Why use a mesh bag

[Mo2vation]

I'd love to hear that said, while sitting on a boat next to my 82 year old ex father in law, pulling his gear out of his mesh bag, who has more dives in more parts of the world than any of the 3 most experienced divers on SB put together. Including the rolleyes. :shakehead

Nobody I dive with, NOBODY I see diving regularly in SoCal rolls in to a divesite in a mesh bag.

Yet shop after shop is compelling SoCal students to buy a bag when they get their required OW kit of Mask, Fins and Snorkel. All I'm saying is why not steer the newbie (soon to be diver) to something that is more useful than carrying groceries or beach towel and flipflops?

They're total cash traps. Many of us bought them, few of us use them.

Like the $99 5 window high volume clear skirted purge mask with Qstrap and the $69 Sahara super mega ultra dry purge snorkel and the $125 split fins bought for OW, eventually most people outgrow this first set of nonsense and move onto gear that is more durable, practical and a little more geographically relevant.

Meshbags for Scuba have near zero relevance for a SoCal diver diving in SoCal.

---
Ken

 

[mrjimboalaska]

I can get all my gear (BP/W, Mask, fins, booties, 3MM wetsuit, gloves, regs,) in my
Akona mesh bag. Carry my weight belt on the shoulder. I don't see it being very hard to do, since most of my dive buddies do the same..............
Must be a SOCAL thing.............

 

[redacted]

Meshbags for Scuba have near zero relevance for a SoCal diver diving in SoCal.
--
Ken

But it keeps the price fairly low on ebay for us WWWs.

 

[Hank49]

Nobody I dive with, NOBODY I see diving regularly in SoCal rolls in to a divesite in a mesh bag.

Yet shop after shop is compelling SoCal students to buy a bag when they get their required OW kit of Mask, Fins and Snorkel. All I'm saying is why not steer the newbie (soon to be diver) to something that is more useful than carrying groceries or beach towel and flipflops?

They're total cash traps. Many of us bought them, few of us use them.

Like the $99 5 window high volume clear skirted purge mask with Qstrap and the $69 Sahara super mega ultra dry purge snorkel and the $125 split fins bought for OW, eventually most people outgrow this first set of nonsense and move onto gear that is more durable, practical and a little more geographically relevant.

Meshbags for Scuba have near zero relevance for a SoCal diver diving in SoCal.

---
Ken

Well, I have to admit....I don't think he did much diving in So Cal..although he was born and raised there....but if he did, he'd probably bring his mesh bag.
but seriously, you mention wheels as the big breakthrough....on most (of the few) shore dives I've done....wheels are useless on the pitted, rocky shore. Your gear is heavy enough so why not use the lightest bag possibe? And one that can easily be stowed under a boat seat and out of the way? Is this like the tomato juice thing or something?

 

[pickens_46929]

Mesh bags take up less room on the boat... have separate bag for transporting / travel... often use Rubbermaid tubs too when appropriate...

 

[Mo2vation]

Well, I have to admit....I don't think he did much diving in So Cal..although he was born and raised there....but if he did, he'd probably bring his mesh bag.
but seriously, you mention wheels as the big breakthrough....on most (of the few) shore dives I've done....wheels are useless on the pitted, rocky shore. Your gear is heavy enough so why not use the lightest bag possibe? And one that can easily be stowed under a boat seat and out of the way? Is this like the tomato juice thing or something?

Yeah - wheels on a shore dive don't help much. Unless they're maybe those big balloon wheels like on the beach wheelchairs or something....

Shore diving for us is a drive up, park the rig, gear up off the tailgate and walk down to the shore deal. No need for schlepping gear you're not wearing.

I bet diving in SoCal was quite different in his day. Yellowfin off Redondo Pier, 12# lobster off SM shore and the like. Must have some amazing stories.

---
Ken

 

[Hank49]

I bet diving in SoCal was quite different in his day. Yellowfin off Redondo Pier, 12# lobster off SM shore and the like. Must have some amazing stories.

---
Ken

Aye, he can tell stories...I drove him from Singapore to Kuantan, Malaysia (5 hours) and they were non stop...and after sleeping at my condo, it continued for another 5 hours the next day on the drive up to Redang to dive. I actually have one his old mesh bags with his initials sewn into it. If I outlive him, I may sell it on E-Bay someday..

 

[joeabroad]

Mesh bags blow.

Cash traps for rookies.

Oh, no, I’ve been happily using a mesh bag for three years to haul my heavy cold water gear, without even realizing that it BLOWS.

Now that I’ve seen the light, maybe you can recommend a good sturdy wheeled bag—it just needs to be the kind that pulls easily through sand and over large boulders and stows easily on small, crowded boats.