Equipment for upcoming Live-aboard

[DiveMaven]

I have to agree 100% about making sure you have a safety sausage. On the Nekton Pilot in Belize this past December, they provided everyone with a rolled up tube of plastic to carry as a "sausage", so they felt it was important enough to provide something. Of the 14 divers on the boat, there were only 4 of us who had brought our own.

Also, after doing our first liveaboard we decided that having a DiveAlert or some other kind of loud noise signaling device was a smart idea. Two of the folks on our boat surfaced a distance away and got caught in a surface current. When one of them blew her whistle, we could barely hear it on the boat since they were downwind. Fortunately, they didn't need to get our attention since the bubble watcher on deck had already spotted them, but we had quite a lively conversation about how inadequate a whistle really is after that.

 

[TJcop]

So far, this is what I've learned:

1. Safety sausage and signaling device (dive alert seems preferred) is a must. So I'll be purchasing those.

2. Gloves will also be purchased...and I'm to ignore the A.G.E. (anti-glove establishment)

3. A nice primary and a pocket sized backkup are needed. The "Lazer Stik" is a tank light, and it seemed to be more popular than my other choice: The Glo Toob. I don't like chem sticks due to the fact they use chemicals and may not work. (ie: get snapped in transit, old, etc)

I think that about wraps it up. Now off to purchase the equip...man, I can't wait for this trip!

 

[Markdone]

Don't repeat my mistake and buy a low-end sausage.

Get one with an Over Pressure Valve and buy a finger reel. Like someone mentioned earlier, practice deploying at depth BEFORE you need to. The really nice ones have a holder in the top for a chemlight for nights.

The scenario is you're at some distance from the boat, and need to ascend. Deploy your Surface Marker Buoy, and use the reel to assist your ascent and hold your Safety stop. That gives the boat some time to think about coming to get you while you're spending 3-5 minutes surfacing. I have a knot tied in my reel line at 15' for reference.

 

[Damselfish]

I had to make do banging with a snap bolt. Not a great tool in low vis, as it is non directional, but in good vis woked for us.

I wouldn't call this making due - from what I've experienced, banging with a snap bolt (or anything metal) works better than any of the gizmos sold for the purpose.

 

[Darnold9999]

I wouldn't call this making due - from what I've experienced, banging with a snap bolt (or anything metal) works better than any of the gizmos sold for the purpose.

Said snapbolt was attached to my camera - not recommended

Buddies was a bungie strap with a hard ball. Cheap, effective, easy to get to.

 

[Damselfish]

Said snapbolt was attached to my camera - not recommended

hmm, ya think?

Buddies was a bungie strap with a hard ball. Cheap, effective, easy to get to.

you mean the ones that go around your tank? They just seem to break/get lost/forget to put them on the tank...

 

[Darnold9999]

you mean the ones that go around your tank? They just seem to break/get lost/forget to put them on the tank...

I believe all that, but on a liveaboard, you put it on the tank and forget it.

 

[cinder4320]

I have a Glo-toob. I like it. It works just as well as a chem stick and is reusable. Do a search there are lots of posts on them here.

Miranda

 

[Peter McGuinness]

TJcop,
I would check about the gloves, funny looks and fashion aside, whenever I have dived in the bahamas area (three week-long trips so far ) I have always been told that gloves are not allowed. If you check back you'll see that several posters qualified their remarks with "if allowed" .

I would call the operator and ask.

Peter

BTW, don't go tearing up bits of rock for a tank banger; in that area rocks are called 'bits of coral' and that's a sure fire way to get grounded!

 

[TJcop]

Well, my items have arrived, and here is what I got:

Light: Princeton Tech Shockwave LED. Wow this thing is nice n' bright!

Gloves: Tusa "warm water". They fit perfectly and appear to be exactly what I was looking for. Nothing really for warmth, just a little added protection. PS: It looks like gloves are allowed, since people that have been on this trip have photos of others wearing gloves.

Signal Tube: Got an orange with with a nice oral inflator. You push on the inflator with your mouth and blow. When you let go, it snaps back into place, sealing it.

Audible: Picked up a Dive Alert for my low pressure inflator hose. After doing a drift dive in Jamaica, and watching/hearing the DM use one...I had to have it!

Tank Light: For night dives I picked up the Aquatec LED stick. It's a constant on red LED, with a nice red glow.

That's everything! I've got some dives coming up, so I'll be able to test it all out before the big trip....can't wait!

PS: I ordered everything from Leisurepro and didn't have any problems.