Spare gear / tools on 2-week trip?

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billt4sf

Contributor
Messages
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Location
Fayetteville GA, Wash DC, NY, Toronto, SF
# of dives
500 - 999
What spare gear or tools do you bring on a 2-week dive trip?

Do you bring extra:

clips?
split rings?
double enders?
tools (hex keys, wrench, screwdriver)
long hose
DIN - Yoke converter
zip ties
keepers (for webbing)
spool or SMB
batteries

I have my answers, but I'm looking for suggestions, too. Weight is always a problem of course.

We dive BP/W and long hose. We'll be at dive resorts (in this case, Murex, but the question stands for other locales).

Thanks,

Bill
 
Yes, in addition, I always bring spare mask, mouthbit, have a backup SPG, just in case my console computer is caput, so I can rely on my wrist computer & the SPG. Also 2mm shorty to layer out over my 3mm (I'm a whimp, after a week of 4x/day diving I'll start to get cold, but interestingly enough, I was the only one that didn't miss a dive in 12 day trip in Raja Ampat, raking 40 dives).

In December, I'll be in Galápagos, so I'll take my 5mm jumpsuit, 2mm shorty to layer out & a hood, instead.
 
According to all issued I've had (and there were many) I'd probably bring :
- a spare mask (I always have one leaking or fogging)
- regulator mouthpiece (I was wondering whether I had a hole in my mouth after I realized it was the mouthpiece)
- fin strap, (I also broke a fin in Nusa Penida current, but after then you can rent them)
- comp battery specially if its Li (very nasty surprise I had in Anilao, no batteries available, the dive centre in the hotel charged me 16USD/day for a comp rental !!! most expensive gold plated Zoop computer!!!),
- DIN o-ring (had to tour the whole island of KoTao to get a new one, but that was 12 years ago. An instructor told me DIN was almost dead... I wish I could see his face now.)
- SMB (should be nice on Sahaung2, just in case you need to surface by yourself too far off the pinnacle, on the way where the boats ride fast.).
- White vinegar and Otolin : don't forget these one in North Sulawesi, your ears will thank you.White vinegar for rinsing your ears on the boat after all your dives, Otolin when the pain starts.

Maybe you don't have the need, but I found myself recently in Komodo without any strobe arms. So I had to carry one strobe and asked the guide to carry the other one. he looked like a christmas tree hanging lights when I was photographying.
Hence always check your strobe arms... :)
 
My smallest tool kit has o-rings, mouthpiece, zip ties, computer batteries and tools to open the computers, small adjustable wrench (or two), hex keys, small screwdriver (flat and Phillips), larger screwdriver (flat and Phillips), SPG spool, tank-valve knob tool, Schrader valve tool for LPI hose, coiled lengths of bungee and paracord, a couple of bolt snaps, EMT shears, silicon grease, folding knife. My larger kit (for more remote sites) includes spare SPG, spare mask, HP hose, LP hose, reg hose, misc clips/slides/rings, bonding "rescue" (silicon) tape, sometimes a spare 1st and/or 2nd stage, spare spool, duct tape.
The SMB and spool are on my BC, not in the tool kit. The DIN-yoke converter is on my (recreational) reg while traveling. A spare computer is on my wrist.

P.S. Medical stuff (pills, ears, eyes, stomach, etc) are separate from my dive tools.
 
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Anything electronic - backup camera body, sync cord, strobe, sets of batteries, dive computer.
And what "tursiops" said above. Length of trip doesn't make much difference for me. If I have to go to the airport I take the spares.
 
My usual kit is SPG, mouthpiece, computer battery, spare computer, spare mask, extra cave line and bungee cord (a few feet), wing inflator, tear aid, zip ties, and few o-rings. I also bring along a spare reg set with miflex hose to reduce weight but that's for either two or three of us depending on whether my son is with us. I don't know that I would were it just me. I switch DIN connectors for yokes when traveling. For tools, I bring only a few Allen keys--mostly for camera gear. SMB and spool is just part of the kit for each of us.
 
Yoke is the standard in SE Asia so no need to bring a converter.
Most operators should have tools unless you want something really special and unique.
I never travelled with a spare long hose, worst comes to worst any hose would do for me.
Spool and smb are standard equipment for me.
I do carry service kits and two hook spanners for my Apeks regs.
Cable ties, clips, double enders are useful items to have.
I dive with one computer and a BT. A spare computer + spare battery and O-ring are in my day bag.
Spare mask and torch if on liveaboard.
Hood and vest are essential for me.
 
I'll put my list down which is for trips away where i have to fly, rather than when I can use my truck and take everthing.

My list is small:

Din O-Rings
Small O-ring set
Small tools - Hex kit small wrench set and small Adjustable wrench (all in a soft pouch)
Zip ties
Spare Mask

That is it.

DSMB, and spools, double enders etc are part of my normal dive kit.

Any thing else is normally on the boat/at the shop. Never had an issues getting Din in Asia so my convertors stay at home.


My caveat to the above is that my gear gets used hard during the year (weekly) Things like hoses get changed annually (Middle East climate, lots of UV and high temp). Same with fin spring straps, the springs tend to weaken and stretch over time a year is the max. Regs get serviced annually, and never less than a month before a trip so we have a few dives to ensure they're good.

With constant use and solid maintenance I have no need to carry everything as a just in case
 
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