What's in Your Pockets

[PfcAJ]

Or you could uhhh...you know...put it in your pocket...

 

[kelemvor]

Looking up the GUE standard might be useless or even counter productive if he's not taking a class with GUE. I'm doing cave classes right now as well, and what to carry is covered in the manual. It'll also be covered in detail by your instructor. Where specifically will depend on the configuration you're using - backmount or sidemount? Do you have thigh pouches? That sort of thing. That's how it's going for me so far.

In my pouches? Mask, 1 primary reel, 2 jump reels, slate, pencil, 2 extra lights, line arrows, cookies (samoas), tables, extra shears. I expect when I'm done with the class I'll throw some more lights in there.

Before I got the drysuit I had a strap on diverite thigh pouch I was diving with. The instructor had me attaching it to the bottom of the backplate much like j2s mentioned.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

I have two pockets on my drysuit, one on each thigh or thereabouts. In those pockets I carry a backup primary light which is rechargeable, 2 or 3 line arrows and enough non-directional markers for the dive I am planning. I place a Non-directional marker at the exit side of each jump I make & ask all team members do the same. I carry two non-rechargeable backup lights.

My attitude is that there is no need for a backup mask. I have been diving for decades and have never had a mask failure. I wear my mask strap under my hood so if the strap breaks the mask is not going to get away from me. If I were diving where the water was cold and I had to wear the mask strap outside of my hood I would carry a spare mask.

Safety & jump reels are not carried in my pockets. I simply clip them off to D-rings outside of my pockets.

Everything in my pockets is clipped in with a bolt snap to a bungee that is attached to the pocket. I rarely carry wetnotes except for the times I need a set of backup tables for deep trimix dives & that is rare because I carry a backup computer. When in a class I carry, and ask students to carry a set of runtime tables to follow out, as part of the learning process. I do not dictate to my students what they must carry in their pockets nor what side it should be on. I expect my students to be able to think for themselves, consider the risks and dive accordingly. If people want to follow a dogmatic set of rules as to what & where to carry the things they deem important I am OK with that too. I do tend to chuckle at some of these hard & fast 'rules".

During deep trimix training I expect students to carry handwritten tables because I require them to follow runtime tables as part of deep diver / trimix training.

 

[rongoodman]

spare mask tucked between your bp and torso......

Now there's something I've never heard of.

 

[PfcAJ]

Now there's something I've never heard of.

I saw a video from the olden days (late 80s) where the diver had his canister light cord routed through the mask strap and the mask sat on the canister. I found that to be a pretty neat way to do it in the pre-pockets era.

 

[Michael Guerrero]

I'm surprised to see people carrying backup lights in pockets rather than strapped to the harness in the Hog fashion. I'm also surprised to read that people keep reels in their pockets. I keep spools there, but my reels are too big for my pockets.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

I'm surprised to see people carrying backup lights in pockets

Many cave instructors teach this approach. It keeps the harness clean.

 

[victorzamora]

Or you could uhhh...you know...put it in your pocket...

I have zero interest in putting my tell in my pocket. It's way too big for that, and is too likely to feel uncomfortable if my tank hits it. In sidemount, safety tells are just not a good option in your pockets. if I were diving doubles, I may feel decently.

 

[tbone1004]

sidewinder reels fit fine in pockets fwiw.

I had a drysuit built for me last fall and ordered it sans pockets. I do enough diving switching between wet and dry *next weekend in cave country is a perfect example, not sure which exposure suit I'll be wearing* so I use the diverite thigh pockets and they stay packed and I just leave have them in my gear box to put on my nomad or backmount rig. It works for me, obviously not DIR, but I like the pockets in different locations depending on diving sidemount or backmount, so it works for me.

Inside of them
Left
Analog depth gauge in an SPG boot so it can be clipped to the bungee
3rd backup light
150' spool
Trauma shears
extra double ender

Right
Dive tables
150' spool
small crescent wrench
small slate with compass

 

[scubastingray]

For people running lights in your pockets. Are these your 3rd and 4th backups?
Do you have failures enough that you worry about 3 other lights failing? Do you dive solo? I'm just trying to understand why people think it is necessary. With the exception of using relatively new lights I don't feel the need for more than the two strapped to my chest.


Personally, a spool, slate, and dissimilar volume chart are all I feel i need. I don't even use a pocket a lot of times, and end up with backup spool on right d-ring, safety reel on back d-ring, and primary back there initially.