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

[Rainer]

I consider having it slip loose and not be where I want it when I want it the greater hazard.

I'm coming around to that exactly. Both seem rather remote, but one is even more so, and the other seems more dangerous.

In any case, any reason you don't just use a separate ziptie for the necklace? Seems best of both worlds (secure and you can't lose the mouthpiece).

 

[HenrikBP]

Bob Sherwood told me to get rid of my tied necklace and use a ziptie to keep the knotted bungee in place. I leave the left side tag end of the bungee a tad long (~1") so I can adjust the length of the necklace.

Henrik

 

[TSandM]

I have, on occasion, forgotten to take my necklace off when doffing gear in the water. I'd just as soon the reg pulled out of the necklace, rather than have the possibility of having a reg snap back and hit me in the face.

I have had a knot slip once or twice ever . . . and it always happened on land, and was trivial to fix.

 

[highdesert]

I have to disagree with your hose swivel opinion. I don't want 7' of hose wrapped around my neck (personal preference, YMMV), but I do like my second stage Miflex hose led under my armpit and then through a Zeagle swivel. It's very compact, streamlined, and comfortable.

 

[RJP]

My new favorite gadget is my EEZYCUT "Trilobite" line cutter. Here's my recent post on the topic:

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Recently picked up an EEZYCUT "Trilobite" cutting tool to replace my umpteenth z-knife. This thing rocks - it's what a z-knife type cutter should be: easy to use, sharp as hell, built solid. I'd post my own pictures, but my daughter seems to have lost my camera somewhere in the house, so I cribbed these here and there from the web:

It's made out of some kind of pretty solid plastic. Could be Delrin (?) as it has that same "milled" feel. Because of the design and since the blade is much longer than what you'd find in a z-knife (about 1.5" of exposed blade) it actually "slices" what it's cutting as opposed to simply "chopping" with a only small portion of exposed blade:

My LDS was selling it packaged with two additional free replacement blades

Comes in two mount options. Harness mount, which is what I went for...

Or wrist mount...(my computers are on bungee mounts, so not an option for me.)

My wife thinks I'm nuts as I'm running around the house seeing what it can cut...and I haven't found anything yet that it can't. I sort of look like the guy in this video cutting anything that's not nailed down...






PS: found my camera, and if you ever get entangled in co-axial cable... better hope you have an Eezycut Trilobite with you:

 

[Carlos Danger]

I hate them. I guess it is a matter of location. My experience in the Red Sea and Asia is that you can get multiple boats at a site, with literally dozens of diveguides using bangers and shakers for every single shrimp, nudi and parrotfish that they come across.

...and then they wonder why they don't see many sharks or dolphins...

I suppose if it is a single buddy team using them...and they are the only people on a site, then it is acceptable. Other people's noise is always far more annoying than your own.

However, I love to dive because it is peaceful, tranquil and silent. Tank bangers, shakers and horns are the Devil's spawn when it comes to getting into the 'zone'.

For me, they are simply compensation for bad buddy awareness. I've never used a banger...and yet I've never had problems with letting my customers know "I've found something cool".

I share your sentiments regarding noise from excessive signaling and getting in the zone. I don't care for tank bangers as a gadget, but I do find value in carrying a shaker. I always try to be respectful and use it very sparingly.

From my experiences diving in the Caribbean, the perpetrators of excessive signaling are generally more often the guides than the other divers. You may be on to something with the location theory though. I can easily see some cultures not recognizing all the noise as being an issue, but it's obviously just as much an individual responsibility thing. I'm sure these same persons would probably be just as oblivious about kicking my mask off.

In a pre-dive context, I think it completely appropriate for an op to proactively initiate a tactful dialog regarding these types of courtesies. Sadly, I don't see that occurring all that much as a standard practice. It's seems to me that poor behavior is more the issue than the signaling devices themselves.

 

[rjack321]

I'm coming around to that exactly. Both seem rather remote, but one is even more so, and the other seems more dangerous.

In any case, any reason you don't just use a separate ziptie for the necklace? Seems best of both worlds (secure and you can't lose the mouthpiece).

2 ties seems bulky and the 2nd one won't be caught by the "lip" on the plastic of the 2nd stage. So instead I use the big zip ties and there's really not much room. If you pull it really tight the whole unit will snap back into your chin before the cord slips under the zip tie. Mine is so secure that I've had the whole doubles rig hanging off my neck when I've doffed in the water and forgotten to take it off. The only way its coming off is over my head or cutting it.

In a serious pinch you could breath off the backup without a mouth piece anyway.

 

[Insta-Gator]

Also, I'd add tank-bangers as useful when dealing with students. I'm sure several items are better as teaching aids then standard things to dive with.

Try a Diver's Ding-A-Ling. They are better than a tank banger.

(shameless plug)

 

[DevonDiver]

Try a Diver's Ding-A-Ling. They are better than a tank banger.

Easy sailor! This is a PG rated thread!

 

[vladimir]

Try a Diver's Ding-A-Ling. They are better than a tank banger.

(shameless plug)

When you say "better than a tank banger," I assume that means it can't be heard by divers like me, who prefer to enjoy their dives blissfully unaware that the neophyte on the boat has just discovered his first moray eel.