bring a rope to run above it and then hang a tarp for a rain fly. Less stuff to carry the easier.

 

[Fogest]

I appreciate putting this thread together. I am a new diver and plan to camp a lot when I go diving. I'll be using just a tent and only be staying a couple nights usually when I do go somewhere. All these checklists so far are quite helpful!

 

[Sonnylynnvick75]

Also, I modified a standley tool box as my dive box to carry all my gear. Its super helpful for camping and diving. One box is easier to carry than multiple.

 

[TMHeimer]

For years I have rented a trailer (cabin this summer for first time) in a campground for 7 summer weeks near NYC. Biggest thing for me is having the garden hose to hook up to the outside water source for rinsing. Then, a routine that by 9 PM or so means everything is dry enough to bring inside-- not an option of course with most tents. Guess rinsing can wait until you get home if you are only there a day or two--but then keep everything from drying out, as salt (IF it's salt water) is only harmful when it dries. Rubbermaid bin is a great idea as well. Bring appropriate style/shape (thick) hangers for wetsuit if they can be hung somewhere to dry--and wring out periodically (as well as the other stuff--hood, gloves, boots, etc.).

 

[Fogest]

Also, I modified a standley tool box as my dive box to carry all my gear. Its super helpful for camping and diving. One box is easier to carry than multiple.

That looks very useful! I have yet to get a good thing to transport my scuba equipment and that looks perfect! I was actually going to go out this week and try and find something to carry my things in and that looks great. What kind of modifications did you do to the box? Was it something that was challenging? Do you remember how much those kind of toolboxes cost?

 

[Sonnylynnvick75]

That looks very useful! I have yet to get a good thing to transport my scuba equipment and that looks perfect! I was actually going to go out this week and try and find something to carry my things in and that looks great. What kind of modifications did you do to the box? Was it something that was challenging? Do you remember how much those kind of toolboxes cost?

I bought mine at home depot, heres a link: Stanley 20.47 in. Mobile Job Box-037025H - The Home Depot

a little pricey but after using it for a year and a half I would pay double. I love it!
Not only does it have places to put locks on the latches but it also has two or three exterior lock mounts to keep your valuables safe.

It has two slots in the top to hold lumber but they work gret to hold tanks so I cut holes to feed straps through so I could strap my tanks on. other than that I just organized it all and have it in the basement ready to roll.

 

[Fogest]

I bought mine at home depot, heres a link: Stanley 20.47 in. Mobile Job Box-037025H - The Home Depot

a little pricey but after using it for a year and a half I would pay double. I love it!
Not only does it have places to put locks on the latches but it also has two or three exterior lock mounts to keep your valuables safe.

It has two slots in the top to hold lumber but they work gret to hold tanks so I cut holes to feed straps through so I could strap my tanks on. other than that I just organized it all and have it in the basement ready to roll.

Thanks a ton for the extra information! The home depot in Canada looks apparently has discontinued that line of toolbox now, but I went to a Rona (not sure if they have those in America) and was able to find them.

I found a 25 gallon and 50 gallon. You linked to a 50 gallon so I assume that is what you have. I went with the 25 as there is no way I could get the 50 to fit in my car. I think the 25 will still fit everything in it, just might be a little tighter.

The inside is a little different, but the top looks the same. Probably can't see the top in my crappy camera/light picture though.

I should be able to do the same thing you did with the holes for the straps. It looks like you just used a file to make the holes on it?

I want to thank you again for posting the pictures. I was having a hard time figuring out what solution to transporting the gear would work best for me and this solution seems like the easiest/best for me.