The U.S.T.U

[Captain Kitty]

I couldn't find a proper forum for this so I'm posting it here.

What do you use to haul your gear around in? Is it just the family car? A work vehicle? Or are you so nuts as to have made your own "Ultimate Scuba Transport Unit?" What would be your ideal vehicle and how would you modify it to suit your needs? Maybe a Jeep with a built in tank rack, save-a-dive storage compartment and off-road tires to get you to those remote spots? Or a luxury SUV with all the latest gadgets and tech so you can arrive in style?

 

[mfalco]

I put most of my gear in a big plastic bin I got at Walmart for $12.

I have a square metal post in the front of my truck bed that is for a removable ladder rack. I strap tanks to that with a ratcheting tiedown.

This works out great for hauling around mine and my dive buddy's gear (usually 4 tanks). The big plastic bin is allot easier than a gear bag IMO.

 

[Tollie]

As an Instructor i haul a lot of gear. I use my jeep Wrangler with the rear seat removed. I use weights to block the tanks and pile up the gear bags or plastic bins on top.

The vehicle gets really sandy and now is a bit rough looking. Oh... I also do a lot of shore dives and so the rear of the Jeep makes for a kitting up station as well.

 

[mfalco]

Oh... I also do a lot of shore dives and so the rear of the Jeep makes for a kitting up station as well.

Pickup truck tailgates also work well.

 

[www.scubamazing.com]

I'm a fan of the Wrangler Setup. I guess if I could have my perfect vehicle and perfect gas prices, I'd go for a hummer.

 

[TSandM]

Well, my work and town and barn and dive car is an Audi station wagon. It easily holds all my dive gear in an organized fashion (including an ever-growing save-a-dive collection). It will hold two people's dive gear with some creative packing. Gas mileage permits driving to dive sites on a regular basis (which using our F-250 pickup would NOT), and having the rear seats that fold down permits the car to return to a civilized four-person transport when needed.

The down side is that there is no tailgate, and the back of the car is a little low for ideal gearing up (would be a bigger problem for a bigger person )

I really like Bob's Honda Element as a dive car. It has an AMAZING amount of space in it for a small vehicle and a tailgate at just the right height. But it's so . . . boxy.

Someday when I'm rich, or gas prices are back to the twenty cents a gallon of my youth (dream on!), I want a big SUV with a welded in holder for doubles. I think it was Gideon Liew that I saw at Alki with one -- don't know whose it was. THAT was a cool idea somebody had -- like the spare tire holders, you just swung it out and stuck your arms in the harness and walked off.

 

[mfalco]

If you like a wrangler you probably like it's offroad capabilities. You would loose allot of that with a hummer (H2) because of it's weight.

If you mean a real hummer you should be talking about fuel prices because the have diesel engines.

(sometime I have to post a wise ***** comment)

 

[Doc]

I'd go for a hummer.

I'll second that. :068: Find friends with trucks. Drive an NSX to the dive site.

 

[del_mo]

If I had an NSX, I might not want to stop.

 

[venturediver]

I have a Hummer H3. Besides the gas mileage, its a great dive vehicle. Sadly, you have to have the second row seats down to haul much of anything. Kinda limits your passenger capacity. I usually wind up using my old 4 Runner with a portable foam tank rack. Better mileage and holds a ton of stuff. Neither one has a tailgate though.