Underwater slate ?

[bob1dp]

I rarely if ever feel narced. But bring out the slate and try to write something at depth and I realize it takes some concentrating to write neat and convey and idea.

 

[del_mo]

I glued a writing slate (pencil writing) that I use for notes concerning the dive to the back of a Magna-Doodle (from Walmart) for at-the-moment communications. Then I connect the whole rig via a coiled (like a phone cord) line to my BC.

I clean the writing slate with Soft Scrub.

 

[Bill51]

I rarely if ever feel narced. But bring out the slate and try to write something at depth and I realize it takes some concentrating to write neat and convey and idea.

Actually I use my slate more often to prove to newer divers that they are narced. It amazes students how much difficulty they have doing simple math problems at 100’ when they’re sure they aren’t narced.

 

[crpntr133]

Magna doodle works great. I am thinking about coating mine with the tool grip dip stuff that you buy at a hardware store, cosmetic plastic edge reasons only. If you want to attach a pencil and apply white contact paper to the back you now have another slate.

 

[Charlie99]

In my BCD pocket I keep a signal mirror with a few sheets of waterproof paper and a pencil rubber banded to it.

www.riteintherain.com --- or even better is
www.durarite.com, by the same company.


I keep a Durarite notebook in my gearbag to jot down notes for my logbook, e-mail addresses for sending photos, etc. On those rare ocassions where I've written something underwater, I'll rip another page out of that notebook and replace the used pages on my signal mirror/notebook.

 

[markfm]

Do the little Fisher Price Doodle slates actually stay OK at depth, or do you just use them shallow? Thanks.

 

[crpntr133]

I have had the magnadoodle down to 75' and it worked fine. Somebody posted on SB that the tip on the "pencil" would rust if you didn't clean it well. I haven't found that true but I have never had it in salt water either.

 

[wet]

I use large slates when surveying a site for diving... then when my Navigation students go down I give them "easter egg" type hunts that they can use with compass bearings from a centralized reference point to find their prizes.

I usually put out 5-6 $10-$15 Prizes at for each class with one "grand prize" like a dive knife or pair of fins. Since I only teach private classes and no divemills I have the freedom to include my costs to buy them in the class fees. Thanks for the heads up on the magnadoodles! I'll head to toys-r-us and buy them for future classes!

Works great and gives my students a big reason to work on their navigation skills before wasting an entire dive figuring out how to follow a compass that can be done as easilly on land!

All in all, slates are great, whatever kind you use, for certain applications; but the vast majority of my dives are without one.

 

[_Bella_]

I got a Quest II for a birthday present a few years ago and kinda like it. I don't use it much, but I like that it has a regular white slate on one side and a magnetic writing tablet on the other and it's very small. I usually use it to help identify fish, or directions to interesting creatures I've found and want to return to. I forgot to erase the magnetic portion at the end of a trip last year and went to use it on a following trip and couldn't get the old scribbles completely erased. The scribbles are still kind of visible, but like I said I don't use it much.

 

[HowardE]

The fisher price slates ($4.99 @ Target) do work at depth... However, the "beaner" that clips it to you is weak... Crazy Glue it and/or duct tape it together first, before you dive, so you can clip it to you. If you lose it, well you're only out $5.