What Dive Gear & Accessories Have You REMOVED from Your Kit, or replaced with something different?

[Bearded Diver]

1 - The only reason I carry big 10-inch-shears is because I regularly cut anchor-rope while treasure-diving. But if vacation-diving, there's no chance I'd carry that bulky thing. I do love my ultra-light and tiny knives and line-cutters.

7 - Dive notes are better than a slate. But I tend to leave mine at home, because I mostly dive solo, and it's one less thing to carry.

Treasure diving? Sounds really fun. If you are cutting a ton of anchor ropes I’d assume you are diving in a boat basin/someplace in California ?

 

[Bigbella]

Glad I never bought one, couldn’t afford to them or now lol. Did you ultimately end up selling it?

We occasionally used the comms for work; but more often than not, did not really use them on a regular enough basis, when a rude gesture would more than suffice

I still use the FFMs on a regular basis, but generally without communications . . .

 

[rjgiddings]

Snorkel...had to have it for OW class years ago...it's somewhere in the bottom of a bin as I type this, I'm sure.

 

[Bearded Diver]

We occasionally used the comms for work; but more often than not, did not really use them on a regular enough basis, when a rude gesture would more than suffice

I still use the FFMs on a regular basis, but generally without communications . . .

Makes sense. Appreciate the reply

 

[SlugLife]

Treasure diving? Sounds really fun. If you are cutting a ton of anchor ropes I’d assume you are diving in a boat basin/someplace in California ?

No, for the moment it's just lakes in central Texas. People get on boats, go out partying, end up dropping things like Sunglasses, iPhone, and similar items, and I end up finding them. Some of these 'treasures" are actually worth something, though for me I mostly just enjoy the finding part.

 

[Bearded Diver]

No, for the moment it's just lakes in central Texas. People get on boats, go out partying, end up dropping things like Sunglasses, iPhone, and similar items, and I end up finding them. Some of these 'treasures" are actually worth something, though for me I mostly just enjoy the finding part.

Same. I have found a 14kt gold ring in the ocean while lobster diving, but not much else besides old bottles from the 40s

 

[Cthippo]

Atomic Smoke on the Water fins ($250) Got them because they had spring straps, excessively long, got tangled in my legs, and gave me cramps like no other. Bought a pair of Mares non-splits off Craigslist for $30 and they are better. I also have a pair of jet fins, but they need new straps before I can use them and I am broke af right now.

Bare 5mm dive gloves ($110) Came with my "Personal snorkeling package", never really were large enough and I was tearing them trying to get them on. Replaced them with Glacier Gloves made for bicyclists that I used for kayaking and gave them to my partner to use when she is snorkeling.

Octopus (Free with regulator!) Tossed it in the spares box when I got my pony bottle.

7mm wetsuit ($450?) Wore it for certification and a few dives last year, but it is such a bugger to get into and I do fine with my 3/2 I already had for kayaking. It may come back out in the winter, but it also may not.

 

[Gandalf-the-Diver]

When I started in 2020, I decided before I even started my OW, that I wanted to dive as a self reliant buddy. I used the required gear lists from PADI's Self Reliant and SDI's Solo course as my guide to what I needed. I found a virtually brand new, 13cu Catalina with a Sherwood Stage 1 for a very good price. This was part of my kit, before I even hit the pool for my confined water. (I was not allowed to use it during the open water portion of my class) My kit has pretty much remained the same since I started, 360 dives and 3 yrs in, my pony is now a 30cu Catalina. I do have sellers regret for getting rid of the 13cu tank though. I sold it to one of my photographer friends. I have lost and replaced a few lights, one was stolen from me, and I have had one mask stolen from me, but pretty much the only real change was an upgrade to my pony.

 

[happy-diver]

new straps

What's your address man

http://www.vintagescubasupply.com/maskfin.html

Vintage scuba diving black oval masks and UDT duck feet fins for sale.

www.vintagescubasupply.com

 

[Nemrod]

EMT shears. Back to a proper Tekna titanium knife on my left waist strap. Everytime I need to cut something the shears would fall apart and then I was left holding half a shear and using it as if it were a knife. So, just carry a knife.

Long hose primary (60+ inches). I have not done this yet but after my last trip I am strongly considering abandoning the long hose concept (for at least one of my SCUBA rigs) and returning to a conventional safe second (octopus) seconday rigging. Getting into and out of my long hose rig (single tank, open water) proved to be a fuss when huge waves as big as a house (they did look really big) where washing me about and then I got ran over by the Zodiac and the long hose pulled my prescription mask off my face (I caught it and fortunately my $6000 to replace camera was tethered at two points). It just proved to be a cf! This misadventure and my desire for minimalism are driving me to change. My new hypothesis, not acted upon just yet, is that the advantages of long hose primary donation concept for single tank open water diving are a cliche based on dogma and anecdotal-isims.

Or I may do this for one of my rigs:

DGX Gears BCI Backup Regulator

Replacing both long-hose octo and BC power-inflator, the BCI regulator allows the diver to breathe normally as from any second stage, yet the diver can simultaneously and rapidly inflate the BC, as well as deflate or orally inflate, as you would on any standard inflator mechanism.

www.divegearexpress.com

And couple it with a single G250 run under my arm on a 40 inches hose, I would still be primary donate. But I am dubious of combo regs like that given my experience of two years ago when I drowned and then nearly drowned a second time after switching to a decidedly substandard Oceanic pancake safe second that was just not up to the task of supply a severely stressed diver (me) with enough air. It was woefully inadequate so that BCI would need to meet a very high bar for me to adopt it. I dunno, I am in the Twilight Zone over it all.