What are the accessories that you will always dive with, and why ?

[Storker]

When I dive locally or regionally, i.e. if I'm traveling by car, my configuration is almost always:

Backup light on the right shoulder strap
Small knife on the waistband
Ceramic line cutter on the left shoulder strap
Spare double-ender on the left shoulder D-ring
Whistle on the inflator hose
dSMB rigged with spool in my right thigh pocket
Roll-up snorkel in my left thigh pocket
Large knife inside my left calf
Main light on a soft Goodman handle on my left hand
Slate on my left forearm
Compass and watch/backup computer on my right wrist

Usually I also carry one of these:
My camera rig clipped with a leash to my left hip D-ring, and clipped to the left shoulder D-ring as well during the SS and when I'm getting into or out of the water.
A GoPro on a short handle, often clipped to the left shoulder D-ring. The handle has a boltsnap on the end and a short loop which goes around my wrist.
A catch bag either in my hand or (if it's empty) tucked inside itself and clipped to the front crotch strap D-ring.

If I'm traveling abroad, I usually leave the backup light, the spare double-ender, the knives and the catch bag back home. Depending on the site and the op, I might also leave the dSMB and/or the compass.

 

[CuzzA]

Primary cave reel that I tie to my anchor or boat

Seriously? I don't understand this. Why not just use a hookah or get trained in navigation?

 

[Fastmarc]

Since my frequency of diving has once again increase over the last 2 years, plus now diving without a regular dive buddy, I have thought about my gear (kinda obsessively), made some changes and fine tune what I carry.

On every dive I will have:
19cf pony
ceramic line cutter
shear
dsmb with spool
backup light strapped to BC
DiveAlert
BFK (won't go on travels. Vulnerable to enemy divers then)

In pouch:
roll up snorkel
jon line
whistle
slate
gloves

 

[Fastmarc]

Interesting story about the addition of a Jon line.
Before this year I had no idea there was such a thing until it came up in a conversation I started about diving with gloves at dive locations. I thought to myself nice idea, I'll put together one for the future.
A couple of weeks later at the end of a dive the anchor got loose and the boat took off. We gave chase and caught up at safety stop depth. There were a few newish divers so they got to hang onto the line, being bounced and dragged. As I don't hang onto the line during the safety stop, I didn't secure a spot and it wasn't possible to get in again. Plus the amount of bouncing they were enduring... no thanks. I just had to fin to keep up and it dawned on me, a Jon line would have been useful...

 

[hedonist222]

a lot of our fellow divers have mentioned things I don't consider accessories
I consider them essentials/tools

line cutter, serrated knife, dsmb

I carry those (serrated knife soon) but my accessories are:

dive light (powerful but dimmable)
UV dive light
magnifying glass
reef pointer

I use the reef pointer to perch myself and explore macro critters with my magnifying glass

 

[Jake 10]

Besides the standard fin/mask/boots/BCD/Reg/SPG; I carry a watch, computer, whistle, DSMB, slate, light, compass.

 

[Dan]

I like to dive in the open ocean with lots of currents to see pelagic, sharks, etc, in places like Socorro, Cocos, Galapagos, Palau, Maldives. After reading some divers got lost at sea, I started carry these signaling devices, as shown below. I put them in my BCD pockets so I won’t look like a Christmas tree underwater with a potential of entanglement problem.

 

[Clayton122]

2 computers
DSMB
Reel
Cutting device
spare light
Whistle ( attached to my inflater hose )
If in the ocean, Nautalis EPIRB

 

[EFX]

I always dive with two lights, a knife, a whistle on my wing inflator/exhaust tube, and a small slate in a small waist strap pouch. When diving in open water I store a small mirror in the pouch. If penetrating wrecks or caverns then I take a reel.

 

[Wibble]

Interesting -- but not surprising -- how widely it varies according to where people dive.

Left pocket: spare 60m spool - lining off, searching, etc.; Short Remora knife for slicing through thicker rope; if CCR, small yellow 'alert' SMB; if OC, backup large fat Halcyon 4.5ft SMB on 60m spool.

Right pocket: spare mask (identical to one I'm wearing); wetnotes; large Halcyon 6ft SMB on 60m baby Custom Divers reel (primary if OC, backup if CCR)

Harness: two line cutters (one on underside of wrist-mounted compass bungee, one on the waistbelt); spare boltsnaps on LH & RH chest D-rings; backup Ammonite torch on RH strap (lower). Primary torch (narrow + wide) parked or stowed on RH D-ring (generally mount the Paralenz camera on the torch Goodman handle; battery on waist belt if OC, battery on unit if CCR; if it's cold then use a heater battery.

On CCR (above the stand, D-rings left and right): RHS large 100m Kent Tooling reel with self-inflating SMB (CO2 cartridge, soon to be a crack bottle); LHS if suspected poor vis will take a full-size cave reel to line off the shot.

If diving sidemount in the sea, the SMBs go in a large butt pouch. Spools, etc. clipped on butt D-rings. Pockets for rest.