What assessories to get?

[Johnny Quest]

I have been away from scuba diving for a long time and looking to get back into it. I never own my own equipment so I do not have any old stuff lying around. I am trying to get things a little at a time and was wondering what accessories, for example dive knife/tool, lights or other items that I should look at getting. What items are essential or at least good to have and what items are more for convenience?

 

[Charlie99]

I'm assuming that you will be renting your regulators and BCD. In that case, you should get the safety-related accessories that aren't provided:

knife, light, whistle

The knife doesn't have to be large. It could even be a small lockback or pocket knife style. A pair of emergency shears is also a good alternative (many divers carry both a knife and shears).

A small light, such as the UK Q40 is good for looking under ledges in the daytime, and is a good safety item for signalling to boats if you are left adrift.

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A snorkel keeper or other way of securing you octo is a good thing to have, since rental gear sometimes doesn't come with an octo holder, or it is one that doesn't work very well.

Some rental gear omits the compass. That's another good item to have. The little 3/4" spherical Walmart compasses will work, as will liquid filled "Boy Scout" type compasses.

A small slate is another useful piece of gear. Instead of a slate, however, I carry a small mirror with some waterproof paper rubber-banded to it.

A small sausage for signalling on the surface is another item you should consider. If you get one of the orange plastic tubes, it is best to store in in a protective cover. I just stuff it inside a section of bicycle innertube to keep it from getting punctured.

A few boltsnaps and short lengths of cord for lanyards will help you keep everything organized.

 

[gfisher4792]

Charlie99 has given you a good list. I would also include with the safety sausage a spool of line to deploy it.

I have a small blunt tip knife, but also shears ($12), which will cut through practically anything you may get tangled in (plus, you can use it with one hand).

Maybe a leg pocket (like from Diverite) that you can store most of this stuff in if you're renting your BC.

 

[Johnny Quest]

Thanks for the suggestions. I was going to go check out one of the local LDS that I have not looked at yet and I will have to check their selection of these items while I'm there.

 

[Scottri]

Don't spend a lot of knives. I don't use mine much and I've found a bunch over the years so the are lost a lot. Lights are a must for me. At least one large one and one backup. Spare parts are always good to have as well. Things like a spare mask strap, fin straps, o-rings that kind of thing.

 

[triton94949]

I have been away from scuba diving for a long time and looking to get back into it. I never own my own equipment so I do not have any old stuff lying around. I am trying to get things a little at a time and was wondering what accessories, for example dive knife/tool, lights or other items that I should look at getting. What items are essential or at least good to have and what items are more for convenience?

1) Local refresher course from an instructor or divemaster
2) Rent all gear that the store allows you to rent
3) Buy only what you cannot rent which is essential
4) Depth gauge & timer or depth gauge & watch or dive computer
5) Dive tables of your choice (USN, NAUI, SSI, PADI, DCIEM, etc)
6) Mask & snorkel
7) Fins & booties/boots
8) Pouch weight belt with soft bag weights
9) Knife & attachment
10) Small flashlight (C cell size) and attachment
11) Mask defogger

Those are the accessories that I consider to be essential. I would never go into the water without them. You don't need to take the dive tables with you in the water, although some people do. You just need to be able to plan your dives and dive your plans. This list is for beach or shore diving.

If you are going out on a boat, there are a few more things:

1) Dive Alert LP hose air horn
2) Safety sausage

I would advise against a large light unless you plan to do night diving.
I would advise against a plastic whistle since those do not work.
I would advise against a spool or reel since you are not trained on how to deploy it like a divemaster would.
All of the above can be attached to your B/C or wrist and therefore do not require a pocket or pouch.

 

[scubapolly]

I have been away from scuba diving for a long time and looking to get back into it. I never own my own equipment so I do not have any old stuff lying around. I am trying to get things a little at a time and was wondering what accessories, for example dive knife/tool, lights or other items that I should look at getting. What items are essential or at least good to have and what items are more for convenience?

Where are you diving? I see you are from NC. If you are doing boat diving a see-me sausage is a good option. Whistles work good except on windy days. As for lights I recomend a C8 or similar for night dives (be advised that you need duracell batteries for these as Energizers don't match up to the contacts in these lights....wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't spent 20+ hours trying to figure out why mine wouldn't work). I would also get a small back up light to carry on every dive and as a back-up on the night dives. If you don't own your own gear you need to be concious of how you are going to attach it to the gear you are using. For the knife you will probably want to get the straps to mount in on your leg. For lights and see-me sausage you will probably find that some decent brass clips will work best, and you can connect them via a zip (cable tie) if they don't already come with clips on them of some sort.

 

[triton94949]

... you will probably find that some decent brass clips will work best, and you can connect them via a zip (cable tie) if they don't already come with clips on them of some sort.

Stainless steel bolt snaps, if you can find them, work much better. The brass corrodes after a few years. The stainless steel lasts forever and continues to operate smoothly, unlike the brass.

 

[ScubaSarus]

I use shears.
I use a steak knife that I broke the tip off and sanded tip smooth
I use a backup light
Whistle
Maybe a mirror when off shore
Save a dive kit etc

 

[Johnny Quest]

I am taking a refresher next month at one of the area LDS. Sort of a refresher, I am going to set through an entire OW class. Since it has been so long since I did any diving, I figured setting in on a class would be more beneficial than just doing a refresher.

I have all the basic equipment, mask, fins, boots and snorkel. I did buy a dive watch, can’t afford a computer right now. The LDS I am taking the class with uses weight integrated BC’s, so I will not have to get a weight belt for now. And as long as I rent from him I will not need one. I have been looking at the different LDS in town at lights and small knives. Getting a pair of shears is a good idea, they are a lot cheaper than a knife.

I am in the middle of the state close to South Carolina, so, for now most of my dives will be in quarries. I am hoping to make a trip to either the NC and/or SC coast this summer to dive there. I will get a safety sausage then.