Scuba Gadgets - what's great and what's not

[The Chairman]

I'll take exception to the purge masks and the swivels. I love them both.

That's the thing about good and bad lists. Sometimes you can't see the value in something that others can. In the long run, it comes down to preferences. I have a few good buddies who LOVE their rattles because they can signal other buddy pairs to come look at something. I also know a few peeps who love their retractors and their mini-reels.

 

[scubadiver888]

I put this in the Advanced section, because I know it is likely to produce some strong feelings and debate.

Really.

I don't think I am the only diver that's looked around a dive store and wondered at the amazing assortment of gadgets available. Some of them are great. Others not so. Some could even be debated as having negative safety implications.

What I see as a relatively common trend is that many novice divers become very eager to 'improve' their gear configurations and start adding a variety of gadgets to their arsenal without much clear knowledge on the pros and cons of those gear choices. Over-zealous or even misleading marketing helps contribute to those gear choices...

Part of my problem is my area is not a scuba area. So the local shops don't have a lot of the stuff listed below. If you don't see it you might never realize there is something better than what your shop is selling. Online stores help a little but I really like to hold and play with things. For example, the etch-a-sketch slates look good on a website but the moment I saw one in person I realized it was not for me.

So folks... I am interested in your experiences and views. What 'gadgets' would you rate highly? What gadgets do you feel are worthless, dangerous or simply a waste of money?

I'll start:

GREAT GADGETS

Fin Spring Straps. They don't break. They fit snuggly. They make it really easy to remove and replace your fins.

SS Bolt Snaps. Tie them to your equipment and SPG using braided nylon line. They are robust, secure and they do exactly what you need of them.

Velcro Mask Straps. They won't perish and snap. Once adjusted they will fit perfectly. They don't drag your hair. They make mask removal and replacement a cinch.

Neck Oct/AAS Bungee. Effectively secures your AAS where it won't drag or release. Provides an immediate self-rescue if your primary fails. Enables primary reg donation, if required.

Milflex Regulator Hoses. Robust, flexible and less prone to failure. A good upgrade to your regulator set.

Finger Reel. Allows the diver to more easily deploy a DSMB. Can be used for navigation and penetration. Lightweight, robust and cheap. Unlike any other type of reel, there won't be tears and sobbing if you have to leave it behind or lose it.

Wet Notes. You don't use a slate to make notes on dry land. You don't use an etch-a-sketch either. You use a notebook. Why not use a (waterproof) notebook on dives?? It makes sense..

Fin Spring Straps are definitely a great thing. SS Bolt Snaps are also a great thing. I have not see the Velcro Mask Straps. I question whether these are a good idea. I get a lot of crud in the velcro on my wetsuit. I can see the mask getting a little mucked up and hard to clean in fresh water environments. I'm pretty happy with the strap which came with my mask.

Haven't switched to long hose yet. So the necklace bungee for octo doesn't work for me. I will admit that I have never found a good method of securing my octo so that my buddy can easily retrieve it. Last attempt was using a snorkel holder. Student grabbed my octo during training and the snorkel hold broken before the octo released from it. As long as I'm teaching PADI OW I don't believe I can use the octo necklace bungee. If I'm wrong, let me know.

BAD GADGETS

Dry Snorkels. Over-complicated, over-expensive and make it harder to clear the snorkel.

Purge Masks. Over-expensive and prone to getting dirty. They require the user to make the same effort to clear the mask, as they would without the purge valve.

Retractor Clips. An expensive method of compensating for a badly configured scuba set-up. Prone to tangling and can fail via 'birds nest' inside the mechanism.

Spare Air. An expensive non-solution, based upon marketing which preys on diver's fears and offers them false hope. Sometimes seen as the 'lazy diver's' alternative to a pony.

Hose Swivels. Expensive compensation for a bad regulator set-up. Adds complexity with little benefit. Same benefit could be realised by properly routing hoses, better mouth-piece etc

Tank Bangers. Fellow divers will hate you when you use these. Audible underwater signals are not a compensation for proper buddy awareness. For emergency signalling, they won't provide a clue of where you are.

Underwater Klaxons/Horns. A good choice for surface emergency signalling. Some divers buy these for use underwater. If so...see 'Tank Bangers'.

Mini-Reels. Do the same job as finger reels, but are more difficult to use and more prone to birds-nesting and jams. Much more expensive too.

Etch-a-sketch slates. Huge, cumbersome and ungainly. They do the same job as a regular slate, but at triple the cost.

Bulb AAS holders. They don't work well. They release the AAS to dangle.

Coiled Tethers. They look like old-fashioned telephone wires. They tangle and generally annoy. They are expensive.

Caribiners. Do the same job as bolt-snaps, but not as well. The tech community calls them 'suicide clips'...for good reason.

'HD' or filtered Masks. Sunglasses for underwater. Why?

Scuba 'Shakers'. Annoying in the extreme. If you need these to get your buddies attention, then you have bigger issues to address.

I currently use a jacket style BCD with retractor clips. I've been using it for 5 years now and never had bird nesting or tangling. The system is working pretty well for me. I plan on moving to BP/W next and I can see how they wouldn't work as well for that.

I actually know someone who has a fear of deep diving. He bought a SpareAir to feel safer. Makes me wonder if he is in more danger with the SpareAir then learning to put proper safeguards in place.

With miflex the hose swivels seem pointless. Before miflex I can see how it was a good solution to a bad situation.

Another problem with the bulb AAS holder is it holds the octo with purge button down. In the pool or shore entry there is a strong chance of the octo freeflowing. REALLY annoying when you are giving a lesson and you have to stop to deal with a freeflow. OW students get really distracted by this.

GREAT GADGETS

Vented Hood You can always burn holes in your hood with a heated nail but then you get those points of cold on your head. A good vented hood lets the air out but still doesn't let the water in.


GREAT GADGETS

Flip Up Fins Those fins which flip up against your shins. I've seen someone do a giant stride and the fin flips up. I would imagine they don't work for all finning techniques as well.

 

[The Chairman]

I have not see the Velcro Mask Straps.

Order a ScubaBoard Velcro Mask Strap
[/shameless plug]​

 

[Lee Taylor]

Going to give some negative opinions of mine. Just personal observations. I realize others feel differently and that is okay. Just food for thought.

Fin Spring Straps - The comment was they don't break. I think they may last a long time but I think all things wear down and break. I have not used them yet, they look like a good robust design.

Over the past decade I have been on countless dive boats with thousands of divers and I have never seen or heard of a fin strap or mask strap breaking. Do they break? Yes. I am sure they break on occasion.

Velcro Mask Straps - Personally hate em. Velcro fills up with sand and dirt, wears down, and quits working soon after purchase. Slap straps are much better in my opinion

Neck Oct/AAS Bungee - Used it. Threw it away. Personally cant stand it. I found it to be entangling and clap trappy. I found that I dont like putting a noose around my neck. Don't like clunky things hanging and floating about my head and face.

Milflex Regulator Hoses - Used em. Don't like em. Some people will like these. I don't. I found them to be WAY to flexible and floppy for my taste. They flip and flop all over the place.

Cable ties - I have used these a lot. I like em, but I can always depend on them breaking.

Surgical tubing - I have used this a lot. Great stuff. Always ends up rotting and breaking

 

[The Chairman]

Velcro Mask Straps - Personally hate em. Velcro fills up with sand and dirt, wears down, and quits working soon after purchase. Slap straps are much better in my opinion

Order your ScubaBoard Slap strap!

[/shameless plug]​

 

[LiveBait]

good Gadget:
A lp hose Air Nozzle A dive buddy showed me this and now I want one... seems to work really well..

 

[AleG]

You'll have to pry my coiled tether from my dead, cold, soggy hands!
It's great for holding my camera, it has clips on either side of of the coiled segment so it can be constrained to a short, unstretched length. I can unclip the middle section to stretch it when taking pictures or to share the camera with someone else. Very handy indeed.

 

[Lee Taylor]

Would like to have a "ScubaBoard" slap strap like in the photo. Where do I purchase one? I have a Henderson's slap strap on the things to purchase list. Want to try the low-friction gold-material on the hair.

Order your ScubaBoard Slap strap!

[/shameless plug]​

 

[Lee Taylor]

Okay. Found it. Thanks

Order your ScubaBoard Slap strap!

 

[vladimir]

Milflex Regulator Hoses. Robust, flexible and less prone to failure. A good upgrade to your regulator set.

You meant Miflex low pressure regulator hoses, I think. The ones that are not prone to spontaneous disintegration, from what I have read here.

Hose Swivels. Expensive compensation for a bad regulator set-up. Adds complexity with little benefit. Same benefit could be realised by properly routing hoses, better mouth-piece etc

For the recreational diver who doesn't want a 5- or 7-foot hose encircling him, a 90〫fitting on an octopus-length hose and routed under the arm is a nicely streamlined alternative. I'm not sure if that counts as a swivel or not.