Whats The Most Important Piece of Equipment You Have

[dsgobie]

Yah, which would you like to be stranded with, and nothing else?

Well that would depend. Cause I always have a wet suit as well. And I only dive dry so I can enjoy my SI's. Now while the DS makes dives more comfortable, the can light lets me enjoy them more. The light is also a very effective form of communication with your buddy.

 

[Boogie711]

IB - are you just joking about the snorkel or are you serious???

Like many people around here, my snorkel comes out for snorkeling. That's it.

 

[IndigoBlue]

IB - are you just joking about the snorkel or are you serious???

Like many people around here, my snorkel comes out for snorkeling. That's it.

Boogie, for you, in the frozen cold Canadian north, I would think an ice pick is the most important piece of gear. [Now THAT is a joke, my Friend.]

FYI, in NAUI the snorkel debate has been raging unabated for 40 years. And yes, I strongly believe that your most important piece of gear is the snorkel. It never runs out of air. You never know when your life may depend on it.

So as far as numbers goes, with 20 to 25% of all divers being NAUI (my guess only) and with half of all NAUIs being on one side of that line, I will acquiesce that 10 to 12% is not a majority. But that is what I believe.

 

[Mo2vation]

Oooooo.... it's a toss up between my can light or my dry suit....

After the brain (of course) its gotta be the can light. No other piece of gear has raised the level of enjoyment and peace of mind like my light.

I'd sell anything else I have to keep it.

K

 

[IndigoBlue]

After the brain (of course) its gotta be the can light. No other piece of gear has raised the level of enjoyment and peace of mind like my light.

I'd sell anything else I have to keep it.

K

Tough choice though, between a can light and an underwater video, I think!

Imagine all the ooohs and ahhhhs from even your mother in law due to the underwater videos.

 

[dsgobie]

Tough choice though, between a can light and an underwater video, I think!

Imagine all the ooohs and ahhhhs from even your mother in law due to the underwater videos.

Or how seasick you got her...

 

[blackice]

I think it would be my buddy's regulators, as if mine were to fail or a valve get stuck then I would be looking for her regulator.. I know it's not my equipment but it is there for me in an OOA situation.

 

[IslandHopper]

Judging by your question... I'll assume you don't want to hear about anything that is actually REQUIRED (BC, reg, 2nd stage, octo, etc) ...

So I'd have to say my "required" piece of optional gear is my wetsuit ... I wear a full 3mil in 85 degree water, so it is truly optional, but I HATE diving without it. WITH IT, I can dive all day without getting cold ... and being cold can really ruin an otherwise great dive !

 

[jaak]

Definately my drysuit. Water are really cold here most of the time and my healthcondition isn't the best either. U should like start to buy stuff from inside out. Beginning with the suit and the BC and later on the little gadgets like a knife and a lamp.

 

[Wreckie]

> FYI, in NAUI the snorkel debate has been raging unabated for 40 years.

When i was working with a naui shop in the sates on a DM crossover is seemed the only reason to have a snorkel was to get the first ow dive done fast and cheep.

>and yes, I strongly believe that your most important piece of gear is the snorkel. It never runs out of air. You never know when your life may depend on it.

Never runs out of air? It does if your head is more than about 3 inches under water. I find it very difficult to think of a single accasion where some poor diver has been killed due to the failure of his plastic tube, or one where the tube has saved a life.

The arguments for the tube usualy run along the lines of: It saves air on surface swims to the site = swim on your back, its easier and you have better situational awairness....
But then i cant see the fishes im swimming over = if its that interesting go down there and look.....
Surface swim on the way back = swim on your back, or breath from the large metal thing on your back, thats what its there for....
but i may run out of air = how far are you planning to swim? you should have 50bar/500psi left anyway (depending where you live and no they arnt the same) and this'll last a fair old time on the surface.

Yes there are reasons to have/use/carry a snorkel, but i remain unconvinced and you wont find one in my bag.

>So as far as numbers goes, with 20 to 25% of all divers being NAUI (my guess only)

25%? sorry but thats pie in the sky even for a guess, in the US this may be true but as for the rest of the world? I know of one naui shop in the UK (there may be more) and since getting my dm in the states i have not yet come accross a naui diver in the uk. Even if you split the numbers evenly between the 6 or so training agencies i can think of (and lets be honest padi probably has over half all to itself) It doesnt come to 25%

Have i gone off topic, sorry..... most important bit of kit? Get a dive computer, makes life easier

Mike