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KristenK
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Would you recommend I carry it on or check it?
Finally have my own gear!!!
- Thread starter KristenK
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Would you recommend I carry it on or check it?
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As someone else posted, I too may have spent more $ on courses than on equipment. Probably could now call me a "card collector" back then, as I really don't make use of a lot of that stuff I learned.
Equipment need not be a huge expense if you rinse it all well each time and don't buy stuff you won't need. Buying used helped me. For example, the very used 7 mil wetsuit I bought for like $150 lasted me about 11 years.
Equipment need not be a huge expense if you rinse it all well each time and don't buy stuff you won't need. Buying used helped me. For example, the very used 7 mil wetsuit I bought for like $150 lasted me about 11 years.
Yay! I just got my own stuff recently too. I got to test it all out in the lake this weekend and looooved it! And today I officially got my nitrox cert if that counts as new stuff lol. Already starting to think about when I'll have the chance to dive again...
You poor folks who can’t dive every weekend! 
divinh
Contributor
I would definitely test gear prior to a trip. I had bought a used BC and thought it would be ready to go, but once I connected it to a tank, it inflated by itself! Imagine that happening during a dive.
One of the things I've been dealing with is carrying the gear. My full set is in a separate roll bag that could potentially be carry-on, size-wise, but weight-wise, is too heavy. What I've been doing is carrying a 10L dry bag with the gear. I would check in the bag with BC, wetsuit, flashlights, snorkel, fins and backup set of swim wear. The dry bag gets the regulator in a padded travel bag, log and cards in a ziplock, lithium batteries for the flashlights, mask in case, swim shorts, extra pair of light clothing, and Nautilus Lifeline Radio. The dry bag becomes the carry-on that goes in the overhead bin.
The rest of my gear is packed in a travel backpack with my clothes. Those items include underwater housing, save-a-dive kit, SMB, dive bag, and other small misc items.
I wear the travel backpack on my back, have my camera bag clipped to it at the front, the dry bag hanging from over my neck and I pull the rolling bag. It's been working for me, but it is a lot to manage, I admit.
With this system, I've managed to lug everything up and down stairs when elevators aren't available, when minding the gap on subways, and getting on ferries.
One of the things I've been dealing with is carrying the gear. My full set is in a separate roll bag that could potentially be carry-on, size-wise, but weight-wise, is too heavy. What I've been doing is carrying a 10L dry bag with the gear. I would check in the bag with BC, wetsuit, flashlights, snorkel, fins and backup set of swim wear. The dry bag gets the regulator in a padded travel bag, log and cards in a ziplock, lithium batteries for the flashlights, mask in case, swim shorts, extra pair of light clothing, and Nautilus Lifeline Radio. The dry bag becomes the carry-on that goes in the overhead bin.
The rest of my gear is packed in a travel backpack with my clothes. Those items include underwater housing, save-a-dive kit, SMB, dive bag, and other small misc items.
I wear the travel backpack on my back, have my camera bag clipped to it at the front, the dry bag hanging from over my neck and I pull the rolling bag. It's been working for me, but it is a lot to manage, I admit.
With this system, I've managed to lug everything up and down stairs when elevators aren't available, when minding the gap on subways, and getting on ferries.
Congratulations! Enjoy your new gear. I think the only thing I have left from my first gear purchases back in the 1960s is one (of a pair) fin. However, once I find an item that I truly like (for example, the Scubapro Mk10/G250 and the Scubapro X-Tek soft harness [the older version]) I tend to buy several so I'll have them in the future after the manufacturer discontinues them.
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@KristenK
A big California congratulations !
Acquiring the new dive equipment is like having Christmas in August
So any new toys !
I began diving a long time ago with goggles, I recall as if it was yesterday when the Churchill fins I ordered from Abercrombie & Finch in NYC arrived at my parents door--- so many years ago, so many memories !
One of my first mask was made in a friend's garage - equipment at that time was crude or non existent, so we often improvised and modified or made our own.
What the heck? ----the following is an article I published in my dedicated column "The way it was" In the now defunct dive publication Discover Diving - read it IF you are interested in The was it was.. a long time ago.....
'The Mask,
One of the great pioneer divers of all times was the late Charlie Sturgil. "The Old Walrus," as he was affectionately known, started his diving career in 1929 in the frigid waters off Northern California where he hunted for abalone by a method he described as "feeling for abalone." He would dive on a reef, feel until he found an abalone and pry it off, without the use of mask, fins, snorkel or thermal protection.
Charlie began diving with a mask using a Japanese mask in the late 1930s which was loaned to him by his good friend Bill O'Conner. A few years later after the end of WW 11, Charlie, a master tool and die maker and an inventor of sorts, developed the necessary tooling to produce masks on a semi-custom basis for himself and a few close friends. I consider myself very fortunate to have been included in the latter category.
In early years during the genesis of recreational diving the masks were either too large, too small, too stiff or after a few dives, would rapidly deteriorate into a gummy, sticky mess. This did not make for comfortable diving! After using a number of the masks of that era,the Japanese imports, and the American made Sea Net, I decided it was time to contact Charlie to ask him if he could make one of his custom masks for me.
After checking my meager finances, found I could possibly afford one of Charlie's masks, so I gave him a call. "Sure, Sammy, I'd be happy to make a mask for you, come on over", Charlie replied to my request. Within moments I was off to the temple of Southern California diving, Charlie Sturgil's garage.
I was met by this jovial hunk of a man with his infectious, ever-present smile. "Hey ya, Sammy" was always his cordial greeting. Alter a few moments of catching up on the diving scene it, was time to get to work. "Sammy, I'm now making two masks; the original for $6.00 and a new oval model for $8.00", Charlie explained. After considerable soul searching and penny counting, I opted for what I felt I could afford, the original round mask for $6.00.
Now, Charlie's garage was something to behold. It appeared to be in total disarray, and the best way to describe it would be the day after a big sale in a bargain basement. Diving equipment in various stages of repairs, pieces of metal, lengths of stainless rods scattered about... Omnipresent was the huge metal turret lathe and miscellaneous metal working machines. But to Charlie, it was his arena, it was where he excelled in turning these seemingly scrap pieces of metal into custom spear points, spear shafts, yes, even masks.
Charlie knew the location, size, shape and type of everything in his garage. His storage system was logical and certainly workable, but it still defies the imagination how he managed to find anything, let alone make anything, but he did.
Charlie went to work with the speed and skill of a emergency room surgeon. He immediately uncovered a length of 5 inch O.D. soft rubber World War 11, surplus firehose, from which he cut a 4 inch piece. He placed the piece of rubber hose in the wooden mold and proceeded to his trusty bench grinder where he slowly cut a 1/8 inch wide, 3/32 deep groove all around the edge for the glass. This was followed by the rough contouring for the forehead, cheeks, and upper lip. He then went to his metal rack and withdrew a piece of 3/4 x 16 inch 22 gauge stainless steel, which he placed in his specially constructed mold and carefully, yet skillfully, forced the stainless steel around the mold forming it into a familiar round mask shape. His next step was to form the band evenly and smoothly around the mold creating the lip for the compression hand with light rapid laps of a hammer. Using silver solder, the welding process of the era, he soldered the tabs for the strap and the compression screw tabs to complete the band. A piece of pre-cut 1/3 inch glass, the same kind used for window glass, was taken from the shelf and fit into the groove; the compression band placed around the mask and the compression screw tightened.
At last, the mask was assembled. My own custom Sturgil mask! Charlie proceeded to take some cursory measurements of my then youthful face, and returned to the grinding wheel, skillfully grinding a little here, a little there, another trial fit, a little more grinding. Finally, a perfect fit. A final hand finish with fine sandpaper, attaching of the strap, cut from a truck inner tube, and I was the proud possessor of a real genuine Charlie Sturgil Original Style Diving Mask.
This occurred many years ago when diving as well as life was much simpler, a time when pride in workmanship and ownership were at a premium. Charlie made almost 40 of these one of a kind custom dive masks, however only three are known to have survived the rigors of our disposable society, mine, Alex Pierce's of Toronto, Canada and Charlie's widow's Laura's mask which now on loan and rests in a Southern California museum. And indeed they are museum pieces... the three remaining masks are all 70 or more years old and represent an era which was experienced by only a precious few which will never be experienced again upon this earth.
Charlie has reverend position in the fraternity of diving pioneers; he won the world's second Spearfishing contest in 1950 with a pole spear of his own design , was a LA County Underwater Instructor and serendipity developed much of the spearfishing and SCUBA equipment which has become mainstream in todays diving.
I will never forget Charlie, nor will anyone who ever knew him.... nor will there ever be another mask like a Sturgil Mask.
Dr Samuel Miller,111
(Copyright Dr. Samuel Miller,111 & Dr. Samuel Miller,IV and Lee/CCnews/TPR; may not be used with out permission of author and Lee/CCnews)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
post script;
Charlie passed on November 15 1984, 34 years ago- long before many of you were born or were engaged in this noble activity. His devoted wife Laura passed on a few years ago at the age of 90. If Charlie knew you and liked you he always addressed you in the familiar; Ie Sammy, Bobbie, Jimmie,--Those he didn't have great admiration or didn't know well it was formal Sam, Bob or Jim.
A little about Charlie Sturgil...
Charlie along with team mates the late Bud Abernathy and Freddie Kittles of the SoCal Skin Divers team won the 1951 International Spearfishing meet. Bud and Freddie used a Sturgil modified Champion Arbalete spear guns with Sturgil points. Charlie used his trusty legendary pole spear. Charlie Sturgil was the only person in the history of spearfishing competition to win an international meet with a pole spear.
The Fathomiers spearfishing club has been presenting the "Charlie Sturgil Pole Spear Spearfishing meet" for about 35 years...It came full circle when Charlie's grand daughter, Laura Lee Gonta won the meet several years ago using one of grandfather Charlie's legendary pole spears.
The name Sturgil and Charlie's reputation is alive and well with the establishment of Sturgil Underwater products located in the south bay area and still manufacturing the no nonsense very functionable and extremely rugged equipment that Charlie was known for over 50 years
His daughter Laura Lee was married to Billy Meistral, one of the twin brothers who founded "Dive n Surf" and the very successful "Body glove." Billy also passed on several years ago. Brother Bobbie passed away about 5 years ago
So now you know...
I still have my "Custom Sturgil Mask" tucked away in a 50 Caliber US Ammo box, along with my home made snorkel constructed from a WW11 gas mask hose and a short piece of plastic aquarium tubing.
In the genesis of recreational diving we improvised, invented or if an item costs over a dollar we made one in our garage workshop
A story of my first custom dive mask--A Sturgil --- many years ago when life was simpler- and divers were few in
Sam Miller, 111
A big California congratulations !
Acquiring the new dive equipment is like having Christmas in August
So any new toys !
I began diving a long time ago with goggles, I recall as if it was yesterday when the Churchill fins I ordered from Abercrombie & Finch in NYC arrived at my parents door--- so many years ago, so many memories !
One of my first mask was made in a friend's garage - equipment at that time was crude or non existent, so we often improvised and modified or made our own.
What the heck? ----the following is an article I published in my dedicated column "The way it was" In the now defunct dive publication Discover Diving - read it IF you are interested in The was it was.. a long time ago.....
'The Mask,
One of the great pioneer divers of all times was the late Charlie Sturgil. "The Old Walrus," as he was affectionately known, started his diving career in 1929 in the frigid waters off Northern California where he hunted for abalone by a method he described as "feeling for abalone." He would dive on a reef, feel until he found an abalone and pry it off, without the use of mask, fins, snorkel or thermal protection.
Charlie began diving with a mask using a Japanese mask in the late 1930s which was loaned to him by his good friend Bill O'Conner. A few years later after the end of WW 11, Charlie, a master tool and die maker and an inventor of sorts, developed the necessary tooling to produce masks on a semi-custom basis for himself and a few close friends. I consider myself very fortunate to have been included in the latter category.
In early years during the genesis of recreational diving the masks were either too large, too small, too stiff or after a few dives, would rapidly deteriorate into a gummy, sticky mess. This did not make for comfortable diving! After using a number of the masks of that era,the Japanese imports, and the American made Sea Net, I decided it was time to contact Charlie to ask him if he could make one of his custom masks for me.
After checking my meager finances, found I could possibly afford one of Charlie's masks, so I gave him a call. "Sure, Sammy, I'd be happy to make a mask for you, come on over", Charlie replied to my request. Within moments I was off to the temple of Southern California diving, Charlie Sturgil's garage.
I was met by this jovial hunk of a man with his infectious, ever-present smile. "Hey ya, Sammy" was always his cordial greeting. Alter a few moments of catching up on the diving scene it, was time to get to work. "Sammy, I'm now making two masks; the original for $6.00 and a new oval model for $8.00", Charlie explained. After considerable soul searching and penny counting, I opted for what I felt I could afford, the original round mask for $6.00.
Now, Charlie's garage was something to behold. It appeared to be in total disarray, and the best way to describe it would be the day after a big sale in a bargain basement. Diving equipment in various stages of repairs, pieces of metal, lengths of stainless rods scattered about... Omnipresent was the huge metal turret lathe and miscellaneous metal working machines. But to Charlie, it was his arena, it was where he excelled in turning these seemingly scrap pieces of metal into custom spear points, spear shafts, yes, even masks.
Charlie knew the location, size, shape and type of everything in his garage. His storage system was logical and certainly workable, but it still defies the imagination how he managed to find anything, let alone make anything, but he did.
Charlie went to work with the speed and skill of a emergency room surgeon. He immediately uncovered a length of 5 inch O.D. soft rubber World War 11, surplus firehose, from which he cut a 4 inch piece. He placed the piece of rubber hose in the wooden mold and proceeded to his trusty bench grinder where he slowly cut a 1/8 inch wide, 3/32 deep groove all around the edge for the glass. This was followed by the rough contouring for the forehead, cheeks, and upper lip. He then went to his metal rack and withdrew a piece of 3/4 x 16 inch 22 gauge stainless steel, which he placed in his specially constructed mold and carefully, yet skillfully, forced the stainless steel around the mold forming it into a familiar round mask shape. His next step was to form the band evenly and smoothly around the mold creating the lip for the compression hand with light rapid laps of a hammer. Using silver solder, the welding process of the era, he soldered the tabs for the strap and the compression screw tabs to complete the band. A piece of pre-cut 1/3 inch glass, the same kind used for window glass, was taken from the shelf and fit into the groove; the compression band placed around the mask and the compression screw tightened.
At last, the mask was assembled. My own custom Sturgil mask! Charlie proceeded to take some cursory measurements of my then youthful face, and returned to the grinding wheel, skillfully grinding a little here, a little there, another trial fit, a little more grinding. Finally, a perfect fit. A final hand finish with fine sandpaper, attaching of the strap, cut from a truck inner tube, and I was the proud possessor of a real genuine Charlie Sturgil Original Style Diving Mask.
This occurred many years ago when diving as well as life was much simpler, a time when pride in workmanship and ownership were at a premium. Charlie made almost 40 of these one of a kind custom dive masks, however only three are known to have survived the rigors of our disposable society, mine, Alex Pierce's of Toronto, Canada and Charlie's widow's Laura's mask which now on loan and rests in a Southern California museum. And indeed they are museum pieces... the three remaining masks are all 70 or more years old and represent an era which was experienced by only a precious few which will never be experienced again upon this earth.
Charlie has reverend position in the fraternity of diving pioneers; he won the world's second Spearfishing contest in 1950 with a pole spear of his own design , was a LA County Underwater Instructor and serendipity developed much of the spearfishing and SCUBA equipment which has become mainstream in todays diving.
I will never forget Charlie, nor will anyone who ever knew him.... nor will there ever be another mask like a Sturgil Mask.
Dr Samuel Miller,111
(Copyright Dr. Samuel Miller,111 & Dr. Samuel Miller,IV and Lee/CCnews/TPR; may not be used with out permission of author and Lee/CCnews)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
post script;
Charlie passed on November 15 1984, 34 years ago- long before many of you were born or were engaged in this noble activity. His devoted wife Laura passed on a few years ago at the age of 90. If Charlie knew you and liked you he always addressed you in the familiar; Ie Sammy, Bobbie, Jimmie,--Those he didn't have great admiration or didn't know well it was formal Sam, Bob or Jim.
A little about Charlie Sturgil...
Charlie along with team mates the late Bud Abernathy and Freddie Kittles of the SoCal Skin Divers team won the 1951 International Spearfishing meet. Bud and Freddie used a Sturgil modified Champion Arbalete spear guns with Sturgil points. Charlie used his trusty legendary pole spear. Charlie Sturgil was the only person in the history of spearfishing competition to win an international meet with a pole spear.
The Fathomiers spearfishing club has been presenting the "Charlie Sturgil Pole Spear Spearfishing meet" for about 35 years...It came full circle when Charlie's grand daughter, Laura Lee Gonta won the meet several years ago using one of grandfather Charlie's legendary pole spears.
The name Sturgil and Charlie's reputation is alive and well with the establishment of Sturgil Underwater products located in the south bay area and still manufacturing the no nonsense very functionable and extremely rugged equipment that Charlie was known for over 50 years
His daughter Laura Lee was married to Billy Meistral, one of the twin brothers who founded "Dive n Surf" and the very successful "Body glove." Billy also passed on several years ago. Brother Bobbie passed away about 5 years ago
So now you know...
I still have my "Custom Sturgil Mask" tucked away in a 50 Caliber US Ammo box, along with my home made snorkel constructed from a WW11 gas mask hose and a short piece of plastic aquarium tubing.
In the genesis of recreational diving we improvised, invented or if an item costs over a dollar we made one in our garage workshop
A story of my first custom dive mask--A Sturgil --- many years ago when life was simpler- and divers were few in
Sam Miller, 111
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