Useful doodads

[Rick Murchison]

Do any of you dive with useful doodads that aren't something normally found in a Scuba store - and may not even have an official "Scuba name?"
I'll start by introducing my "sissy line" - something I've carried forever. It can be used as a buddy line, a lift line, a current line, a fish stringer, a treasure clip-off line (clip your treasure off to the anchor or down line when you don't have a lift bag).
My "sissy line" is quarter inch poly, about four feet long, with a bolt snap on one end and a suicide snap on the other. Picture at:
http://homepages.msn.com/SupportSt/rickmurchison/doodads.html

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by Rick Murchison
I'll start by introducing my "sissy line" [/url]

Hey Rick... that's a *hoobie-doobie* .... nothin sissy about 'em...

[Dee]

I have one of those! Walter showed my how to make the buddy line part out of braided line about 3 years ago. (Has it been that long, Walter?)

In addition to the uses you mentioned, I also use it as a line for the boat crew to lower my camera to me.

[Green_Manelishi]

DUCT TAPE !!!

[Rick Murchison]

Yes, yes...
And of course one must have zip-ties and rubber bands cut from several sized innertubes (from which you can manufacture or repair just about anything).
Rick

[herman]

I have one of the large plastic storage bins from home improvent stores, it's about 2ft x 2ft x 3ft. I use to put wet items like wetsuits and BC's in after the dive. It keeps my truck wet from getting wet and having that lovely "wetsuit" smell. It also doubles as a wash tank for the gear after I get home. It's also great to keep weights and such in between dives.

[neil]

-Yes, duct tape. Gaffer's tape is better if you can find it.
-zip ties
-electrical splicing tape- if you've never used this tape, get some and you'll find 1001 uses.
-1/8" bungie, thanks Yooper, now I can't live without this stuff!
-blue plastic tarps
-stainless wire, the U/W equivalent of baling wire.

Neil

[g2]

Little loops of surgical tubing, about 1" in diameter, held together with zip ties. I use them to keep my low pressure inflator hose tight with the BC dump/inflation hose.

[TRUETEXAN]

When me and my buddies dive from my boat we attach a 2x2x2 plastic box (with several holes poked in it so it will sink) onto a short piece of nylon rope with a carrabiner on the other end. In the box we have things like extra lights, racers tape, two goodie bags, a spare slate, a prybar and misc. hand tools. We snap the carrabiner to the anchor line and send it down. It has come in handy several times.:mean:

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by TRUETEXAN
When me and my buddies dive from my boat we attach a 2x2x2 plastic box (with several holes poked in it so it will sink) onto a short piece of nylon rope with a carrabiner on the other end. In the box we have things like extra lights, racers tape, two goodie bags, a spare slate, a prybar and misc. hand tools. We snap the carrabiner to the anchor line and send it down. It has come in handy several times.:mean:

Great idea for a working dive ...
Thanks TRUETEXAN

[Divesherpa]

I can 't believe no one has mentioned decanter tops off oz. Grolsch bottles. They work great for the loop on reels so the line doesn't come back to the spool. Magnetic chess board for the long deco stops, when not diving alone.

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by Divesherpa
Magnetic chess board for the long deco stops, when not diving alone.
And magnetic tic-tac-toe for those who solo deco dive. ;)

[Divesherpa]

Oddly enough, tic-tac-toe doesn't work well alone, but thanks for your very thought out input, Monsieur Pug

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by Divesherpa
Oddly enough, tic-tac-toe doesn't work well alone, but thanks for your very thought out input, Monsieur Pug
Oui - Peut-être l'ironie était trop subtile...

[Divesherpa]

Hey Uncle Pug,
Is your language interpreter DIR?

Ha Ha

[Rick Murchison]

Originally posted by Divesherpa
Hey Uncle Pug,
Is your language interpreter DIR?

Ha Ha
Here are a few examples of DIR for languages other than English (spelling doesn't count)
"Una mas cerveza, por favor Senor."
"Ein Bier bitte"
"Una birra per favore Senore"
"Une biere, s'il vous plait."
These phrases have served me well.
Rick

[dc4bs]

I know a guy who built a "warm up tank" for cold water wetsuit diving.

He took an old, insulated soda cylinder and attached a kitchen sink "spray hose" to it.

He fills it with hot water and then pressurizes it with an auto tire inflator pump before going to the divesite.

Any time you're cold before/after going in the water, just grab the hose and squirt warm water into your wetsuit neck...

Also very usefull for rinsing the worst of the sand off at beach dives before putting the gear in the car for the trip home (if there's any water left).

[Divesherpa]

We use something like that in Alaska. We took and old cylinder, put a coleman stove burner under the cylinder, and installed a wand from a pump sprayer. Light it when you get in, and voila, warm water when you get out.

[JustAddWater]

My LDS has a lobster/game bag with a one way trap door for easy bagging.

Mo ippon biru kudasai!!!