Recreational divers, post your rig here, let's share good and bad ideas

[LI-er]

Why is the snap bolt for the lower pony connection permanently attached to the BCD?

It's a double ender snap bolt, it's (temporarily) clipped to the bungee that attaches to the BCD lower back plate. I could just as easily leave it clipped to the clamp around the bottle. If I dived without the bottle I'd remove it.

 

[Soloist]

Spare mask is in the save-a-dive-kit.

When I was a newly certified Solo Diver I carried an extra mask in a harness pocket for a few years. The one and only time I actually "needed" it was lobster hunting in Florida. I plunged into a wicked thermocline at 90 feet and my mask fogged up from a violent atmospheric event brewing within the tiny mask (no lighting fortunately), so I whipped out my backup only for it to immediately fog up too! Both were treated with defog on the boat prior to the dive. My guess is the cold shock lead to abnormal breathing and air from my nose filled the masks. Now I stow a secondary SMB/spool in that pocket and the backup mask stays on the boat.

 

[LI-er]

I whipped out my backup only for it to immediately fog up too!

I've had bad fogging issues on the occasional dive. The worst ever was in Mexico cenotes, maybe it was the colder temps but I've dives colder.

In those situations I bite the billet and leave enough water in the mask to swish it around almost constantly. Annoying but better than not seeing.

 

[SelfDiver]

It's a double ender snap bolt, it's (temporarily) clipped to the bungee that attaches to the BCD lower back plate. I could just as easily leave it clipped to the clamp around the bottle. If I dived without the bottle I'd remove it.

That is the top of the pony,
What about the bottom pony connection?
It looks like a permanent bolt snap on a metal ring with a bungee tied to the plastic back of the BCD.

Your whole setup is an incremental problem solve.
For example: the inflator hose is too long.
The length is causing it to dangle down.
Instead of solving the length problem, you put a re-tractor on it.

Another example: the pony is not working for you on the back, but the metal connectors are too short, so you add a metal link.
It would make more sense to use a webbing or rope on the pony neck and lower band. the rope length is variable, unlike metal links.

Another example: the main tank transmitter is hard to use for a quick pressure check.
You add an SPG, but you don't want a large one so you add a mini one.
Instead of clipping it behind the pony, you add a zip-tie to the inflator hose.

I love the mad genius and chaos in your gear.
This is very entertaining. I am entertained.

 

[Nemrod]

I don't know the "best" oil.
Anything you use on the zippers and hoses should work. Test the shears one-handed on some loose line and webbing.

I would be keen on sheers replacing a knife or line cutter but for one thing, they rust up at the hinge pin and when needed fall apart, totally unreliable. The only time I recall wanting my shears I was diving with a group out of WPB I think it was. Everyone else had blown through their air leaving me and the DM remaining. We were drifting along and a turtle came circling by. It kept circling, and circling and thinking this odd as it passed close we both saw the problem, a steel leader was wrapped tightly around the turtle trapping the left pectoral fin and even cutting into it. The DM motioned to me to grab the turtle on the next pass. And I did and he was big but as soon as I grabbed him, rather than trying to escape, he just relaxed. I grabbed my shears and, yep, they fell apart. Junk. But the DM had a pair he had already pulled out and with several quick snips he had the leader gone. And as soon as the turtle felt the leader release he wanted away and I released him pronto. He zoomed off with a half circle to wave adios, maybe .

I coat my shears with 100% silicone grease including the hinge pin and even then they will quickly deteriorate. I guess there are some around that are titanium? I would just want a simple shear, not those heavy, complicated Rubic cube multi-tool things.

Zippers, I use paraffin.

Oh, a couple of years later, same outfit, I got my hair tangled in an elastic band. I asked if anybody has some shears, nope, they all had huge BFKs, not sure why everyone it seems up WPB/Jupiter way carries giant BFKs but all I wanted was a knot cut from my hair, not my head cut from my body! Yep, my shears were in two pieces again. WTH. My razor Sharp Tekna knife (mini-BFK) was used in the end to excise the knotted piece of hair.

Thus in the context of this thread, one reliable thing is better to have than several unreliable things even if the reliable thing is less ideal than the unreliable thing .

 

[flymolo]

I would be keen on sheers replacing a knife or line cutter but for one thing, they rust up at the hinge pin and when needed fall apart, totally unreliable. The only time I recall wanting my shears I was diving with a group out of WPB I think it was. Everyone else had blown through their air leaving me and the DM remaining. We were drifting along and a turtle came circling by. It kept circling, and circling and thinking this odd as it passed close we both saw the problem, a steel leader was wrapped tightly around the turtle trapping the left pectoral fin and even cutting into it. The DM motioned to me to grab the turtle on the next pass. And I did and he was big but as soon as I grabbed him, rather than trying to escape, he just relaxed. I grabbed my shears and, yep, they fell apart. Junk. But the DM had a pair he had already pulled out and with several quick snips he had the leader gone. And as soon as the turtle felt the leader release he wanted away and I released him pronto. He zoomed off with a half circle to wave adios, maybe .

I coat my shears with 100% silicone grease including the hinge pin and even then they will quickly deteriorate. I guess there are some around that are titanium? I would just want a simple shear, not those heavy, complicated Rubic cube multi-tool things.

Zippers, I use paraffin.

Oh, a couple of years later, same outfit, I got my hair tangled in an elastic band. I asked if anybody has some shears, nope, they all had huge BFKs, not sure why everyone it seems up WPB/Jupiter way carries giant BFKs but all I wanted was a knot cut from my hair, not my head cut from my body! Yep, my shears were in two pieces again. WTH. My razor Sharp Tekna knife (mini-BFK) was used in the end to excise the knotted piece of hair.

re the shears, you'd be surprised what a trilobite line cutter can get through

 

[LI-er]

That is the top of the pony,
What about the bottom pony connection?
It looks like a permanent bolt snap on a metal ring with a bungee tied to the plastic back of the BCD

My apologies. You are correct. It's not a double ender it's a permanent attachment with a bolt snap, quicklimk & ring.

Yes the inflator hose is too long that's how Seaquest makes them. I checked my larger size BCD and a hose I had in my parts box and they're all the same.

I can look into buying a shorter one.

the pony is not working for you on the back, but the metal connectors are too short, so you add a metal link.

Not sure what you mean " on the back" but I'm comfortable with the position after I adjusted the position with the rings.

Another example: the main tank transmitter is hard to use for a quick pressure check.
You add an SPG, but you don't want a large one so you add a mini one.
Instead of clipping it behind the pony, you add a zip-tie to the inflator hose.

Exactly. The spg is small yet easy to see, convenient and streamlined by running it alongside the inflator hose. I also use it when I lose transmitter signal which happens periodically with my otherwise reliable older computers.