Tool roll instead of box/bins? Save a trip/dive.

[MichaelMc]

Any recommendations on carrying save a trip/dive / field repair kits? Other than loose in a few bins? Such as tool rolls? For a biggish kit for shore dives by car, but not a tech expedition level kit.

I've been using two 14x10x7" tubs with a few long travel pouches for the small bits and tools. The spare reg set, bungee spools, webbing, lights, etc are loose in the bins. But I'd rather tidy things up for riding with others vs my collection of open tubs of loose spare bits and tools.

I'm looking at a zip pouch tool roll for the small stuff. With the bigger bits in a big bag, like a spare reg set, webbing, and bungee rolls.

The 'zipped pouches' rolls seem ideal for a few tools plus collections of small parts. What I mean by 'zipped pouches' roll, here the Atlas46 11.5" tool pouch. Though filling it with spare scuba bits plus a few tools instead of full socket and wrench sets.

With four (11.5 or 13.5)" x 2.5"x2.5" zippered pouches. Shop Atlas 46 Products They also have larger ones with 16" x 2.5 x 3 pouches plus slots on the outside surface under velcro flaps for wrench sets or other flat/small things, but that seems overkill for most scuba tools at the dive site.

The 'roll with a strap/slot for each tool' types seem nice and tidy, but less flexible in what fits and not as suited for random spare parts.

ETA: added 'save a trip' to title. For me shore dives are 2 hours away. Driving back home for spare tools or gear wipes out that dive day.


Off topic, but on tools, I found a handy non-steel screwdriver, for say dialing in sidemount hose clamp locations underwater. The 'handle' of the flat handwheel nut tool works well. https://www.divegearexpress.com/handwheel-nut-tool-flat-profile. As would any other flat aluminum bit, but this serves another purpose as well.

I've no connection to Atlas46, they're just what I found searching for this, and various amazon 'zippered pouch' variations of the simpler roll.

 

[scubadada]

I take a modest, small boat kit in a Pelican box that fits into the bottom of my backpack. It has kept my tools rust and corrosion free for many years. It has been incredibly helpful on many occasions, mostly, for other divers.

 

[seaseadee]

would those zippers corrode after some time? could you use something like this or do you need the tools protected from the elements? If yes, then there is this.

 

[MichaelMc]

I'm not using them in an open boat, and most dive boats I've been on had a sealed cabin available. I'd wondered if the pelican case version protects them from salt air by being sealed. Yet I've not seen any corrosion from my mesh travel zip bags with normal zippers used in parking lots at shore dives and occasionally stuffed in my backpack in the cabin on dive boats.

The tool pouch size, above at ~12" wide, seems sufficient, yet their Yorktown roll with slots on the back is not much bigger, at 16" wide, and could put more of the tools, webbing, zip ties, or bungee cord in slots leaving the pouches for bigger parts, spare lights, or ever a reg set.

 

[broncobowsher]

Pelican case for me. For me it is a save a dive kit, with a bigger save a trip kit that doesn't go on a day boat. It is amazing how much stuff you can pack into a little Pelican case if you are selective and pack it right. No spare reg in the dive, but in the trip. Hoses, O-rings, batteries, mouthpiece, inflator rebuild, reg hose the BC quick disconnect on the end. Hoses a little longer than ideal. It isn't just my dive it saves. Who else is on the boat that I might be in the water with. A 5¢ O-ring can get you a $5 beer at dinner.

But a canvas bag will never do for me. I have had water accidently splashed on the gear bag numerous times. At the end of the dive all the gear gets piled into the cart, car, truck. Even if I kept the bag dry on the trip, it would soak up water in the travels. Not having all the gear together as you get of the boat, because you want to keep the canvas bag dry, is a very good way to loose gear. It can get chaotic if you do a morning boat and there is the afternoon crowd ready to get on as you are getting off.

 

[MichaelMc]

For me it is a save a dive kit, with a bigger save a trip kit that doesn't go on a day boat

How do you carry your bigger save a trip kit?

At the end of the dive all the gear gets piled into the cart, car, truck.

Pile-o-wet-gear coming off the boat is a good point. Pelican case or a dry bag might be the thing there.

 

[MichaelMc]

If you have a nice organized dry-land tool roll you like and want to take it on a non-capsizing boat, one option may be to slide the flat tool roll into a flat dry bag, roll them together, then tuck over the end of the dry bag before cinching the roll with a strap or two. It would not be 'capsize over board' dry, but it should be 'splash or soaked outside' dry. Basically a variant on 'stick the tool roll in a dry bag'. Trading off immersion and puncture proof for compact. A motorcycle tool kit uses this idea. Fatty Tool Roll. Which I found after chatting with the side mount instructor whose dry-land tool roll prompted my interest, Lexi from BambooReef.

Or the oilskin canvas mentioned above for the actual tools and a zippered pouch roll for the spare scuba bits that may not care. ETA: On waterproofing: I've seen descriptions of spraying with clear or black Plasti Dip for bike panniers. Some of the pouch tool wraps on amazon claim to be oiled canvas.

ETA: I ordered the above 11.5" tool roll pouch and a small 10"w x 4"d x 6"h gear bag for big spares. Both should fit in a small Husky bin with lid, if not stuffed. I'll update with how they work.

 

[broncobowsher]

I have been using a plastic tote bin and leaving it in the car. But you got me thinking a fabric tool bag might be a better choice. My Pelican box save a dive kit, would probably sink if the boat capsized.

 

[Mike1967]

My Pelican box save a dive kit, would probably sink if the boat capsized.

Probably got more to worry about than losing your pelican box if that happens

 

[tursiops]

I have a DiveRite roll-up tool pouch, works fine but is not waterproof.