So many accessories - how to attach them to your wing?

Venus · Mar 18, 2008

Next week my new Wing arrives (previously used BCD) and I am also doing my Solo dive course
So, the accessories I need to carry have increased and I don't know how to carry them ....

large smb with crack bottle
small back up smb
ratchet reel
small back up spool
compass - I will hang this off the left hand strap D ring on a retractor lanyard
camera - I will keep this hanging off the right hand strap D ring
flash light - small one, not a huge green force umbilical thing
battery pack for my heated vest - I will attach this to the cylinder band
pony bottle - I will attach this to the cylinder band

I don't know what to do with the reel, spool and 2 smbs
I dont want to have things hanging other than the camera

How do you carry yours - pictures would be good if you have any

Thanks

Venus

marchand · Mar 18, 2008

typically you store the reel and spool on the butt D-ring, and I hear bunging the SMB to the bottom of the plate works well. On the other hand you could use large hoseclamps to attach D-rings to the side of your tank(s), but with a single tank this may put it out of reach depending on how flexible you are.

Nemrod · Mar 18, 2008

Wow, well, don't over step going to a wing and solo and photography all in one leap?

1) The smb goes on the aft/rear D ring with finger spool.
2) Ratchet real, no need for it in open water, non overhead.
3) Don't need a backup spool either
4) Compass on the wrist
5) Camera, mine has grown to big to hang anywhere and way to fragile, has a loop to my wrist
6) Flashlight, small UK, plenty bright for shining under crevices or even short look sees in a hole or such. Goes on RH hand shoulder strap clipped to D ring and pointed forward, under a inner tube band so I can turn it on and have it shine the way no hands (solo--no need to have it aimed aft)
7. Pony bottle, 19/30 cf, slung stage style on the LH side between waist D ring and LH shoulder D ring, streamlined and tangle free and ready to deploy for solo use

N

String · Mar 18, 2008

venuss:
Next week my new Wing arrives (previously used BCD) and I am also doing my Solo dive course
So, the accessories I need to carry have increased and I don't know how to carry them ....

large smb with crack bottle

Drysuit pocket

small back up smb

Other drysuit pocket or backplate pouch. Failing that i used bungee loop through the bottom of the plate before now and it worked well enough.

ratchet reel

Depends on size, maybe the arse D-ring or a hip D-ring. Or maybe even the front crotch strap ring.

small back up spool

Arse d-ring

compass - I will hang this off the left hand strap D ring on a retractor lanyard

Get it wrist mounted.

camera - I will keep this hanging off the right hand strap D ring

Right hand shoulder or crotch front ring.

flash light - small one, not a huge green force umbilical thing

Right shoulder strap with inner tube clipped off to the ring with a bolt snap

battery pack for my heated vest - I will attach this to the cylinder band

Waist band like a cannister light

pony bottle - I will attach this to the cylinder band

Pony on a cylinder i found horrible. Far better side mount. For me left hand side with neck clipped to left chest ring and bottom to left hip ring.

That's how i stow my kit anyway although i dont have a heated vest (unfortunately - i'd love one!)

Failing that another option if you dont have suit pockets is something like the bowstone pouch:
Bags & Pouches - Utility Pouch

This just threads onto your waist harness strap. I use one when abroad as my wetsuits have no pockets.

String · Mar 18, 2008

Nemrod:
2) Ratchet real, no need for it in open water, non overhead.
3) Don't need a backup spool either

Remember the original poster is from the UK so for just about all sea dives you'll end it under a delayed SMB so requires a spool or reel on every dive. Most people recommend 2 because if one gets lost/fails the boat still has to find you.

Venus · Mar 21, 2008

Thanks Everyone

you have given me a few ideas .... more than I had before!

I have to carry two x dsmb+reel/ spool for my independent diving

String - maybe I should wander over to Wales and take a look at yours

Web Monkey · Mar 21, 2008

venuss:
Next week my new Wing arrives (previously used BCD) and I am also doing my Solo dive course
So, the accessories I need to carry have increased and I don't know how to carry them ....

large smb with crack bottle

Not sure what a crack bottle is, but you probably don't need one.

small back up smb

ratchet reel
Substitute for finger spool, it's smaller and easier to stow. Both spools and 1 SMB will easily fit in a drysuit pocket

small back up spool

compass - I will hang this off the left hand strap D ring on a retractor lanyard
On wrist

camera - I will keep this hanging off the right hand strap D ring
Leave home. You don't need to start diving solo with a different BC (BP) at the same time you're distracted by a camera. Wait a while on the camera

flash light - small one, not a huge green force umbilical thing

battery pack for my heated vest - I will attach this to the cylinder band
Leave home. Wear thicker underwear

pony bottle - I will attach this to the cylinder band
Sling in front or dive doubles with an isolator. Especially solo, you don't want to find yourself unexpectedly OOA and at the same time learn that the pony is off and you can't reach the valve

Terry

String · Mar 21, 2008

Web Monkey:
Terr

Substitute for finger spool, it's smaller and easier to stow. Both spools and 1 SMB will easily fit in a drysuit pocket

And also extremely irritating to send up from depth or when you have to spend a large portion of the dive dragging the blob around.
A spool is nice from 1-15m when you are ascending straight away. Its distinctly annoying from 35m when you're swept off the wreck and have to deploy it from there and carry it around for 25 mins or so until you decide to come up. For deploying from depth or long periods where you'll need to drag the blob around a ratchet reel is so much more comfortable and less fiddly - especially with thick gloves and cold numb fingers.

You don't need to start diving solo with a different BC (BP) at the same time you're distracted by a camera. Wait a while on the camera

It'll need to be carried eventually.

battery pack for my heated vest - I will attach this to the cylinder band
Leave home. Wear thicker underwear

So carry a lot more lead and even so still get cold. Heated vests are fantastic. I've yet to find an undersuit that'll keep me warm for an hour but a vest does.

AbyssalPlains · Mar 21, 2008

Heated vest? Crack bottle? Hmmm, maybe it's just me, but I'd suggest to sit down and try to decide which of these things you really need. I would also probably decide on one reel, not two. (I'm a solo diver, too, so I know the woes of storing so much stuff)

Venus · Mar 21, 2008

Hold on chaps, maybe my intial post was a little vague

Original set up:
BCD (with pockets), standard sealed DSMB, reel, compass, camera, heated vest battery , knife, whistle, CD, flash light, pony, single cylinder

New set up:
as above + spare DSMB + spare spool + 0.1lr crack bottle

So, all I'm adding is the spare DSMB + spool
swapping the BCD (with pockets) to a wing (with no pockets)
swapping the standard DSMB with a self inflating one with a crack bottle. ie addition of 0.1lr cylinder

My question was - with no pockets what do I do with all this stuff
the simple answer is get a couple of bellow pockets and/ or bungee stuff to the back plate and/ or clip it to various D rings

I'm interested in how other people do this

I can't give up the heated vest - it's way too cold in the UK, altho I rarely use my camera in the UK
I'd rather use a reel than a spool

this thread has given me a few tips - thanks

So many accessories - how to attach them to your wing?

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