Simple question

[FreeFloat]

Assuming you don't have pockets on your wetsuit, where would you clip off a small item like a dive slate or (really buoyant, disposable) camera?

I'm trying really hard to eliminate all my "danglies"......... because I don't want to have a forest of accessories growing off of each D-ring (just kidding - I'm not really toting that much......)

 

[Boogie711]

Without pockets, I'd put it on one of my shoulder D-Rings. You're not carrying backup lights yet, right? Even if you are, it should be fine. If it gets in the way, you can always move it to the hip, because I KNOW you're not slinging stages.

There's a huge difference between dangling off a regulator, floating away behing you, and being neatly deployed just off your hip or shoulder.

And just for the record, I think this is more of a "Hogarthian" question than a DIR question. If you were 100% DIR it means you'd already have pockets.

 

[FreeFloat]

Without pockets, I'd put it on one of my shoulder D-Rings. You're not carrying backup lights yet, right? Even if you are, it should be fine. If it gets in the way, you can always move it to the hip, because I KNOW you're not slinging stages.

Actually, some dives I do indeed carry a light, a Princeton Tec 6C; since it's my only light that kind of makes it my "primary" although it's just a little bigger than your typical baackup light. I clip it off to my shoulder D ring. It depends on the dive - and on a dive where I consider carrying the light there's usually no reason to carry my strobe-less camera!

There's a huge difference between dangling off a regulator, floating away behing you, and being neatly deployed just off your hip or shoulder.

I think I get the gist of what you're saying, although your phraseology makes it hard to be sure?

And just for the record, I think this is more of a "Hogarthian" question than a DIR question. If you were 100% DIR it means you'd already have pockets.

I understand. I couldn't think of a better place to pose the question with some hope of getting a Hogarthian answer.

I openly admit I'm not DIR -- yet. I'm liking the concepts more and more though, and have dived with a few people who seem to have it all together - and those people are for the most part quite Hogarthian in approach to diving. Don't know if I'd call them DIRers though - I may end up inadvertantly offending someone! :confused4

 

[DepartureDiver]

The easiest would be to go get pockets. They can easily be glued to any wetsuit and I think you would find you'll really like them (even if you just got one).

 

[FreeFloat]

I'm thinking pockets might be a problem. You haven't seen how small I am........ I have seen how big pockets are...... and the wetsuit I wear has a step-in style jacket. So the pockets would be too big to fit on the jacket, and would get covered up if applied to the farmer-john. I'm partial to my wetsuit, please don't suggest a drysuit.

When I feel a need for pockets I may look into pocket-shorts.....

Until then I just wanted to find out about hanging stuff off which D rings. I suppose anywhere it's clipped off that won't interfere with me, other clipped-off items, or the dive, is the best I can hope for.

 

[DepartureDiver]

If you didn't put anything in the pockets (and squished them ...new DIR term?) until you stepped into your jacket, would that work?

 

[FreeFloat]

If you didn't put anything in the pockets (and squished them ...new DIR term?) until you stepped into your jacket, would that work?

That would again depend on the size of the pockets. I suspect not.

It's not a matter of the step-in jacket being snug (which it is), it's more a general proportion issue.

The reason I say that is that my hip-to-knee measurement (thinking Farmer John here) is only about 17". My jacket's hip-to-bottom-edge measurement is 7". Allow for reaching around my harness strap and the weightbelt (which rides a wee bit low out of necessity) and that cuts the usable length of the jacket to about 5". The area of Farmer John that sticks out beneath the jacket, down to my knee, is only about 8". That sure wouldn't leave much clearance.

Sometimes I hate being such a tiny size....... I don't have too many problems identifying my gear though!

 

[Bob3]

May I suggest a Northern Diver "Weight & Trim" harness?
It's a weight harness that has a PAIR of removable thigh pockets. (don't need 'em, don't take 'em)
You get the whole rig for barely over the cost of a couple pockets, plus a pretty decent weight harness. My only complaint about them is they don't fit TALL people very well.
here's a somewhat "legible" pic: http://www.diveshop.co.uk/pages/accessories/buoyancy/weighting/weight_trim_200.jpg

 

[FreeFloat]

May I suggest a Northern Diver "Weight & Trim" harness?
It's a weight harness that has a PAIR of removable thigh pockets. (don't need 'em, don't take 'em)
You get the whole rig for barely over the cost of a couple pockets, plus a pretty decent weight harness. My only complaint about them is they don't fit TALL people very well.
here's a somewhat "legible" pic: http://www.diveshop.co.uk/pages/accessories/buoyancy/weighting/weight_trim_200.jpg

I'd just as soon not, thanks....... I looked at the site and am trying to visualize that, plus my bp harness, plus my weight belt buckle all vying for the same spot. I know, I know, wear the weight in the pocket harness - but I don't see how it could be ditchable. I don't have a canister light so I need some of my weight to be ditchable and that's why I keep the weight belt.

Hm, I may look into either a) pocket shorts, b) making something myself, c) seeing if I can find or modify smaller wetsuit pockets, or d) I think I saw something once about pockets you can add right to your bp harness.

Then again, far more likely is I'll just continue deciding what I do and don't need for a dive, clipping off the accessories that I decide I need, and leaving the others in the truck.

 

[jonnythan]

I'd just as soon not, thanks....... I looked at the site and am trying to visualize that, plus my bp harness, plus my weight belt buckle all vying for the same spot. I know, I know, wear the weight in the pocket harness - but I don't see how it could be ditchable. I don't have a canister light so I need some of my weight to be ditchable and that's why I keep the weight belt.

It's ditchable. It's designed to replace the weight belt, and the red handles let you ditch the weight they contain.