"Save a Dive" kit: minimum and maximum items ?

[Trace Malinowski]

I was teaching a triox class in Key Largo a few years back when Chris Brown owned Silent World. Each day, I brought a typical Craftsman tool kit on the dive boat with lots of tools and dive stuff, including a spare analyzer, and all of the spare hoses and parts one might need for OC double tank diving. The divemaster would give me grief about it. I just didn't want a failure on the boat to ruin class. One day, the dive boat broke down. Turns out they didn't have a single screwdriver or wrench on board. The captain said, "Trace, please tell me you have that toolbox on board." I told him I did. He managed to fix the engine. He chastised the DM for always telling me to leave it behind. Scuba instructor = 1. Sea Tow = 0.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

Sort of depends on where you live and where you dive...
For those of us who are land locked, and for whom directions to dive sites all start with "board the plane" it's pretty minimal.
For me, it's o-rings, silicone grease, a SCUBA multi tool, an adjustable wrench, a screwdriver, a couple bolt snaps, some bungee, a mask strap, a fin strap, and a couple zip ties.

 

[Superlyte27]

One day, the dive boat broke down.

One day? I was a captain for them. At least one of their boats was broke down every day. And Chris wouldn't spring for SeaTow

 

[bowlofpetunias]

The Save a dive kit in the car for shore dives includes many of the things already mentioned. It also includes a complete spare mask and fin straps. Something I haven't seen mentioned Seasickness tabs, chewable heartburn tabs, chewable asprin, antihistamine and sting treatment cream. I won't go into the "Save a Diver Kit"

Save a dive kit for the boat includes the listed medication, spare batteries, o-rings and silicone tube. Most other stuff the dive operator will have.

 

[KeithG]

Since we are vacation divers and use dive operators we take a minimum kit:
- spare fin strap
- spare mask strap
- a couple zip ties

 

[Bob DBF]

Something I haven't seen mentioned Seasickness tabs, chewable heartburn tabs, chewable asprin, antihistamine and sting treatment cream.

Well I don't have the sting treatment, but we don't have a real problem in that area. A good first aid kit is good thing to have around.

The one thing that is ironic about my save a dive kit, is that over the decades I have rarely ever used it on my own gear, mostly yoke O-rings. My buddies, on the other hand, have benefited greatly.


Bob

 

[TMHeimer]

My minimum is
0 rings
spare mask
mask strap
spare mask clips that hold strap (that's a biggee for me)
pliers
basic first aid kit
some twine

Can't recall anything else. I have a more extensive kit that stays in the car when diving locally, which contains a bunch of stuff I probably will never use.

 

[broncobowsher]

I am actually going for multiple kits.
For example, I have a small kit that has spare dry gloves, liners, wrist, and neck seals and the tools to put them in. It is my drysuit save-a-dive kit. Fits in an old mask box perfect. It only comes with me if I dive dry.

My regular kit I have planned as much overlap as possible, DGX sells an adaptor that screws into a regulator hose to make it a BC inflator quick connect. That attached to the end of a long regulator hose solves issues in both a regulator hose and a BC hose. Extra long, cable ties to coil the excess out of the way. Don't need multiple low pressure hoses, just one carefully chosen.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Well I don't have the sting treatment, but we don't have a real problem in that area. A good first aid kit is good thing to have around.

The one thing that is ironic about my save a dive kit, is that over the decades I have rarely ever used it on my own gear, mostly yoke O-rings. My buddies, on the other hand, have benefited greatly.


Bob

Hubby teases me about putting a light bar on the roof of the car because of the O2 kit Defib and size of the first aid kit. Goes back to my ambulance days. I hope to never have the opportunity to use them again....

 

[northernone]

Minimum = a buddy with a tool kit.

Maximum = stick to the minimum.

@Superlyte27 buddies?

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...my save a dive maximum is a full redundant set of equipment which we did yesterday for an arctic ocean dive out on the uninhabited islands with new OW students. No fiddling around with repairs or field stripping. Swap out and keep moving. Came in handy when the tide claimed a fin, a tank bit a mask, a student blew an oring, and silt jammed a bcd inflator.

Minimum is a spare oring which lives in my witches hat (Dust cover). Most easy dives that's all I carry.