Where to put all your accessories?

[M DeM]

So I rent my gear since I'm basically a vacation diver. I'll eventually purchase my gear, but am going to wait until I do more dives.

However, there are some items that don't seem to be "rentable" but sound like a good idea to bring with you "just in case."

I'm specifically thinking:

• knife
• light
• surface signaling device
• tank banger?
• not necessary, I know-- but I'd love to have a tiny slate if for no other reason than to use as a white balance reference for photography

A GPS rescue device couldn't hurt, but I sure as hell don't expect to find myself in a situation where I'd need one. But then again..... no one does anticipate needing rescue, do they?

But that's still a lot of stuff. I'm guessing some stuff has positive buoyancy, other has negative buoyancy.

I've seen divers strap their knife to their leg, but they were big knives. I've seen folks with cargo pockets attached, but that seems like it'd effect trim and buoyancy and would require a bunch of dives to get used to.

Do most folks just hope the BCDs available to rent will have pockets aside of/in addition to weight pockets?

 

[RyanT]

pocket shorts.

 

[Marie13]

Your knife can double as a tank banger.

Get wrist slate.

 

[Dan]

I do need to carry my safety gears. That's why I don’t rent BCD & carry my own BCD with big pockets.

 

[JohnnyC]

Pocket shorts. Ditch the knife, put a trilobite on your computer strap instead. SMB and spool in pocket. Slate in pocket. Light in pocket. Don't carry a tank banger.

Pocket shorts don't screw up your trim or buoyancy.

 

[tbone1004]

• knife-on your computer wrist strap like @JohnnyC said ideally, but if you are renting that as well, see the slate below
• light-pocket shorts
• surface signaling device-pocket shorts
• tank banger?-what do you need that for?
• not necessary, I know-- but I'd love to have a tiny slate if for no other reason than to use as a white balance reference for photography-use a wrist slate and you can strap your knife to the straps, they're like $10

 

[scrane]

All the rental BCDs I've seen have big pockets.

 

[M DeM]

A tank banger I need because... um.. not sure, why actually. especially if I have a knife I can use to bang on it in case I desperately need to get someone's attention.

When you say pocket shorts, do you mean that I should get a pair and wear them *over* my wetsuit? (please pardon my extreme nooobiness). Because I expect to be renting wetsuits for a bit more time.

• knife-on your computer wrist strap like @JohnnyC said ideally, but if you are renting that as well, see the slate below
• light-pocket shorts
• surface signaling device-pocket shorts
• tank banger?-what do you need that for?
• not necessary, I know-- but I'd love to have a tiny slate if for no other reason than to use as a white balance reference for photography-use a wrist slate and you can strap your knife to the straps, they're like $10

 

[M DeM]

Get wrist slate.

Didn't even know those existed! Thanks!

 

[M DeM]

Pocket shorts. Ditch the knife, put a trilobite on your computer strap instead. SMB and spool in pocket. Slate in pocket. Light in pocket. Don't carry a tank banger.

Pocket shorts don't screw up your trim or buoyancy.

This is great... but since I haven't bought a wetsuit and will be renting, would I put the pocket shorts *over* the wetsuit? Or do most dive shops rent 2 piece wetsuits in addition to 1 piece?