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

[LI-er]

Suicide clips are stupid. I refuse to attempt to count them all up, but it is over 4.

I chose to use snap clips on my camera because they're easy to work with gloves on, and the camera is clipped and unclipped throughout the dive. Being on my chest D-rings, they're easy to reach if I should snag something, but it's never happened. The only other snap clip is on my reel and for the dive light on a retractor which I have stated I'm willing to lose should it break off which would happen in an entanglement.

you have metal to metal connections all over the place - unnecessary

What's the problem with clipping a camera or reel or bottle to a D ring?

you are using white zip ties on critical connections on the BC - those are typically not uv resistant

The zip ties attach the miflex spg hose to the LP inflator hose for streamlining, not critical. There's a ziptie holding a ring to my camera where I occasionally attach it to a 3rd clip on my waist, again not critical. A ziptie holds a small clip on the shears, in the unlikely event I should deploy them it's just to clip them off to something rather than trying to put them back in the sheath. Theres a ziptie attaching a retractor to the corrugated hose, it's one of two attachment points and is not critical. The other zipties on the inflator hose were installed by the BCD manufacturer. None of the zipties show any wear or deterioration after a decade of use.

retractor on your knife. That is incredibly stupid. When you get tangled in stuff and line is everywhere, you are going to add another unnecessary complexity? Again, Unwise. A much better option is to make a decent sheath, use proper bungi's or elastics to retain it and then add a wrist strap (or use it as an integrated bungi) to avoid dropping it.

I don't forsee a scenario where I'm so entangled that it's like a spider web with line everywhere and my retractor line will just put me over the edge. I've snagged a monofilament here or there in or on a wreck and the retractor line wasn't an issue. If it was, it could easily be cut, as it's just a backup to the sheath where it sits, it's not critical. It's also easy to detach, the retractor has got a plastic quick clip on it.

Putting a compass in a pocket? Perhaps that makes sense if you never use it, but I want it accessible since I use it frequently. Putting it in and out of a pocket is ridiculous or perhaps you have it on another retractor. I see coiled lines and retractors all over the place.

The compass/slate is rarely used, and I have never used the PLB or backup computer. The compass is easily retrieved from the pocket and yes it's on a retractor. When stowed there's no extra line except the folded up coil of the PLB at the very bottom of the pocket. There's a small coil that holds the pencil.

The pony bottle rig - back mounted looks like a problem. The tank should be rotated so the transmitter is not sticking out and vulnerable to being wacked, The second stage hose on the pony is too short- both for a back mounted rig where the hose should be routed under your arm pit and for a stage bottle where it should be the right length to double it up and secure with a couple of bungis. And of course a necklace on a slung bottle seems pretty silly as well

The bottle is slung not backmounted. When it's in use the transmitter is in a protected position. Why is a necklace on a slung pony "pretty silly"? I don't care to bungie the regulator to the tank and double up the hose, it's the right length to fit under my chin.

the go pro camera has to have two suicide clips (and the metal connections)? You couldn't make it work with a single connection? What happens when you have to remove your scuba unit underwater while solo and you have something like that across your chest which must be removed before you can do what your life depends on?

The camera is clipped and unclipped many times throughout the dive. Two clips on the top keeps it level and snug to my BCD and if I needed to remove it for any reason, it's about a 5 second process. There is a 3rd snap clip close to my waist to pull the bottom of the camera in tightly. All of this makes an entanglement even less likely than it would be if the camera was hanging by a single clip which would also cause a lot of drag. In an entanglement I'd simply unclip it like I do many times per dive.

I thank you for your suggestions but I don't see anything that would be an improvement, especially since you don't seem to understand several things about my rig and that's probably due to me not explaining it well enough or providing clear photos.

Please explain what's wrong with clipping something to a D ring and making a "metal to metal" connection, why a regulator on a necklace from a slung bottle is "silly" and please share your experiences as to how often you've seen plastic zip ties fall apart from sunlight exposure.

 

[fred32176]

This is what I put on my BCD - a secondary light and a line cutter. Everything else goes in those nice big pockets.

My kit varies by dive type. Stuff I often carry like a Tesla key and Cool pix W300 camera go in my right pocket as it has a clip. Variable stuff like a SMB and finger spool (ocean dives) or a primary light (springs) go in the left pocket. DC, compass, wrist strap or a primary light holder are worn. My Jon line remains at home until I do wreck dive where I can use it.

Easy peasy, take what you need and not stuff that you won't use.

 

[happy-diver]

There are many slingers out there that have an issue diving with an entanglement hazard pony on their back
So I have been thinking about the dangers posed also by the main tank, if I were entangled by a rock, or fish

So my basic rec rig has stainless boltsnaps and double enders everywhere, to fix my apparatus to its harness
and to itself and all the other standard bits and pieces like wing and inflator, and also a BFK on my inside leg

Calmish Ocean shorediving two piece well sealed wetsuit