Equipment ID

I am going on my first So. Cal. boat dive next week for Chamber Day. I assume it will have more divers on this boat than any other boat dive I have ever done. So I would like to mark some of my gear. My question is: What type of marking pen do you use ?, and were can you buy them.

I marked light colored gear with a black indelible marker - any store with office or school supplies.

Dark (black) gear like wetsuits & BC got marked with a white paint pen from Hobby Lobby (arts& craft store). It will fade so redo annually.

Ditto on the indelible black marker. I also bought a paint pen (silver) that shows up very well on a dark background.

After I used the paint pen to mark my major scuba gear, there was plenty of paint remaining in the pen. So I continued on and marked everthing I could get my hands on. The cat fortunately escaped before I initialed him.

Carbon

I had permanent ink marking pens on hand for fabric and used them. I think the price for colored ink/paint pens is cheaper in Fabric, Craft or Hobby Stores. You’re looking for a store where women get the stuff to make the cutsie type scrapbooks that are all the rage right now. My LDS had specific pens that may work better and be easier for you to find but looked like the same thing to me.
I have a tag in a pocket on my BC (serial number) and used a permanent Sharpie. I wanted to mark my black integrated weight pouches for boat diving since I noticed there was a lot of similarity and used a Pen-touch 2mm tip opaque white. I needed to make the mark thick, not just a quick initial like on a document. It’s pretty crude looking on the heavy cordura.
I also tried another kind on my wetsuit that went on real pretty, a pale blue with silver outline. It is no where near as obtrusive as the white, pretty hard to see.
I used different brands of markers labeled as permanent and waterproof (Sharpie, Pilot) on different solid items with equal results.

I've used a silver paint pen on all of my gear, and it's held up really well. You can buy them in you LDS, or even find them in Wal-Mart and Target, near the plastic model cars.

Sharpie.... Silver, for black & dark items... Black, for everything else.

And the best thing is that you can get them at any office supply store, and at most drug stores. Plus they are usually only about a $1 each.

Silver Sharpie 3 pack
Black Sharpie

Thanks for all the great tips.

Also...for bcd, regs, tanks...things like that...I use a good old dogtag printed on metal. Now i live near a military base so they are easy to get, cheap and last forever.

rich

JDog:

I am going on my first So. Cal. boat dive next week for Chamber Day. I assume it will have more divers on this boat than any other boat dive I have ever done. So I would like to mark some of my gear. My question is: What type of marking pen do you use ?, and were can you buy them.

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I do it two ways. First I use green vinyl tape. I put a turn of the stuff on everything and then I can spot my stuff form 50 feet away. Luggace handles, snorkle, drybox kit, tools, whatever all have a bit of tape on them. Secondly I write my name using a sharie pen. I have two pens, one black on metalic silver. You j=have to look for a name but not the tape.