Dive Boat Gear Management

[microbubble1]

Hi, everyone.

I'm looking for suggestions on how to better manage my gear on dive boats in the mid-atlantic and great lakes, both getting it on the boat and once on board. I do my best to be curteous on the boat, but my mesh bag doesn't really cut it anymore and I don't want to be one of THOSE people using hard bottomed, wheeled luggage that's always in the way.

All suggestions are welcome.

Thanks!

 

[doctormike]

Milk crate. By far the best way to go. Compact, easy to load, easy to toss your gear into as you remove gloves, hood, computer, etc.. after a dive. Indestructible.

I never understood people bringing airline luggage on a dive boat. Those things are not designed to get wet at all.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

I've moved to Rubbermaid bins because they work for camera, road trips, boats, and rinsing gear. But, I do find a lot of the time the tall ones which are better for camera, rinsing, and holding more stuff, don't fit under boat seats. You win some and lose some.


Home depot has a heavier duty black bin with yellow top for about $9 I want to try out. Milk crates are still, and will probably always be, the bomb for storing small groups of gear in garage, such as reg sets.

 

[microbubble1]

Great idea! But would the milk crate be in addition to a mesh bag that carries fins, regulator, lunch, etc.?

 

[TSandM]

Most of our dive boats don't want any kind of trunk or bin on the boat. I break my gear up -- I put fins, mask, hood, regulator, gauges and dry gloves in the mesh bag. A second bag has dry suit and undergarment. One tank goes on board with my backplate on it, and the other goes on "naked". A final bag has my dry stuff -- I never dive ANYWHERE without my dry bag, which has good, thick, Polarfleece garments to get into if I flood and get hypothermic.

I get on the boat, put my tank in place (the boat stores the other one), and dump the fins, mask and gloves into the space provided. Gauges get clipped to the harness, and the light gets mounted to the harness. The mesh bag then rolls up small and is given to the boat crew to stow.

This seems to work well, keep me tidy, and not get in anyone's way.

 

[Tug]

I started with a mesh duffel bag but quickly changed over to a long milk crate. The milk crate fits nicely under the benches and holds all my gear minus my drysuit and dry bag.

Based on what a few local boats do, I just switched to a rubbermade tub. I tied some lines to the inside and all my stuff is clipped off inside. There is another set of bungie on top and I can secure my fins on top of the lid. The tub is sturdy enough that I can stick my deco bottles on top and toss everything on a hand cart to wheel up to the car. Plus, a nice thing about this is that I can get home and just stick a hose in the tub and it doubles as a rinse tub.

For shallower single tank vacation diving, I have a mesh backpack that everything gets tossed in and I just carry that and a small dry bag on the boat.

The nice thing about diving locally, is that I set up my gear prior to getting to the boat so my backplate, wing, regs and lights are all ready on so I just toss the tanks on my back and walk down. Saves a lot of time on the boat and I can relax on the ride out with a coffee and just have to toss on my drysuit, suit up and splash when we get there.


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[supergaijin]

It really depends on the storage capacity of the boat in question- there's usually no 'one solution' that works every time.

Mesh bags work to transport the gear but they're not so cool for working out of. You could try a combination of small bin for small things, and the mesh bag to get everything on and off. The BCD/reg normally are set up and positioned, then it's just a matter of sorting your suit, fins, mask, computer etc.

 

[doctormike]

Great idea! But would the milk crate be in addition to a mesh bag that carries fins, regulator, lunch, etc.?

I guess it's a regional thing, and depends on the boat. I carry everything in the milk crate (including my backplate on the top) except for fins and my doubles wing, which I carry on top. I also have a little backpack that I use for lunch, magazines, my wallet and keys, etc.. And a duffel bag for my dry suit and undergarments.

The tubs are OK, but they take up more space, are not quite as sturdy, and they don't let stuff drain and dry out as easily, so I prefer to use the milk crate for that reason. But a lot of people like them too...

 

[rhwestfall]

The tubs are OK, but they take up more space, are not quite as sturdy, and they don't let stuff drain and dry out as easily, so I prefer to use the milk crate for that reason. But a lot of people like them too...

Agree, but that also makes them friendlier when moved to your vehicle for the trip home....

Lewis: I like the way that tub is rigged. You got me thinking. Thanks!

---------- Post added September 12th, 2013 at 07:29 AM ----------

I guess it's a regional thing, and depends on the boat....

exactly!

 

[doctormike]

Agree, but that also makes them friendlier when moved to your vehicle for the trip home....

Hah! You haven't seen my "vehicle". Seawater actually improves its appearance....