What items have you actually used from your save-a-dive kit?

[Charlie99]

Spinoff from Save A Dive Kit Contents thread.

OK, here's another question for everybody:

What items have you actually used from your save-a-dive kit? Which ones are most often used?

I've never used the mask strap or fin strap, but have frequently used tie wraps (or given them to other divers). The only other items I frequently hand out are my spare light and a spare compass (lots of rental gear comes without compass).

 

[Poseidon8118]

I've handed out quite a few o rings in my day! It seems like every other shore dive I do someone tightens the yoke to tight to the tank valve and POP! I also noticed that most newbies freak out a little when this happens. I just laugh a little and hand them an o ring. I keep my sea drops, 500 psi, silicone grease and a multi tool that I use on almost every dive in my kit. I did break a fin strap once, but just once.

 

[Jay_SMART_Diver]

I think my save-a-dive kit is huge!! Lot's of junk and I have the customary mask & fin strap, snorkle keeper (who needs that anyway), mouthpiece (have used), mainly used out of my kit o-rings and zip ties...not to mention went with my girlfriend's class for OW check-out dives; almost all my de-fog -=> Gone to the felow students...got to love the newbies!!

 

[realdiver7]

Fin strap (once), Sea Drops, zip ties, multi-tool, wrenches, 0-rings (many sizes always), sun screen, motion sickness preventative, headache tablets, Tums, lip moisturizer, chewing gum, mouthpiece, small flashlight, gear clips, spear tips, DIN to Yoke adapter, Yoke tank insert, and other things, believe it or not.

When teaching, or when diving with new divers who haven't gotten around to making their own save-a-dive kits, someone always needs something. I like the smiles I get when I actually save someone's dive!

 

[Mo2vation]

I don't have a "save-a-dive" kit, as I think they're lame and just another useless thing pawned off on Scuba Divers as a must-have accessory.

I do however, have a fully stocked drybox that goes on every dive with me. Some of the most recently used items include:

* two weeks ago, I used my DS Patch kit for wifie's drysuit. After dive #1, patched a pinhole with Aquaseal and Cotol - went to lunch, came back, it was dry and leak free.

* Zip tie - had to re-clip my boltsnap on my 18w HID. No problem - snipped it off with the fingernail clippers I keep in the drybox, re-tied it, and trimmed it. Finger nail cutters are great for zip ties, as they cut curved and don't leave sharp edges.


JUST TODAY

* Viton Orings - another diver blew an Oring on this trip in her O2 clean tank - all the boat had laying around were rubber Orings. I whipped out a Viton, life was good.

* Yoke insert for Tankzilla - a buddy asked me to bring my second e8-130 - I did. What I didn't know was that the guy he wanted to loan it to had a Yoke reg. No worries, whip out the insert and the Allen Key, and he's diving my Waterheater.

* Back up (photo copy) of my ANDI Safeair card - I forgot my Nitrox card, whipped out the copy this weekend and was able to dive Nitrox

* Today I whipped out the wetnotes on dive #2, and there was no pencil! No problem, I keep half-a-dozen in the box. I must have not zipped my pocket all the way. Got back, and for dives 3 & 4 I was fully armed.

* Qtips - I hate wet ears. Used a few today

* Listerine breath strips - gotta breathe friendly. Used them today.

* Dramamine chewable - used them today. Woo hoo.

* Pressure gauge - used it 3 times today to confirm boat fills before re-assembling the rig

* Mask Defog - 4 dives, four trips to the dry box for this.

* lip stuff - Used it 3 or 4 times today. gotta keep the kisser soft for post-dive festivities...

* Mini flashlight - used it in the prohibitively dark bunk last night / this AM so I could find my stuff.

* Aspirin - took a couple after dive four... no-caffine headache, I think

* Scubatool - my dive buddy used it today to thread my 18w buddylight onto his BP/W bungee rig. Another diver on the boat today used it to replace an HP port in her reg (she was diving wet, and removed the DS hose.) I used it to screw back in the rubber knob on my tank. 3 times in one trip!

* Zipper wax & Talc - used talc a few times today for the DS neck seal, and I always finish the day lubing the zipper. Both are in the drybox.

* Quarters in a film can - used them tonight for parking at the restaurant on the way home (drybox yielding benefits AFTER the dive day!!!)


Another name for a Save-a-Dive kit is a SAD kit. If you're just bumping around with that limp Trident mask/fin-strap-in-a-tube nonsense, you need to shake yourself, do a search on ScubaBoard (for the stuff you need to include) and build a real drybox to carry with you. I have an abbreviated version for dayboats, and a Drybox+ I use on multi-day / vacation trps. I won't do a dive without it.

---
Ken

 

[Rick Inman]

Of course the normal stuff like ties, O rings, bolt snaps... But the the thing I enjoyed using the most was the duct tape! Got to tape a guys DS wrist seal. Many dives ago I saw NWGratefulDiver duct tape SnowBear's neck seal, and I'd always wanted to try it.

 

[Mo2vation]

Of course the normal stuff like ties, O rings, bolt snaps... But the the thing I enjoyed using the most was the duct tape! Got to tape a guys DS wrist seal. Many dives ago I saw NWGratefulDiver duct tape SnowBear's neck seal, and I'd always wanted to try it.

I've heard about this emergency fix - how does it work?

---
Ken

 

[Rick Inman]

I've heard about this emergency fix - how does it work?

---
Ken

I never said it worked.
With Snowbear, she still leaked, but it helped (completed the dive).
With the guy who's wrist I taped, he jumped in off the end of the dock and had forgotten to zip up his dry suit. Water temp was 42f, so end of dive and we never found out it the duct tape worked or not.
Anyone else have experience with duct taping DS seals?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I ripped a neck seal once and whipped out my trusty duct tape. The repair job held up fine for the next seven dives before replacing the seal.

 

[crpntr133]

Seen the duct tape trick done a couple of times and yes it worked.
Saved a DB one time with a fin strap. I kept telling him that he needed to look into spring straps but noooo. I just smiled as I handed him a new strap.