Storage Box v. Tool Box v. ???

[Gil Middlebrooks]

I'm looking on advice for how best to carry and store stuff that does not usually go into one's dive bag. Things like lights, retractor clips, knives, shears, tools, extra batteries. I have one friend who has a tool box dedicated to diving. I have another who uses a Rubbermaid plastic box with a lid (about the size of a milk crate).

Thoughts??

What about taking that kind of stuff on a dive boat? (Haven't been on one yet.) I was thinking of putting lights, and similar stuff, in with my clothes in my daypack.

 

[ringmod65]

I eventually settled on a tool bag, which I found easier to deal with than a bulky tool box.

In re: boat dives, I take along a small drybag with basic save-a-dive items. Lights and other accessories (including s-a-d kit) get packed in a zippered compartment of my gear bag.

Hope this helps.

 

[mike_s]

I'm looking on advice for how best to carry and store stuff that does not usually go into one's dive bag. Things like lights, retractor clips, knives, shears, tools, extra batteries. I have one friend who has a tool box dedicated to diving. I have another who uses a Rubbermaid plastic box with a lid (about the size of a milk crate).

Thoughts??

What about taking that kind of stuff on a dive boat? (Haven't been on one yet.) I was thinking of putting lights, and similar stuff, in with my clothes in my daypack.

since you haven't done a boat dive... might want to hold off on buying a box system until you figure out what you need to take with you, etc..

also... some dive boats don't like when divers show up with big Rubbermaid totes that crowd the walkways of diveboats and won't fit under seats.

Find out first what you need, and what you can take on the boat(s) you'll be diving from.

 

[Doc Harry]

For boat dives, everything goes in my mesh backpack except my BCD, camera and dry bag. A backpack is easy to carry, easy to get down stairs, easy to stash away when empty. If you're jumping from the dock to a heaving, rolling boat, it's nice to have both hands free to grab rails.

Like mike_s says, you've got to be careful to avoid taking up too much space on a boat.

I wear my mesh backpack and throw my BCD over one shoulder. If I have a camera, it's carried in my other hand. My dry bag (with towel, jacket, sunglasses, etc.) is in the other hand. These smaller items are easy to pass onto the boat crew when you're boarding.

I have a small Pelican box for fragile items like my computer, compass and dive watch. But this box also goes in the mesh backpack.

For shore diving from my car, it's very convenient to use the large Rubbermaid boxes. It helps to keep everything organized, and you can dump wet things into the boxes while keeping your car dry.

I also have a large tool box for shore diving from my car, that has everything I need to perform minor repairs on the spot. Although it's prudent to take some spare parts onto a boat, it's not really practical to take a full tool box. The boat will have some basic tools and o-rings. You should carry parts and tools that are specific to your equipment. Again, all this goes in my mesh backpack.

 

[knowone]

Camera bag with compartmentalised lure containers inside.