My EDC: (Wrists: Analog compass, dive watch, dive computer) (Clipped to my backplate) can light, 2 backup lights, spare double-ender, stubbed-off steak knife & line cutter) (Thigh pockets: spare mask, Wetnotes, trauma sheers, folding snorkel, Storm whistle, nylon strap, fluoresceine, signal mirror, Nautilus Lifeline - with voice & DSMB with finger spool.) Oh, and around my neck, a CrashTag (that has my name, ICE contact, medical insurance info and DAN insurance info). Yes, it may be excessive. But it works for me and helps my mental state when things get "sporty." I like knowing I have options.
Most Delrin spools have quite a sharp edge on the fingerhole which can snag a neoprene glove. I like the Scubapro solution of adding an axle, probably with ball bearing, and a spinner disk to prevent that from happening. I also like the Apeks approach of machining the spool out of a single billet of aluminum, making the hole larger so it fits a neoprene glove, and rounding it off so it won't snag or torque out of your grip. I prefer the flat tape used by Apeks over the round line of Scubapro. It makes the whole spool al lot more compact, and even when it's unevenly wound, there is still no chance of blocking the holes in the side of the spool, so you always have access to them. The leader is also a genius move. It's a much stiffer material, so you can easily back the line out of the holes. The swivel helps keep the line from bunching up as you wind the spool, and the heatshrink on the end of the leader makes it easy to untie it from the dSMB. The Apeks spools are expensive, but they're really, really well designed. I firmly believe in the "buy once, cry once" rule. I have no problem with investing a little more money in something that will give me joy every time I use it, if saving the extra cash means a constant source of frustration.
Thank you for the info. I have 2 days of plane flight to get to the islands, so I will make sure to hold off on snorkeling right away. I always enjoy your videos and thank you for your time and dedication.
#askmark Hi Mark. I finally got my self a shiny new set of regs after tens of dives on rented ones. Is there something that I need to do to prepare the regs, out of the box, before the first dive?
Not really, regulators are good to dive straight out of the box. It's best to take new regulators on a check dive somewhere safe for the first dive so that the moving parts can loosen up. Sometimes new regulators can bubble after the first dive and need a little tweak to tighten some of the parts
#askmark I have a white Xdeep Zen. ( looks nice but gets dirty ) The white Cordura got a little dirty. Can I use a shout detergent spot cleaner, water and a brush? What do you recommend to use? For the inside of the bladder to remove possible mold and growths. We Can’t get Septione Meteriel here in USA any other fungicidal/mold killer you recommend?
spinner spool looks interesting. seems to solve a problem when shooting a dsmb. its a bit costly though. i'm wondering how it stands the test of time in salt water. i'd like to try it before buying. not sure i like the pressing it slows the line, could i pressed it too hard when being released and have it fly out my hand. .,
If it flies out your hand because you pressed it too hard, that's totally on you. You can feel the resistance build up. The only issue I see is that you cannot put a finger through the spool because the hole is blocked. There are instances where you just want to hold it, and moving from the spinning disks to the spool itself with one hand can be a bit tricky. Especially if you want to keep tension on the line.
#askmark I think on the o-ring topic it’s important to mention what we call the durometer scale. The hardness of the o-rings for their application is important. If you had a generic kit and were trying to fix a port plug you may find an issue
#askmark Thanks for great content as always Mark 1: It would be great to see diving videos with you in it. Do you plan to upload any dive videos anytime soon? I've never seen a video where you dive. 2: Do you know of the brand Tecline? Care to review some of their regulators maybe?
#askmark Hi Mark, my local dive center, which usually always has the best prices, says that you have to pay for a regulator revision 140 € per second stage, so 280 € only for the second stages. Is this price normal? With that money, I could almost buy new regulators. How much should I pay for an revision when visiting a Certified Retailer?
No no no no no. Definitely not. The price of a service can vary from location to location and from brand to brand, but that is price gouging. Especially for a second stage, those are lot easier to service than a first stage. For a regular service a normal price for a full regulator (1 first stage and 2 second stages) would be between € 100 and € 150. Of course if you broke something, the replacement part and additional labor would be added to that bill.
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My EDC: (Wrists: Analog compass, dive watch, dive computer) (Clipped to my backplate) can light, 2 backup lights, spare double-ender, stubbed-off steak knife & line cutter) (Thigh pockets: spare mask, Wetnotes, trauma sheers, folding snorkel, Storm whistle, nylon strap, fluoresceine, signal mirror, Nautilus Lifeline - with voice & DSMB with finger spool.) Oh, and around my neck, a CrashTag (that has my name, ICE contact, medical insurance info and DAN insurance info).
Yes, it may be excessive. But it works for me and helps my mental state when things get "sporty." I like knowing I have options.
Most Delrin spools have quite a sharp edge on the fingerhole which can snag a neoprene glove.
I like the Scubapro solution of adding an axle, probably with ball bearing, and a spinner disk to prevent that from happening.
I also like the Apeks approach of machining the spool out of a single billet of aluminum, making the hole larger so it fits a neoprene glove, and rounding it off so it won't snag or torque out of your grip.
I prefer the flat tape used by Apeks over the round line of Scubapro. It makes the whole spool al lot more compact, and even when it's unevenly wound, there is still no chance of blocking the holes in the side of the spool, so you always have access to them. The leader is also a genius move. It's a much stiffer material, so you can easily back the line out of the holes. The swivel helps keep the line from bunching up as you wind the spool, and the heatshrink on the end of the leader makes it easy to untie it from the dSMB.
The Apeks spools are expensive, but they're really, really well designed. I firmly believe in the "buy once, cry once" rule. I have no problem with investing a little more money in something that will give me joy every time I use it, if saving the extra cash means a constant source of frustration.
I typically take air with me on a dive I find it’s pretty useful
Breathe through your nose, you'll save on air.
Thank you for the info. I have 2 days of plane flight to get to the islands, so I will make sure to hold off on snorkeling right away. I always enjoy your videos and thank you for your time and dedication.
I use a OMS trieste wing with a Hollis backplate from what I see most backplates have standard fittings to work with wings. Best to try it out
#askmark
Hi Mark. I finally got my self a shiny new set of regs after tens of dives on rented ones. Is there something that I need to do to prepare the regs, out of the box, before the first dive?
Not really, regulators are good to dive straight out of the box. It's best to take new regulators on a check dive somewhere safe for the first dive so that the moving parts can loosen up.
Sometimes new regulators can bubble after the first dive and need a little tweak to tighten some of the parts
#askmark I have a white Xdeep Zen. ( looks nice but gets dirty ) The white Cordura got a little dirty. Can I use a shout detergent spot cleaner, water and a brush? What do you recommend to use? For the inside of the bladder to remove possible mold and growths. We Can’t get Septione Meteriel here in USA any other fungicidal/mold killer you recommend?
spinner spool looks interesting. seems to solve a problem when shooting a dsmb.
its a bit costly though. i'm wondering how it stands the test of time in salt water. i'd like to try it before buying. not sure i like the pressing it slows the line, could i pressed it too hard when being released and have it fly out my hand. .,
If it flies out your hand because you pressed it too hard, that's totally on you. You can feel the resistance build up.
The only issue I see is that you cannot put a finger through the spool because the hole is blocked. There are instances where you just want to hold it, and moving from the spinning disks to the spool itself with one hand can be a bit tricky. Especially if you want to keep tension on the line.
#askmark I think on the o-ring topic it’s important to mention what we call the durometer scale. The hardness of the o-rings for their application is important. If you had a generic kit and were trying to fix a port plug you may find an issue
#askmark
Thanks for great content as always Mark
1: It would be great to see diving videos with you in it. Do you plan to upload any dive videos anytime soon? I've never seen a video where you dive.
2: Do you know of the brand Tecline? Care to review some of their regulators maybe?
#askmark
Hi Mark, my local dive center, which usually always has the best prices, says that you have to pay for a regulator revision 140 € per second stage, so 280 € only for the second stages. Is this price normal? With that money, I could almost buy new regulators. How much should I pay for an revision when visiting a Certified Retailer?
No no no no no. Definitely not. The price of a service can vary from location to location and from brand to brand, but that is price gouging. Especially for a second stage, those are lot easier to service than a first stage.
For a regular service a normal price for a full regulator (1 first stage and 2 second stages) would be between € 100 and € 150. Of course if you broke something, the replacement part and additional labor would be added to that bill.
Hey, Mark. Love your content. Is it safe to dive right after a flight?
#askmark. Now that you no longer teach how often do you dive now
👍
Sharky seems a bit down…
He's fine, he was sitting on top of something I needed. We check on Sharky's mental health a few times a year to make sure he's OK
Fun fact: the German word „Spinner“ means „weirdo“. Not ideal for regional marketing. 🤪
Love it!
I wonder how the Nürnberg office missed this...