Neat Little Tricks Are Good to Know

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Curious....what will you do when a diver in panic grabs for it and can't get it off? If he/she is already at that point, I'm sure calmly pointing out that you have an octo available won't do so well. Seems like it's potential for an underwater fight over air.

This happened to me once -- If you design the slipknot right, it will slip off the mouthpiece with a big enough yank.

Incidentally, this guy wasn't out of air -- he jumped off the boat with his air off -- as in the OP's original comment. I turned his air on and he continued the dive on his own reg.
 
I have a DUCK billed marker myself! :wink:
:rofl3: :rofl3:
Just teasing ya, Tim!

:laughing:

Ah, I'm blaming it on spell check anyway.
 
Full-foot fins often cause blisters. This is easily prevented simply by wearing socks under them. The best kind are men's thin dress socks.

You can judge a current--either an isolated one or a generalized one--by observing fish behaviour. By doing this, you can anticipate and prepare for small eddies, localized downcurrents, or shifting currents, and you can make a rough assessment the rate of the current as well.
 
When diving in hot weather and going into colder water with a camera in a housing, I place the rig seals up good in the ice chest/cooler with the drinks (I would ask first).That way it is tempered and ready to go w/o fogging when you need it.
 
  • Nylon socks under your booties will save your feet on a live-a- board.
  • On a drift dive, always pull the dive flag because the person with the dive flag is never lost.
  • If you carry a sausage, go ahead and carry a spool as well. If you get seperated from the dive flag that I told you to pull, it makes a nice makeshift dive flag.
  • Carry at least two cutting devices: one high and one low on the other side.
  • You can improve your air consumption almost immediately if you learn to fold your hands together rather than waving them around. You'll have to dial in your neutral buoyancy and trim to be really successful but people will think you are an awesome diver when you get this down.
  • Going slow will also improve your air consumption as well as allow you to see what everyone else is missing.
 
When you are swimming along watching a school of fish, and they all suddenly seem to "jump" in unison, look all around quickly: There is a big, fast predator in the water.
 
When you are swimming along watching a school of fish, and they all suddenly seem to "jump" in unison, look all around quickly: There is a big, fast predator in the water.
Of course that predator they are avoiding might be YOU. :D

The Jew Fish becomes intensely black just before it feeds. Possibly, an all black wetsuit and gear simply scares the hell out of smaller fish. Not good if you are a photographer trying to get fish faces and not fish butts. :D
 
Best way to look in a hole is often upside down.

Shore entries/exit are best done fast.

Learning how to handle bolt snaps is worth it.

Most gear problems are easier to solve underwater than at the surface.

Rinsing gear is overrated.

Car keys, id and credit cards are better in a ziploc inside your drysuit than in your bag left on the shore.

On a dive vacation, the most fragile piece of equipment is your body - eating, drinking and sleeping properly are more important than rinsing gear.

Reef knots and bowline will slip. Double fisherman and figure eight won't.

Any spares kit should have o-rings, bungee, line and zip ties.

In doubt, take a couple extra pounds. Underweight is no fun.

If you dive wet for a dive but don't want to detach your drysuit hose, let it hang along the tank and velcro the tank strap over it so it stays in place.

Edit - one more: shears usually are a better tool than a knife underwater, but you should still carry a knife so you can cut those tomatoes for the post-dive salad.
 
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When placing tanks in your trunk / boot face the valves towards the sides or towards you. In the event of an auto accident and the slight chance of valve breakage you want the tank bottom:)mooner:) pointed away from you and your passengers.
 
Most gear problems are easier to solve underwater than at the surface.

I can't think of one gear problem that is easier to solve underwater than on dry land, let alone "most".
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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