Excellent essay on simplifying your diving

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TSandM

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I love Gareth's site, anyway -- there is a TON of good information on it, and I link to it frequently. But the newest piece is so universally applicable . . . if you're going to have fun diving, make your life simple!

Push the easy button | Articles | Resources
 
I tried to push the easy button, but it didn't work at depth. When I checked it out on the boat there was all this corrosion coming from the battery compartment...
 
My philosophy has been the same for 25+ years, KISS. I try to instill this in any other diver who comes on my boat or who shore dives with me.
 
I absolutely positively agree with the last point. Find your configuration, make it as simple as possible, and dive it every time the same way. It takes a bit of trial and error but once you have it dialed in, don't screw with it.
 
I find that my rigs continue to evolve even after decades. Currently I have nine rigs, three are Hog like including one for doubles and then my Hog Lite rig, one recreational rig (used on my kayak), two using a horsecollar BC, and one full vintage and then two Minimalist. And even at that I mix and match between them as my needs change. I could not imagine using the same rig on a deep penetration dive as I would use for a shallow shore dive and as well, I rig differently for solo vs diving with a buddy. But, of my nine different rigs, there are only four configurations, Hog, Minimalist, Vintage and Recreational. I do not consider Hog to be minimalist, while simplification and standardization are at the core of it, minimalism, not sure there. I have in my mind what Minimalism is, and at the heart of it, it might be more of a philosophy or style than a set of equipment or components set up in a particular way. Like a thread, it runs through every scuba thing I do. And, I am not there, as I tend to visit scuba stores and buy junk that I do not need. Fortunately, I give a lot of stuff away over time to new divers and then recoup on eBay some as well.

N
 
I do understand that "minimalist" is a term subject to differing definitions, when it comes to diving. Clearly, a Hog rig is not minimalist, if you compare it with diving with no BC and a regulator with a single second stage. But I tend to think of minimalism more as an approach where you don't solve one gear problem by adding another piece -- don't solve a hose routing problem by adding a swivel, for example. Make sure every piece of gear does the job it has to do, with the least complicated construction possible, and take no more than you need on a dive.
 
I do understand that "minimalist" is a term subject to differing definitions, when it comes to diving. Clearly, a Hog rig is not minimalist, if you compare it with diving with no BC and a regulator with a single second stage. But I tend to think of minimalism more as an approach where you don't solve one gear problem by adding another piece -- don't solve a hose routing problem by adding a swivel, for example. Make sure every piece of gear does the job it has to do, with the least complicated construction possible, and take no more than you need on a dive.

It is a worthy goal. But, for example, many times you have stated that you always carry a can light so that you have it to use of course but also to store your seven foot hose. You are therefore by default, allowing your equipment to dictate your configuration, not the dive. Most dives, do not require a can light, and aside from long duration cave dives, can lights might (I said might) be obsolete technology. You see, for the sake of conversation, you would be more minimal if you dumped the can light, carried a small LED (if any) and went to a shorter hose that did not need a can light for a stowage point. Anyways, for some dives, that might well be the most minimal configuration, in others not. The point of the article is a good one, well taken. Thanks for linking to it.

N
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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