What should I buy with my remaining $250 in shop credit?

[ScubaDoo83]

A tale of two Steves

Anyway here is a breakdown of each item you guys touched on:

- I would imagine I'm going to have to go elsewhere for the shears. My dive shop has a limited selection of blades and most are over priced knives only. Good news is it shouldn't be costly at all. How do you guys hold your shears on your person?

- I have booties and spring straps (came standard) on my fins, super comfortable

- my wetsuit is a 5mm which will do me justice I would imagine until half way through fall. Traveling all winter to dive.

- Not sure why people are suggesting gauges and compasses, I listed a dive computer as part of the package I already purchased. I'll probably get a backup compass to hang from my BC though cheaply.

- if you think the only problem with the Dive Caddy would be the length of the fins then I would gladly check the fins to have the rest of my gear with me. Although, I haven't been able to find measurements of my fins and I lost my measuring tape

 

[TheRealScubaSteve]

I mounted the shear sheath on the inflator hose with zip ties and has served me well so far. Did lose a pair, so I added a small retractor and hooked it onto a zip tie under the sheath to keep it out of the way.

Read your post 3 times but still glossed over the computer. I think I'm guilty of reading only the first word in a list of items. I dive with an analog depth/pressure gauge console in addition to a computer. Personal choice of redundancy, but a compass is a nice thing to have - does your computer have a digital one?

According to LP, your fins are 66cm/25.9843 inches.

 

[diversteve]

Mine had a metal loop at the top of the sheath so I zip-tied it to a lower d-ring on my shoulder strap. On the other end I would've likely used a quick link probably thru the bottom of the sheath and around a strap - I have several of those laying around. http://www.techdivinglimited.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=12_35



I no longer have the shears to check (rusted shut) which is why I stressed the stainless steel pivot pin.

I can't make a Dive Caddy work for me logistically. For one thing I don't think I can get enough clothes in it. Not that I take a lot but the reviews I read on it all talked about a weekends worth of clothes stuffed around your gear. We do 7-10 day or longer trips so I bring more stuff. I also have a big hard bottom roller duffel bag that's been on every trip I have for the last decade and is still intact. I also paid $40 - not $279 for it. I'd have to question why the $279 package includes a repair kit also.

Actually my issue with the dive caddy wasn't the fin length but the protection it provides (or not) if your Dive Caddy has to be checked. Fly on any of the regional United Express/American Eagle flights in the Caribbean and it will be - the overheads aren't even big enough for a larger approved carry-on. I had to ramp check mine going to Bonaire in San Juan after carrying it on two connections previously.

I've also been traveling to dive destinations for 3 decades and have yet to have my checked bag not arrive. So in a way Dive Caddy is playing on your fears. Which may be a more viable concern now than previously admittedly with the continually full planes we've experienced recently. IMO when you're standing in line to board and the gate agent is looking for bags that need to be checked because the overheads are getting full you don't have any chance of getting on with it. Dive Caddy wants you to believe this won't be noticed? Right...it's also pretty obviously not 22" long either apparently.



My roller carry-on has my laptop, some clothes, regs, computer, good mask, 2 days worth of clothes etc. It's a TravelPro bag - a lot of the flight attendants/captains use the same brand. I also bring HD video gear which wouldn't fit in a dive caddy - it's an Amphibico housing like this:



If your thought is to use an AI dive computer instead of depth/pressure gauges I might re-think that. Especially the pressure gauge. My buddy did just that - second day of our trip after he showed me his new AI computer it flooded. Actually the battery died and he missed some part about proper o-ring re-installation. He'd removed his gauges and left them at home. So he had to borrow a set of gauges for the rest of the week - in metric not imperial. And mentally convert each time the DM or one of us did a pressure check. The next trip his gauges were re-installed.

If you're looking for something minimal see if your dealer can get you something like this - obviously not in metric.
http://www.leisurepro.com/p-xsspgccm/xs-scuba-pressure-gauge-compass-combo-metric

I don't use a compass but my buddy does so I frequently see him holding up his console and sighting along it. Seems convenient..

 

[KeithG]

You are on the right track with your own gear. Now concentrate on safety items (and learning how to use them).

• 6ft Safety sausage and finger spool
• Dive light (get a good one)
• cutting device ( I like the Trilobyte)
• gloves
• gear bag - if you don't have one at all, get a good mesh bag for local diving and on boats. When I fly, I now use a regular suitcase, but scrunch up my mesh bag to use for daily comings and goings on boats.

And go diving!

if that credit is rally burning a hole in your pocket, consider adding a spare mask to the list.

 

[TSandM]

I'd go with an SMB and a light, but that's in part because I absolutely LOVE night diving. To me, an SMB and spool are an absolute requirement for diving off a boat, where you might come up somewhere unexpected and want to be visible.

 

[t4e]

A tale of two Steves

Anyway here is a breakdown of each item you guys touched on:

- Not sure why people are suggesting gauges and compasses, I listed a dive computer as part of the package I already purchased. I'll probably get a backup compass to hang from my BC though cheaply.

most likely because you did not say what it has, there are all kinds of gauges and computers, not all of them have a compass

 

[TheRealScubaSteve]

I no longer have the shears to check (rusted shut) which is why I stressed the stainless steel pivot pin.

Silicone aerosol spray works wonders for keeping shears 95% rust free. I spray mine after washing every few dives. Give a liberal coating and allow to air dry. When wet, the water just beads right off. Alternatively, if so inclined, Frog Lube (primarily made for firearms and knives) works great too. It's all natural (for the environment) and is also food safe.

 

[mikeawags]

You could always fill a couple sets of doubles with trimix.

 

[Ana]

How about air fills? use that gear you already purchased and dive

 

[greenliger]

I'm kickin around the idea of the Dive Caddy but I'm not totally sold my gear would all fit for carry on.

I love my dive caddy. But it is a double edge sword. It is a lot of weight to lug around, but that is not weight that the airline is going to charge you for.