Tips & solutions for hauling, storing, cleaning, organizing gear

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filmguy123

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Ok, I've got all this new fun dive gear. That's great. And then reality hits - storing it. Hauling it up and down hills for shore dives. Cleaning it. Etc.

What are some of your favorite tips, tools, pieces of equipment that you have found over the years for dealing with all the logistics of Scuba?

Here's what I have seen and been looking at so far:

  • Black costco bins, home depot buckets, double layered with holes drilled in the first bucket to let out excess water when wet
  • Mesh bags
  • Battery case for dive light batteries
  • Tool bag for misc parts
  • Changing mat for dealing with dirty ground @ shore dives
Wondering about misc bags, tips, storage containers, etc. to make the whole process easier? Organizing tips for bags/bins, how to split gear or pack gear for taking up and down hills with difficult shore entry, efficient ways for keeping wet stuff dried and separated, etc?

I realize this may be sort of a vague question - maybe there's no great way to do this and you just get used to it - but wondering if any of the pros here have some tips and things they've learned over the years that have either made their life easier, or they wish they would've thought of prior. Could be a personal system you have, or one of those random little accessories that's been a major convenience boost.

I really don't know what's out there, but I saw a bunch of little things I liked on my last outing and hoping to glean some more ideas from the old timers and pros here.
 
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My favourite thing is my little red wagon lol it can hold everything even tanks and folds up! I'm buying a fold up dolly for my doubles though for cases when I'm unable to put them on at my truck


For cleaning I have several huge storage bins, fill them with water etc and then I hang everything to dry on a heavy duty garment rack with wheels which can be hung outside while I'm washing then in my garage for final drying.
 
DSS's Valve Flusher DeepSeaSupply - Product Detail
I don't have one but I'm pretty sure it will also fill/flush your entire DSS wing if you open/remove one of the bottom dumps.

I have a similar system on my Ranger and I normally let it flush for a couple hours post-dive. Salt crystals become sharp when they harden so can be damaging to valves or bladders.

The only time my regs see a reg bag is when they're stored on the shelf between trips. For the way I pack it's too awkward to fit conveniently in either my checked luggage or my mesh diveboat bag so they're just loose in my carry-on for travel. I have a standard travel rollator and find the place where you normally fold/fit pants in the lid is ideal for them.

I probably wouldn't even own a reg bag except it came free with the regs.

I have a Tilos mesh bag. It rolls up nicely into it's own pocket for storage during travel. Expanded it takes a whole set of gear, fins, bc, thin suit etc. regs, towel plus the pocket works good for a mask and a few small things. On boat trips it plus my video gear are all I walk on with. Hideway Mesh Pack | Tilos It's not a dry pocket though and since it usually winds up on the deck of the boat things in the pocket do get wet. If you're diving cold with a heavy suit, you'd probably have to carry your BC separately.
 
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My favourite thing is my little red wagon lol it can hold everything even tanks and folds up! I'm buying a fold up dolly for my doubles though for cases when I'm unable to put them on at my truck

This is my favorite piece of dive gear I've bought in the last two years :) (I'd say that even if it wasn't the only gear I've bought recently). I can put *everything* in this cart: 2 cylinders, all wet suit pieces, reg setup, BCD, mask, fins, lunch, gatorade. I often even put in my weight bag with 25-30 lbs of lead. If might be just a touch overloaded with the weights, but it seems to carry it all fine.

The cylinders go on the bottom, everything else goes in a huge Sterilite or Rubbermaid tub on top of them.

Found the cart at Costco the day after a dive buddy showed up with one.
 
I might as well drop this here, I was thinking about this when I was cleaning my gear yesterday. Besides, I can't sleep. Thinking of diving. Wish I was back on Kauai.

Part I: Tom's Rules For Not Forgetting Dive Gear and Making Sure He Can Still Use Donna's Car To Go Diving

(Subtitled: A system for slightly OCD, slightly absent-minded, slightly organized divers. Especially good for divers who have to wake up at 0530 to get to the beach in time to find parking during Tourist Season. Which is not as much fun as Wabbit Season/Duck Season cartoons. But I digress.)

All gear lives in 1 of 5 places in the garage: wet suit hanger, BC hanger, Tom's flip-top dive gear box, tank rack, and weight bag. Add one empty Big Bin of Doom (36 gal rubbermaid bin), and you're ready to (get ready to) go diving.

(Everyone else's gear, and Tom's spare gear lives Somewhere Else AKA The Other Box, to avoid confusion about what stays and what goes.)

The night before:
Move everything except the tank(s) and weight bag from Tom's Dive box (flip top box), to the empty Big Bin Of Doom (36 gal Rubbermaid bin). This makes sure that you handle and inspect each and every piece of gear. Fresh batteries in the lights? Anti-fog in the mask box? Fins straps well attached, computer wakes up and has good batteries? Weight pouches in weight bag? EVERYTHING is in the Bin, except tanks and weights.

Morning (ugh!) @ 0530 or so:
Put waterproof tarp in cargo area of Donna's car. Tanks, weight bag, and The Big Bin of Doom go in Donna's car on the tarp. If there is anything left on a hanger or in Tom's Dive box, you forgot something :) Tom's Dive box MUST be empty, or you forgot something. Tank rack must be empty, or at least missing 2 tanks. Bottom shelf of dive shelves (where weight bag and usually empty Big Bin live), must be empty. Other Box and Tom's dive box must be on middle shelf, Tom's box must be EMPTY.

Drive to beach. Think of the ocean of empty parking spaces that will be yours to enjoy! Think of all the extra blocks you wont have to walk! Smile! You're going diving! W00t!, as we say in the biz.

Park. In the First Row! You hear me, diving gods?? Lloyd Bridges has smiled down upon me from on high! I'm PARKED IN THE FIRST ROW! James Bond in his fancy white wet suit in Thunderball has nothing on me. I'M IN THE FIRST ROW! Clearly this is going to be a glorious day of diving!

Go diving. Have fun. Talk to friends. Tell sea stories. Meet new dive buddies. See stuff. Repeat as needed until excessive happiness, excess Nitrogen, or ready to go home.

As you de-gear on the beach (or at the car), EVERYTHING goes into the Big Bin except cylinders and the weight bag. Everything. This makes sure that Donna's car stays dry and sand free so you can use it the next time :) If the bin is full, and there's nothing left on the beach, you aren't leaving anything behind, and won't have to see your gear mentioned on "guess what I found" on DiveBums mailing list. Put tanks, weight bag, Big Bin and cart in the car. Drive home.

When you get home everything goes on the back patio. Remove tarp from Donna's car; inspect cargo area for sand. Vacuum as needed. Then vacuum again just in case. Remember Tom's car is completely the wrong shape for diving, and you *really* want to keep using Donna's car.

Now, prepare for The Great Dive Gear Cleaning Event. (coming soon, to a patio near you)
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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