What tools do you take?

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Olddiver1950

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Messages
49
Reaction score
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Location
Castle Rock, CO
# of dives
200 - 499
OK, here's the scenario: Going on a trip with a dive shop to a liveaboard. I'm thinking 18 people as well as the shop trip person. So, what tools do you take?
To answer my question myself I'll say I take a crescent wrench, allen wrench, spare o-rings, silicon lube (just a tincey tiney bit), and a spare mask strap. Gotta save the rest of the weight for my wife's make-up and curling iron.
 
Add a small pick (for the o-rings) and power inflator.

Personally, I prefer carrying some regular cheap wrenches over an adjustable. I have a bad history of damaging the things I'm trying to turn with adjustable wrenches. You can get a full set of steel wrenches from cheap hardware stores like harbor freight for under 10 bucks, so they're disposable if they rust. You really only need 2 or 3 sizes for your reg unless you're trying to do a full on service or something. Also, a flathead screwdriver can come in very handy.

Do not get one of those scuba multi-tools. They're junk. The tool arms weren't long enough to turn the nut on my hoses when attached to the reg. That means you end up turning the thing sideways to try and get it onto the nut and then it slips off like crazy. I'm sure you could eventually make it work, but talk about doing something the hard way...
 
In addition to what you suggest: spare fin strap, zip ties, spare mouthpiece, o-ring picks, needle nose pliers, battery door tool (if you have a puck computer).
 
The boat will have tools. Take things specific to your gear that they might not have, such as O-rings, spare inflator, spare whatevers for your camera. The only spares I've use in ten trips or so was an inflator and an SPG(all I really needed was the spool).
 
I take a Pelican 1150 case with the essentials:
  1. O rings for the regulator and tank
  2. Batteries for dive computer
  3. Small wrenches
  4. Hex tool
  5. HP and LP plugs
  6. LP hose with adaptor for Inflator hose
  7. HP hose
  8. Defog
  9. Air spool
  10. Zip Ties
  11. Spare mouth piece
  12. Shock cord
  13. Cave Line
  14. Double ender
  15. Snap bolt
Spare mask is with my main luggage
Spare 8 foot hose is with my main luggage

The 1150 is good and small and waterproof.
 
... Gotta save the rest of the weight for my wife's make-up and curling iron.
There got to be some exotic repairs that one can do with a curling iron.... plastic welding some webbing maybe? heat sealing a wing bkadder?
:D
 
There got to be some exotic repairs that one can do with a curling iron.... plastic welding some webbing maybe? heat sealing a wing bkadder?
:D
Maybe cauterize a wound?
 
I don't bother bringing generic tools (wrenches, alen etc). You can find them everywhere.
I only bring spare consumables specific to my gear. Mainly batteries (including chargers), o rings/lube, few tire ups etc.
For bigger things (bcds, regs, masks, fins etc) IF something goes that wrong with mine, worst case I'd just rent them. I'm pretty generic to my needs and I survived renting most of my equipment for about 80 dives. I could do few more on rental equipment if needed.
Apart from batteries, the only thing I've needed so far was a housing oring (the original one was chipped/cut somehow)
A lot of divers you see in the tropics don't actually bring any equipment nore of course spares. It is absolutely up to you.
 
There got to be some exotic repairs that one can do with a curling iron.... plastic welding some webbing maybe? heat sealing a wing bkadder?
:D

Yeah, I always wondered about that. Let's see, 4 dives, shower, relax and eat, when is there time to do her hair?? But you gotta know my dear wife! She always looks good for the mantas!
 
I don't bother bringing generic tools (wrenches, alen etc). You can find them everywhere.
I only bring spare consumables specific to my gear. Mainly batteries (including chargers), o rings/lube, few tire ups etc.
For bigger things (bcds, regs, masks, fins etc) IF something goes that wrong with mine, worst case I'd just rent them. I'm pretty generic to my needs and I survived renting most of my equipment for about 80 dives. I could do few more on rental equipment if needed.
Apart from batteries, the only thing I've needed so far was a housing oring (the original one was chipped/cut somehow)
A lot of divers you see in the tropics don't actually bring any equipment nore of course spares. It is absolutely up to you.

Yep, my feeling is as yours....the boat will have majority of tools and parts and therefore I don't bring a bunch. I did have an o-ring blow out of my computer and thought I could "make do" with a generic spare and next dive the computer flooded. Learned that lesson the hard way!
 

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