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Question Upcoming trip to Bonaire-have a few questions.
- Thread starter donnad
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Do any of you use a mesh gear bag and would that be safe to leave behind? Or would a heavy trash bag work? Regulator bag? Computer bag? How do you transport your gear to the site without getting beat up or blowing out of the bed of a pick up truck along the way?
I don't take a mesh gear bag, but I probably over-estimate the odds of losing it. If the possibility of having it pilfered wouldn't upset you, then by all means take one. Keep in mind the odds. There aren't roving bands of thieves around all the dive sites. Sometimes, someone with ill intent looks in your vehicle, and sometimes they decide to take something. And some sites are probably more susceptible than others.
What would you want to put in the mesh gear bag? We take our masks and computers inside the truck, on the seat while driving around. Sure, be careful not to leave fins in a position in the truck bed where they will catch wind and blow away. We wedge fins in the truck bed, perhaps under some BCs or between tanks. Wetsuits don't tend to have that problem. If you're concerned you could pile the wetsuits on top of the other gear and weigh them down with your weights. But generally, stuff blowing out the truck bed hasn't been a problem for us.
drrich2
Contributor
I use a DryFob for the truck key and fob.
I wear a sealable waterproof pouch on a lanyard around my neck with driver's license, some cash, things I'd rather keep dry but won't be destroyed if they get wet.
Sometimes big advances in quality of life come from simple innovations in practice. I use towels to protect the seat. After repeatedly struggling to get a large towel to cover the back and hang down and cover the seat, I started using 2 towels. Much easier and worked much better.
I don't use a gear bag or regulator bag for shore dives. Once you put a tank on your BCD, it'll be pretty stable and not roll. You can use that, and/or the loose BCD and fins, to prevent tanks rolling across your regulator, consoles, etc...
Dive boots do fine for going in stores; no need for flip flops, though if you want a cheap pair, that's cool, too. There is something to be said for letting your feet dry out a little between dives. You can also shop in your wetsuit if you want.
This last trip I didn't find sunglasses as essential as I might've before. In the past, I tended to buy roughly $20 'Sunshield' sunglasses from Walmart; big things intended to fit over your regular glasses. A friend called them my 'birth control glasses.' Nobody has ever yet stolen a pair from me.
I've used maps from widely available free pamphlet things in the past. You can print some maps at home and laminate if you want. As others mentioned, cheap stuff you could live without if it walked off may be okay to take.
I use spit for defog; I never run out or forget to bring it.
I stow a scuba tool somewhere in the truck (maybe $20?), an o-ring kit, a little adapter that can be put on a low pressure inflator so it can air up a flat tire, a book on Bonaire dive sites (the Reef Smart one - highly recommended), a map, some plastic soda bottles refilled with water, various things in the truck.
I wear a sealable waterproof pouch on a lanyard around my neck with driver's license, some cash, things I'd rather keep dry but won't be destroyed if they get wet.
Sometimes big advances in quality of life come from simple innovations in practice. I use towels to protect the seat. After repeatedly struggling to get a large towel to cover the back and hang down and cover the seat, I started using 2 towels. Much easier and worked much better.
I don't use a gear bag or regulator bag for shore dives. Once you put a tank on your BCD, it'll be pretty stable and not roll. You can use that, and/or the loose BCD and fins, to prevent tanks rolling across your regulator, consoles, etc...
Dive boots do fine for going in stores; no need for flip flops, though if you want a cheap pair, that's cool, too. There is something to be said for letting your feet dry out a little between dives. You can also shop in your wetsuit if you want.
This last trip I didn't find sunglasses as essential as I might've before. In the past, I tended to buy roughly $20 'Sunshield' sunglasses from Walmart; big things intended to fit over your regular glasses. A friend called them my 'birth control glasses.' Nobody has ever yet stolen a pair from me.
I've used maps from widely available free pamphlet things in the past. You can print some maps at home and laminate if you want. As others mentioned, cheap stuff you could live without if it walked off may be okay to take.
I use spit for defog; I never run out or forget to bring it.
I stow a scuba tool somewhere in the truck (maybe $20?), an o-ring kit, a little adapter that can be put on a low pressure inflator so it can air up a flat tire, a book on Bonaire dive sites (the Reef Smart one - highly recommended), a map, some plastic soda bottles refilled with water, various things in the truck.
We setup our tank before we leave the condo (pickup tanks the night before or get them in morning since tanks are just next door from the place we stay). So when we arrive we just puton our suit, boots, strap on tank and go. We have some shade infront of condo in morning so it is cooler than in full sun at dive site.
We just do a quick reload after the dive.
I use to do the dive boot thing but hate having feet wet for 5 or 6 hours. Like to dry them between dives.
Mesh bags in truck just make it convenient for thieves to bundle your stuff or gives them a bag to fill up for the next truck.
I bring my stuff from condo to truck in a bag, setup my kit and wifes and put bag back in condo.
We just do a quick reload after the dive.
I use to do the dive boot thing but hate having feet wet for 5 or 6 hours. Like to dry them between dives.
Mesh bags in truck just make it convenient for thieves to bundle your stuff or gives them a bag to fill up for the next truck.
I bring my stuff from condo to truck in a bag, setup my kit and wifes and put bag back in condo.
DanFromDownUnder
Registered
We always rent the oldest rusted out truck we can get, grab a couple extra towels and put them on the seats and never bother getting out of our wetsuits.
Though the point about taking your boots off to dry your feet is a good idea.
Have some defog on a carabineer attached to bcd and a waterproof container that has the car key and some cash for lunch.
Some cheap ass mirrored aviators stay in the truck for driving and some plastic bottles for water between dives.
Leave the windows down and the truck unlocked and In 6 trips never had a thing go missing.
Though the point about taking your boots off to dry your feet is a good idea.
Have some defog on a carabineer attached to bcd and a waterproof container that has the car key and some cash for lunch.
Some cheap ass mirrored aviators stay in the truck for driving and some plastic bottles for water between dives.
Leave the windows down and the truck unlocked and In 6 trips never had a thing go missing.
DeepSeaExplorer
Contributor
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FishWatcher747
Contributor
I bring 2 pairs of cheap driving sunglasses and 2 pairs of dollar store reading glasses to the island. Never had anything taken. In case the first pair of sunglasses or reading glasses were taken I had the other set of pairs in the AirBnB for the truck the next day. Glasses are placed under the seat out of sight during the dives.
Did have an allen wrench in the glove box to change a Yoke tank insert to Din, Never used it myself but a guy in the Tolo parking lot used it and "I saved his day".
Also had many of the Drrich2 items hidden in the truck.
Did have an allen wrench in the glove box to change a Yoke tank insert to Din, Never used it myself but a guy in the Tolo parking lot used it and "I saved his day".
Also had many of the Drrich2 items hidden in the truck.
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