Time To Pack

[jbomb001]

So I was in my dive locker today AKA my 8x10 shed and was looking over my gear. As I was standing there I started to think about how much time I spend before leaving for a dive whether its one 20 min away to the thousand islands or a couple hr drive. After pondering for a min I figured it takes me about 1hr to check and recheck my gear before I leave. regs check, mask check, full tanks check, bc check, drysuit check, undergarment check, fins check, computer check, and so on. Now granted after my dive everything gets a rinse and then hung to dry and the next day I pack my dive bag back up then repack my camera bag and my drysuit bag and so on.
The thing that I noticed is that even though I repack everything in the same place every time the next time I go to do a dive I more or less go through every bag anyway and make sure I have what I need, I don't know why I check it all again before I leave being that I know that it is all there from the last time I packed. I guess my question is how long does it take you to pack/prepare to head out for your next adventure?

 

[iamrushman]

i live in south Florida...on hour to prepare gear and one hour to rinse gear...I'll dive tomorrow so no need to dry gear.

 

[TMHeimer]

Though it takes about an hour to rinse, nowhere near that to pack. When we "snowbird" for 3 months I start packing everything a month ahead for the long drive. For shore diving here & NY area I have it all in one place and return it there after the dives. I do re-check everything when loading the car. Then I walk around the car when leaving the site. None of this takes much time and haven't forgotten anything in years.

 

[RJP]

I guess my question is how long does it take you to pack/prepare to head out for your next adventure?

No matter how long I take to pack - and it is a while - it is still less time than I'd p**s and moan about missing a day or more of diving because I forgot something.

 

[tbone1004]

checklists....
Takes me about an hour or so to pack as well depending on where I'm going, and what I'm doing.

I.e. quick trips to the quarry and/or working with students. About 20 minutes total. Set up doubles, put doubles in back of vehicle. Put toolbox in back of vehicle. Grab exposure protection and put in back of vehicle. 20 minutes is due to 3 trips and fully setting up the doubles, checking IP of both regs, etc.
Cave country takes about an hour. It's sidemount so I have to set up the bottles/regs, check their IP, then break them back down, repeat usually 5x for backgas/stage/deco. The gear bin comes with on all trips and has mask in one fin pocket, computer/slate in the other, all other gear lives on my rig including backup lights, primary, cutting tools, cookies, etc. so it's pretty quick to just grab it and go, but the setting up and pressurizing is what takes time.

With what Ray said, my last trip to cave country I forgot my Rx mask, and didn't have any contacts with me. Thankfully I always carry a spare mask and was lucky enough to have my GoPro which is a 4 Silver with LCD, so I had to go through my dives twice. Once to actually do the dive, then the other to watch what I actually was supposed to see.... Man was I pissed about that.

 

[TMHeimer]

A former buddy of mine once forgot his hood in Nova Scotia early summer. He never did that again.

 

[Searcaigh]

I usually pack the night before, tanks and my Action Packer box with the rest of the gear.

In the morning when I leave, last thing that goes in the car is the cold box with drinks / sandwiches and the the camera housings belted in on the back seats.

 

[tbone1004]

A former buddy of mine once forgot his hood in Nova Scotia early summer. He never did that again.

I deem a hood more important than regulators. I can baretank breathe with no problems, do it regularly. I will get in 50F water without a wetsuit so long as I have a hood. I will not however do a dive in 65F water with a drysuit without a hood....

 

[Imla]

Normally... About 10 minutes for a "proximity-dive" for packing.
Doubles are always ready in my car with BP/W, backups, weights, buckle and gas.
What i need to back is DS which always hangs on the hall-way door with SMB/Spool hanging from left pocket (So I can see it is there...), Wetnotes and Backupmask hanging from right pocket.
In the closet next to it, in the top drawer is my bag. Next drawer has my heating vest, undergarments, socks and stuff. This goes in the bottom. Next drawer has: Cannisterlight: (Battery is taken from the socket next to the door), cannister for vest (Battery taken from socket), instruments, gloves, hood (if needed, stage-regs, she-P, and argon-kit)
Suit is put on top of this in the bag. Zip up. Leave. Go diving.
Takes about 10 minutes.

 

[AfterDark]

One hour to rinse, after drying I repack. Next dive I grab my bags and go. After 45 years I know what I need, what I have and what I packed.

The only gear that I don't use on every dive in my wreck reel and canister light. The safety gear is in a pocket on my harness. I recently left my ground mat home because it got blown over to next lot and didn't get packed; but I was able to dive anyway.