safety items what do I need for basic ow?

[littlewaywelt]

I used the search function but couldn't find an answer to my very basic question.

I'll be doing my open water certification dives in a couple of weeks and want to make sure I have the proper standard safety items. I tend to be overly anal about being prepared for emerg situations.

What are the standard safety items that should be in a bcd for surface signaling or other situations?

whistle - anything special? will a simple plastic rescue whistle work?
flashlight - do i need one for day dives <60ft in clear water?
pocket strobe - have a princeton tec strobe already
inlflatabile signal device - do I need this?
trauma shears

I have basic personal gear, fins, mask, snorkel, booties and gekko...anything else I should pickup?

[mirrocraft]

well you are just doing you class i woud use the k.i.s.s. system keep it simple stupid , for your class you will have a wet suit mask snorkle fins weight belt regs and tank dont add all kindas of crap just yet you will see in your diving carreer that for the most part as you advance the gear gets simpler less to deal with you will be exposed to alot of extra trash you dont need as you reed through this and learn more you wil get a better under standing of what im talking about but for now just keep the minimal gear. you have enuff to deal with learning to dive just my opinion others may say something different

[SCUBATuga]

As far as 'over-and-above' safety items go, you shouldn't need anything for your open water check-out dives. Your instructor or divemaster will have you under supervision the entire time until you are cut loose at the end of your training. If you're going into the ocean then you may want to consider a safety sausage (inflatable signal) but chances are you will not be required to have any of those things. Your instructor may not allow it. Wait until you are done with your open water training and have a few dives in before you buy too many things... see which way you are going to go with your training (rec or tec) and then find someone who has a lot of experience to mentor with. The only thing that wouldn't hurt to have would probably be your trauma sheers in a pocket... everything else is just a hazard to you right now because you'll be task-loaded as it is. You seem like you're off to a great start... safety is the most important factor with this and anything you do in life!

[scarefaceDM]

it will be covered in your open water course. First read the material, second ask your instructor, third...relax and do not stress over it. You will not need anyof those for your course until you get to the open water checkout dives.

Before you plunge...just ask your instructor what he/she wants you to carry on the pool dives. Chances are, your not going to need a flashlight, trauma shears, SMB. Just make sure you jump in with your gear on... and do not forget to turn your air on...

[TSandM]

littlewaywelt, some of the questions you're asking are dependent on the kind of diving you are doing, and where you are doing it. Filling out your profile would help you get more specific information.

A good general rule is to take what you need on any given dive. This will be different if you are shore diving a marine preserve or boat diving a deep wreck.

I think everybody should have a good cutting device, and you can read the arguments about whether knives or shears are better and for what. And how many cutting devices you should take, and what they should be, is going to vary with where you are diving. Are you likely to get into fishline? Heavy nets? Wire? Cave line?

If you're diving off a boat, you should have some way to signal the boat. Whistles, mirrors, audible alarms, and surface markers are options.

Lights are criticial for night and very low viz diving, and the general rule is, if you need one, take two, because they can and do fail. For daylight diving in good visibility, it takes a very powerful light to be useful. You shouldn't need or want a light for OW checkout dives.

Have fun with your checkout dives. This is a great sport.

[CBulla]

The most important item is to engage the computer thats between your ears.

I used the search function but couldn't find an answer to my very basic question.

I'll be doing my open water certification dives in a couple of weeks and want to make sure I have the proper standard safety items. I tend to be overly anal about being prepared for emerg situations.

What are the standard safety items that should be in a bcd for surface signaling or other situations?

whistle - anything special? will a simple plastic rescue whistle work?
flashlight - do i need one for day dives <60ft in clear water?
pocket strobe - have a princeton tec strobe already
inlflatabile signal device - do I need this?
trauma shears

I have basic personal gear, fins, mask, snorkel, booties and gekko...anything else I should pickup?

[Jim Lapenta]

Sounds like you are pretty good to go for ow. Depending on where you are diving, yes a light is a good idea even in daytime. On the uw tour portions you may want to look under something or just highliight a small area for someone else. I always carry an inflatable signal device no matter where I'm diving except maybe the pool. Unless I'm planning on practicing deploying it. One other thing you may consider later to go with the smb is a small finger spool in case you find yourself in a situation where you need to deploy it from your asfety stop. You should not need it right now but they are cheap and can come in very handy. The other thing you need now with what you have is a plan as to where you are going to store these items until you need them. This will change as you gain more experience and get comfortable with your gear. Basic rule is evrything goes in the same place everydive. Your goal is to be able to find each of these items, deploy them, and replace them with your eyes closed. The time will come when you will have to do things by feel not sight. Having necessary items in the same place every time helps alot. Again for the first 25-50 dives or so this will change but it should not be radical changes and do not chnage everything at once. As you add more gear or subtract you will find it's more convenient to this item here rather than there and so on. Atthis point I have been using the same locations for most things for 2 years. AsI've gone from a jacket to BPW and now beginning the transition to doubles and tech I'm resetting those things but again in small steps.

[littlewaywelt]

This is great info! Thanks!

I've done the class & pool work and will be doing the ow dives referal. I'm not worried about not having gear on the checkout dives so much as afterwards. We'll be diving in a more free environment where they pretty much drive the boat out, and say be back here in x or they say follow us if you want the tour. My wife dove with them and they were man handling coral etc, so I want to make sure I'm self reliant as much as a newbie can be. Wife has her ow for 10-15 years, but she only dives once every couple of years.

As far as juggling things and keeping things simple, that I'm not worried about. I did one resort dive and I feel extremely comfortable in the water. I've been climbing for a pretty long time, which is more complicated than basic diving in so far as my limited experince can tell. As such I'm a big proponent of KISS. Interestingly, they seem to have many common factors.

Thanks for all the help and feedback. This is a really great forum.