It’s amazing the things you can fix or jury rig with a handful of zip ties of assorted sizes. I always include a few tools like the right wrenches and hex wrenches for my kit, a small pair of diagonal cutters for the zip ties, a small Swiss Army knife, and the fun little tool that lets me open my computer to change the battery. That kit has saved more dives for myself and others than I can count. I take a spare mouthpiece in addition to the spare mask strap. I pack a pair of fairly strong cheaters (reading glasses - I have a 3.4 diopter pair that fits into a little tube not much bigger than a marker) for when I find myself doing that battery change or fiddling with some small bit of gear. As an aside, if you happen to have OK distance vision but need some help up close for your camera, or vice versa, a contact lens in one contact in one eye fixes the problem. Most people want their dominant eye good at distance. Within a short time your brain will adjust to the fact that one eye is crisp in the distance and the other eye is crisp up close. Just remember that if you open your eyes without your mask on there is a reasonable chance the contact will go floating away. If you are headed off to someplace where the tap water is not potable, a backpacking water filter will save you having to constantly buy bottled water. And a small baggage scale to check weight when you repack that not-quite-dry gear for the flight back. Those are the little things that come to mind immediately.
Just got back from our first international dive trip! We brought our entire kits minus weights and cylinders plus our save a dive kit (mask straps, spare small parts and tools specific to our gear, etc). We brought our physical divelogs as well and sure glad we did as the divemaster actually read our logs to verify the type of diving we have done and experience levels! The one thing I wish we could realistically bring would be the cylinders as they wouldn’t let us change out their Orings on the boat and apparently if there’s an o-ring that needs to be replaced anywhere in the vicinity, THAT is the one I’m going to end up with! 🤦♀️ It got super annoying by end of the week. Not a single other person on the boat would have an issue, but call me Murphy cause the universe apparently hates me, lol. Also, I can’t recommend the Scubapro hydros pro enough as it made it so much easier for my hubby to use the included bag to have his entire kit (including his fins and two full changes of clothes) as his carryon bag. My typical female need for a pair of shoes for every outfit ensured my checked bag was over weight anyway so I left my fins and BCD in it and just had my camera, reg set with computer, and mask in my carryon so I’d be fine with using the rental gear for everything else in case they lost my luggage.
All true. Besides diving in my won country I always dive in Egypt. The first time I bring all my stuff except lead. They gave me the environment unfriendly lead blocks. I left my gear with my Egyptian family and the next time I brought nice colored coated blocks. At the divecenter they will never forget me and at the dive sites everybody look at me because of the nice weight.
Wife and I take pretty much all of our gear. We're familiar with it, and know the in's and outs of it. Our holiday's /vacations are planned around diving though.
Instructor here: I pack everything when I travel to dive, This usually maxes out my checked baggage weight as I technical dive, but I do have a specialized light weight kit to carry when I know I will only be doing shallow recreational single tank diving in the tropics saving ~7 kgs. This kit includes thinner but still full wetsuit, smaller lighter fins, light weight backplate w/small wing and a reg set where I have replaced my long hose with a 1 meter hose for under arm routing plus much less in the way of spares and other equipment. When I am travelling and "may" have the chance to dive I just carry my frameless mask and computer just as recommended in the video. Happy Diving!
My wife and I are going on vacation to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic in the first week of December where we will be getting our open water certification. Your video is great and very helpful. We have already purchased our mask, snorkel, fins and dive computers. Love watching all of your videos and the information in them. Keep up the great work guys!
Computer a must. Since we will be a month in Philippines and another 3 weeks in Thailand........ Mark, you wanna come? There is an opening for an instructor.... Lol
I would never recommend diving without an SPG. Air integration works great and I use it, but I would not trust it enough to go without an SPG for backup.
I'd say it's always worth taking your own wetsuit/drysuit. Fit is really important, probably even moreso than with masks and fins, so I say take it. Rental ones are always rubbish, and if you aren't a completely standard size, you just aren't going to get anything that fits.
I have, in the past, had security refuse to let me have my regulators in hand luggage. Apparently, a chunk of metal on the end of a hose could be used as a weapon. Who knew? Anyway, I had to check it before they would let me through security. As for Macgyvering, I was on a dive boat in Egypt, I'd been on a couple of trips with them before, and I had my box of kit. I had all my own gear except tanks, lead and BCD. At home, I used a weight integrated BCD, so I was using a weight belt for the diving I was doing. I checked everything was in my box when it was loaded. What I didn't noticed was they had packed the wrong weight belt. It was several inches too short for my waist once the lead was threaded on. Luckily for me, I was wearing a paracord bracelet that I made. It held, once unravelled, a little over 2 meters of 550 cord. I used the cord, my dive knife, and a borrowed lighter to attach all the lead I needed to the belt and saved the dive.
As someone who did what you do for a few years, I could not find one thing wrong with this vid. Spot on. I like the bit about redundent qualifications or dive book logs. No matter what they say, you can tell as soon as they start putting their gear together if they can dive. I had a couple who had more qualifications than my instructors, and they were not safe to let into the water.I had a Duch tourist who was a bsac instructor, and we couldent even get him under the water. As they say, losing a diver can spoil your whole day, thankfully I never did.
I carry all the kit I'd need, including my SAD-not about to ruin a trip because of an o-ring. My BC is a SS plate and wing though which adds a bunch of weight but it's set up how I like it. My rental experiences haven't been favorable so I try to stay self-sufficient-although I did have to borrow a dive computer once because I forgot mine in the hotel room after logging the past day's dive.
Having a lobster 🦞 tickle stick while diving in the reef or wreck makes it very easy to prevent bumping into coral or walls, also a tank banger, used it as a walking stick on small swimthroughs. Trully underestimated piece of kit.
Also known as a "cdd" (coral distancing device). Also great to stabilize when filming. Also nice to be able to alert buddies if something goes wrong :)
I agree with all you said. However, in my experience, one place you have to bring your own lead is New Jersey in the US (not many people’s idea of a dive vacation spot.) When I was there a few years ago dive shops wouldn’t rent weights, and the boats didn’t have any available either.
got one myself ,can pack my regs ,computer ,gopro and other nick nacks and strap my fin sto the outside all as carry on luggage and as a push can even get my wetsuit in there ,but tightly rolled up
Dive watch, booties, fins, rash guard, gloves, goggles, dive shorts, regulator system (both stages), and compact 2000 lumen Chinese dive light. I'd forego my bcd, spg (because I have wireless), dsmb & reel, umbilical-cord dive light. Can always rent a dsmb & bcd. Only the regulator system & fins truly have weight.
Can't help but think of a movie I saw a while back...think it was called , "Open Water" where a husband and wife get separated from the dive group, and the boat departs leaving them stranded to their deaths...these days there is no excuse not to have a GPS PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) as a primary piece of equipment.
I take a small line cutter+-small shears but no knife as many coral sites don't allow it. I take a large mesh bag which takes little space and I do have a small SPG in addition to my AI computer.
Lol for a week in Scapa in mid november we decided to load all our 7 divers' stuff on three station wagons and ride the UK from Dover to Scrabster and beyond. But yes, if going to warm waters you can rely on some rental options. Tbqh we never found a better service than in Stromness, drysuitwise and any other possible issue.
Just back from a week in Tenerife, only went on a couple of dives but had my computer and Paralenz camera, both small and easy to pack. Everything else hired on the day, helps if you know the dive centre you are planning to go with.
People have already mentioned cert cards, mask and dive computer as the minimum but I'd add to that gloves for me if the destination might involve a cold water dive or two. It can be really hard to find gloves that fit well when renting.
After I got my entire divebag stolen in Egypt - regulators,BCD,fins,2masks,2 divecomputers,3knives,3divelights and the logbooks (in paper) of my past 290 dives. - I stopped caring about the STUFF. Nowdays I bring my fav mask,and that's it.
I bring my sidemount regulator kit in my carry-on. Weighs too damn much to put in the suitcase. Also, no one rents out a sidemount BCD, so I'm always at the weight limit.
I travel internationally and dive where/when I can. I always wear a dive watch (wearing one now), with carry-on being 2 dive computers (with backup batteries) and mask. I also carry-on my reg set. Only once was I stopped and questioned which was quickly followed by the x-ray tech getting up from his position and chewed out the security officer who ended up in apologetic tears. In my checked luggage, I have taken my fins and BCD, and even a wetsuit when I was diving in a region where I would not find one big enough for me. We have been in Thailand enough times that I have left an entire kit there. Unfortunately, but wonderfully, our family in Thailand has moved to the South on the Gulf of Thailand where there is no scuba air, but I snorkel almost daily, as my BCD and reg set hangs limply in storage.
Some good advice, Spare battery for dive computer is light and cheap, try finding one in Aquaba and you can lose a day . However to be honest I take everything except lead. I don't use rental suits that someone else has pissed in I like MY weightbelt that is so comfortable... at 66 I can be slightly porky and dive club belts have over worn belts with plastic clips which may give and lose. I always take dive boots and open heel fins.... if you have to walk a burning hot sand beach or a sharp shingle beach you will love your boots.
#simplyscuba #holidaykit hold that thought on forgoing an analog spg, being based in the Philippines most of the dive operations here are full service, meaning you are required to setup your gear on the first day and only for the first dive after that your dm or guide takes over and sets up for you as well as rinsing and set to dry through your vacation. so before giving your gear to you we want to be sure you that you have a full tank of air or nitrox and the only way to check is by by having that spg. if you would want to shave off some weight from your reg why not just go din the Aclamp weighs roughly a kilogram.
I have a large, rolling travel dive bag which I use to transport gear and clothing as checked baggage. However, I hand carry my expensive gear such as bcd, computer(s), camera, regulator and my mask (with Rx lenses, because I don’t want to have to replace it should it not “arrive” with me). Having said that, my large, rolling dive travel bag gets filled with clothes and stuff I can easily replace-again, should it be “lost” via the five-finger discount. Also, I pack an additional, smaller mesh duffel to bring along my gear on the dive boat. That way, I’m not that guy who brings his large, rolling bag on the boat where space may be limited. Just a courtesy to other divers on the boat. Also, a decent-sized Tupperware container is good for stuff I want to keep dry on the boat (wallet, cell phone, etc). A 22”/56cm carry on bag fits the bcd, regulator, etc., and I’ve never had any trouble with airport security and these items. My certification cards are in electronic format on my iPhone, so I don’t worry about losing the plastic ones-again, only present highest level and nitrox cert. Just one man’s opinion. 😁
I'd love to see a recommendation for a travel dive bag, rather than a straight review of one you sell. What bag do you guys personally use to pack away your kit in, a standard large suitcase or a specialized dive gear bag?
Hubby has a Scubapro Hydros Pro so his entire kit goes into the backpack included with the BC and is his carryon.. I have hard exterior standard rolling luggage for the traveling part and then put it all into an inexpensive mesh dive bag with backpack shoulder straps once we get there for the boat.
@Michael Atherton I've got a mesh duffle bag already, but I don't think it's really suitable for airline travel or checked luggage. My plan is to use a larger, more heavy duty roller bag to actually pack stuff in for flight, and just transfer the kit to the mesh bag to actually get to the dive sites. I'm also trying to carry both mine and my wife's equipment in one bag. I've got more than she does, all she has are a mask, fins, snorkle, and different wetsuits depending on where we're going. But I've got my own BCD and regs. I don't trust the mesh bag to protect everything in stowage or from baggage handlers.
I like my own gear. Things like a mask are non negotiable. But then, I really love the spring straps on my fins. I trust my regs. Enough said. Plus I KNOW my own computer. Finally, I dive with an Agualung I3 BCD which I love. sigh. I just check my dive bag. Flown with the gear to Caribbean islands and to the Mediterranean. Retired divemaster.
The first thing I think to bring with me is my girlfriend..........unless of course my wife wants to go, then it gets a little tricky. 😳 I suppose regulator would be next? 👍
40+ years of diving here. I disagree with the assertion that an SPG hose & gauge are unnecessary if you’ve got an air integrated transmitter on your first stage. My last dive trip, I experienced flooding of my transmitter on my 2nd dive of the week. The reg had just been serviced, the user-replaceable battery in the xmitter was changed by my local (trusted) tech, and water & pressure tested. still flooded at depth. if I hadn’t kept an SPG on my system, I would have lost dives. anything with a user-replaceable battery requires a back-up to prevent disappointment.
I went to Hawaii prior to the pandemic and forgot my booties for my bigger fins. Got out on the boat and had an oh shit moment. They had a spare pair of fins on the boat! In Mexico diving, unplanned dive, walked into the dive shop and said I want to dive tomorrow. They hooked me up with some basic kit and I bought a dive mask and went diving. Same in Jamaica. Don't forget your gear is heavier when it wet. 49.5 pound on your way to your destination, 58 pounds at the airport leaving. Extra fee for that.
thanks for the interesting topic you raised, actually I've never been to a diving trip, yet hopeful soon i'll be there.. back to your equation , I will take my mask , open heel fins , dive computer , the full Reg set , and wetsuit .but I'm not sure about the BCD.. I prefer to rent it .. however, all accessories and clips are included in my bag. what do you think ?
I've been taking everything. Never a surprise about tattered ill-fitting rental suits or clunky BCs. But looking to ditch the trusty 7mm suit for the future. It makes up 1/3 of the weight and the space. Thinking of taking just shortie and renting a suit to put over it if needed.
if it is like 1 or 2 dives, then i will bring my watch n my mask. if it is a full trip, i would reduced my weights... now i am thinking of getting light weight bcd... lol... but it will only save like 2 to 3kg. i also have a full bags of camera stuff which i will never leave them behind.
Never log ur dives on a dive computer, bc you may loose ur dive computer, upgrade or simply have it sold out from under you as my dad did, so all his dive logs are lost. Best use the padi app, a physical book and ur iphone, then theres no worry
I will agree with you here. Air 2 (and other similar ones) used to be a great way to add an additional way to breathe for when a buddy is out of gas. The truth is that they can also be dangerous. A few years ago someone in Scotland died after breathing off their Air 2. There were some spores in the BC and somehow they inhaled them. Also, your buddy has to breathe off your main 2nd stage and you will have to breath off the Air 2 as the hose is too short and you're the one who should be controlling your buoyancy. The better option is to purchase a set of regs that are specifically designed for travelling. There are some excellent ones out the which are lightweight and do a great job at depth and in colder waters, should that be required too. p.s. I used to use an Air 2 many years ago.
Regulators, I tend to think about every person's who used it before me.... And.... I bought my new apax xl4+from an online shop called simply scuba. Com
My instructor always told me to show the card with the lowest credentials. Why? Because, if they see that you are a more experienced diver (a dm for example) they will match you with people who are newer divers while new divers without a buddy get matched with more experienced divers without a buddy. Personally i would orefer diving solo than dive with someone who just got qualified. I am paying to be on vacation not to babysit divers underwater. So yea i will always show the lowest qualified card for the dive im on.
You know Baba, everyone starts off as a newbie, including yourself. I’m sure you appreciate being with a more advanced buddy when you first started. Perhaps the newbie might teach you a thing or two or even save your life
Bolts, screws and basic tools. Had a reel with a broken handle. Did my wreck dive with a handwound spool. Horribly annoying. Wish i just had a screw to use as a handle.
Rarely. Dive shops usually have one brand, and they pick the model with the most basic features and a high robustness. Handled by up to 100 vacationers and students, they select longevity over gadgetry and options. Don't expect an axiom with i3 inflater and the optional trim pockets living complete on the shelf, just waiting for you
I do not know if you can address this before next weekend, I have approximately 50 dives under my belt, all 15 years ago. I certified in Monterey California, and the wonderful warm water in Florida. I have a new wetsuit, BC, primary, regulator , octopus, dive computer. I plan on testing all of it in a swimming pool, if I am allowed to, because there is no dive pool available in my area
I only bring my masks, fins and boots (because they’re opened heels) since I am a near sight and my mask’s lens are prescripted and the first trip I got the scratched from the unfitted full foot fins because I rent and accident happened with the size. I haven’t got my own dive computer though. I probably get it later in the future, but not sure when. I don’t dive very often as much as I’d like to; money & time, etc. I heard a guy said (not sure if it was a joke or he was serious) he would buy a wetsuit first before other gears, and I assumed he would prefer to use his own than rent, because (his words not mine) he hadn’t met anyone who did not pee on their wetsuit so he’d buy it first in his list. Spares parts and repair tools, I’ll bring an instructor instead unless I know how to fix my own gear. I want to learn but it stucks on my to do list queue. Long line. I have never heard anyone travelling with leads for their own weight belt before. Do share if you heard of any cases that the diver needs to bring his or her own lead.
Lame scales 😔 Who thinks Shaun could have done a better job with the graphics? P.s. Shaun was working very hard on our new studio this week so didn’t have a great amount of time for video editing... I’ll let him off. Safe Diving this weekend Everybody!
We are planing a family dive trip. The masks are must, because you can never find perfect masks for your boys and girls. And to snorkel around every day renting?!
Garmin Descent everyday dive computer and Garmin Connect App keeps my dive logs easily loaded. The downside is the lack of ability to save a regular list of dive gear is a bit shitty and no air integration support.
If you use an android phone have a look at an app called DiveMate. can pull the logs off you computer but also has facilities to keep track of gear, diver info, all your certs, dive sites. My physical logbook hasn't seen a dive shop since I completed my openwater. you can collect the rubber stamps that many dive shops have, but you can get signatures and DM numbers. oh and you can back it all up online so you never loose your logs (or drop them over the side)
Im going on my first dive vacation since my certification. I appreciated this video and your contributions are always informative. I must say, you can do without the high brow comments like "we know what kind of diver you are the first minute in your in the water, and somtimes even before that" regarding certs. We understand that you are a skilled diver, that's why you provide this great info. But no need to be judgy in your presentation. The video was about gear for travelling. Thanks again for your contributions to the diving community. A little humility goes a long way.
It's always worth buying your own wetsuit/drysuit, fins, mask and computer, as these are personal to you. The rest isn't such a big deal, though a lot of people don't like the idea of using rental regs (either due to safety as it gives you the air you breathe, or hygiene.... someone else has had that in their gob! ewwwww!) so you might want to get them as well. BCD/Tanks/Weights aren't worth it unless you're diving at home as well as on holiday.
@@lmlmd2714 I'm a primary air donor so if you have a problem with that in your gob, I guarantee the alternative is worse. We had problems with rental regs, they either breathed like crap or they let in water. One of our first major purchases outside of personal equipment.
@@YuriyDel Yeah I think in OOA situations people get a little less choosy lol - that said it's never really bothered me, but it does seem to a lot of people. I'd be more worried about the reliability. It's one thing that absolutely *has* to work well, so I like having my own as I know they are looked after, cleaned, serviced, all that jazz. It makes sense to have your own as far as I'm concerned - but I can get why people who only dive on holiday might be hesitant.
So don't bring a BCD... it's big, it's heavy it might as well be wood. Summary: wetsuit/drysuit, fins, mask, computer and regulator... rent the rest: didn't need some fancy smancy bar chart to tell you that.
When you Hugged the Camera Man after saying Bye to the Set. I thought about the scene from Return of the Jedi when the Rancor Died and the Keepers helper was consoling the Rancor Keeper.
@simplyscuba going to Greece in 3 weeks. So euh Mark was it? You. Get. In. My. Bag. And stay below 25kg please. You said instructors always have spares. So yeah that.💁🏻♂️
Bring an instructor with you and all your worries will vanish
Cassandra Ng That’s why I always travel with at least one instructor.
Travel light, be the insturctor!
True 😂😂
Even better, ... bring the owner of your local dive shop. He'll have EVERYTHING in stock.
WRONG >>> my sister booked a few dives vacations with the LDS and they wanted nothing to do with the divers , that paid them for the trips !
Easy bring every thing except tanks and weights 🤦🏽♂️😉
I Just got the T shirt I ordered and Im taking it to my trip to Maldives! I need my emotional support boltsnap! I love it! great fabric, and fit.
it is so true with integrated folks taking the "pretty" lead. and the Tanks was a very nice touch.
It’s amazing the things you can fix or jury rig with a handful of zip ties of assorted sizes. I always include a few tools like the right wrenches and hex wrenches for my kit, a small pair of diagonal cutters for the zip ties, a small Swiss Army knife, and the fun little tool that lets me open my computer to change the battery. That kit has saved more dives for myself and others than I can count. I take a spare mouthpiece in addition to the spare mask strap. I pack a pair of fairly strong cheaters (reading glasses - I have a 3.4 diopter pair that fits into a little tube not much bigger than a marker) for when I find myself doing that battery change or fiddling with some small bit of gear. As an aside, if you happen to have OK distance vision but need some help up close for your camera, or vice versa, a contact lens in one contact in one eye fixes the problem. Most people want their dominant eye good at distance. Within a short time your brain will adjust to the fact that one eye is crisp in the distance and the other eye is crisp up close. Just remember that if you open your eyes without your mask on there is a reasonable chance the contact will go floating away. If you are headed off to someplace where the tap water is not potable, a backpacking water filter will save you having to constantly buy bottled water. And a small baggage scale to check weight when you repack that not-quite-dry gear for the flight back. Those are the little things that come to mind immediately.
Just got back from our first international dive trip! We brought our entire kits minus weights and cylinders plus our save a dive kit (mask straps, spare small parts and tools specific to our gear, etc). We brought our physical divelogs as well and sure glad we did as the divemaster actually read our logs to verify the type of diving we have done and experience levels! The one thing I wish we could realistically bring would be the cylinders as they wouldn’t let us change out their Orings on the boat and apparently if there’s an o-ring that needs to be replaced anywhere in the vicinity, THAT is the one I’m going to end up with! 🤦♀️ It got super annoying by end of the week. Not a single other person on the boat would have an issue, but call me Murphy cause the universe apparently hates me, lol. Also, I can’t recommend the Scubapro hydros pro enough as it made it so much easier for my hubby to use the included bag to have his entire kit (including his fins and two full changes of clothes) as his carryon bag. My typical female need for a pair of shoes for every outfit ensured my checked bag was over weight anyway so I left my fins and BCD in it and just had my camera, reg set with computer, and mask in my carryon so I’d be fine with using the rental gear for everything else in case they lost my luggage.
Just pop out the oring and tell them it's missing
All true. Besides diving in my won country I always dive in Egypt. The first time I bring all my stuff except lead. They gave me the environment unfriendly lead blocks. I left my gear with my Egyptian family and the next time I brought nice colored coated blocks. At the divecenter they will never forget me and at the dive sites everybody look at me because of the nice weight.
Wife and I take pretty much all of our gear. We're familiar with it, and know the in's and outs of it. Our holiday's /vacations are planned around diving though.
Instructor here: I pack everything when I travel to dive, This usually maxes out my checked baggage weight as I technical dive, but I do have a specialized light weight kit to carry when I know I will only be doing shallow recreational single tank diving in the tropics saving ~7 kgs. This kit includes thinner but still full wetsuit, smaller lighter fins, light weight backplate w/small wing and a reg set where I have replaced my long hose with a 1 meter hose for under arm routing plus much less in the way of spares and other equipment. When I am travelling and "may" have the chance to dive I just carry my frameless mask and computer just as recommended in the video. Happy Diving!
i have mailed my cameras ahead. called the place i was diving with and sent it to them. was cheaper than bag fees
+1 This is an amazing tip. I'll do this on my next trip, thanks :)
Remember to leave your diving knife at home unless you want to "donate" it to Airport Security staff...
Toño M packing it in the hold luggage is fine, just don’t try to take it into the cabin!
Toño M hhh lost it
Yeah knives just have to be packed in the checked bag and can’t be in the carry on. Get with it baby.
My wife and I are going on vacation to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic in the first week of December where we will be getting our open water certification. Your video is great and very helpful. We have already purchased our mask, snorkel, fins and dive computers. Love watching all of your videos and the information in them. Keep up the great work guys!
Y’all are too cute!!
Thanks for years of tips. This channel & videos are my go-to series while I’m learning about the world of scuba.
Computer a must. Since we will be a month in Philippines and another 3 weeks in Thailand........ Mark, you wanna come? There is an opening for an instructor.... Lol
I find the dive trip list in the PADI app pretty useful. You can tick off the items as you pack.
I would never recommend diving without an SPG. Air integration works great and I use it, but I would not trust it enough to go without an SPG for backup.
I'd say it's always worth taking your own wetsuit/drysuit. Fit is really important, probably even moreso than with masks and fins, so I say take it. Rental ones are always rubbish, and if you aren't a completely standard size, you just aren't going to get anything that fits.
I have, in the past, had security refuse to let me have my regulators in hand luggage. Apparently, a chunk of metal on the end of a hose could be used as a weapon. Who knew?
Anyway, I had to check it before they would let me through security.
As for Macgyvering, I was on a dive boat in Egypt, I'd been on a couple of trips with them before, and I had my box of kit. I had all my own gear except tanks, lead and BCD.
At home, I used a weight integrated BCD, so I was using a weight belt for the diving I was doing. I checked everything was in my box when it was loaded. What I didn't noticed was they had packed the wrong weight belt. It was several inches too short for my waist once the lead was threaded on.
Luckily for me, I was wearing a paracord bracelet that I made. It held, once unravelled, a little over 2 meters of 550 cord. I used the cord, my dive knife, and a borrowed lighter to attach all the lead I needed to the belt and saved the dive.
One of those portable bag weighing devices. Saves the hassle of unpacking your BCD at the check in counter!
I'm planning my first ever dive trip and got this in recommended.
That was lucky!
Where're you going?
@@YuriyDel Egypt
@@warmike Cheers, We're hoping to visit there within the next few years. We hear it's a fantastic spot!
As someone who did what you do for a few years, I could not find one thing wrong with this vid. Spot on. I like the bit about redundent qualifications or dive book logs. No matter what they say, you can tell as soon as they start putting their gear together if they can dive. I had a couple who had more qualifications than my instructors, and they were not safe to let into the water.I had a Duch tourist who was a bsac instructor, and we couldent even get him under the water. As they say, losing a diver can spoil your whole day, thankfully I never did.
I carry all the kit I'd need, including my SAD-not about to ruin a trip because of an o-ring. My BC is a SS plate and wing though which adds a bunch of weight but it's set up how I like it. My rental experiences haven't been favorable so I try to stay self-sufficient-although I did have to borrow a dive computer once because I forgot mine in the hotel room after logging the past day's dive.
Having a lobster 🦞 tickle stick while diving in the reef or wreck makes it very easy to prevent bumping into coral or walls, also a tank banger, used it as a walking stick on small swimthroughs. Trully underestimated piece of kit.
Also known as a "cdd" (coral distancing device). Also great to stabilize when filming. Also nice to be able to alert buddies if something goes wrong :)
I agree with all you said. However, in my experience, one place you have to bring your own lead is New Jersey in the US (not many people’s idea of a dive vacation spot.) When I was there a few years ago dive shops wouldn’t rent weights, and the boats didn’t have any available either.
Also some dive ops in the Florida panhandle and Myrtle Beach, SC will charge you for weights (some quite a lot).
I bring my dive buddy. I have someone to talk to a lot day and night
Scuba Pro HydrosPro BC system pack really really nice into the provided backpack and room for the rest of my kit 👍
got one myself ,can pack my regs ,computer ,gopro and other nick nacks and strap my fin sto the outside all as carry on luggage and as a push can even get my wetsuit in there ,but tightly rolled up
Made it so convenient for my husband as well! He also managed two full sets of clothes as our trip was tropical so no need for wetsuits, lol
Dive watch, booties, fins, rash guard, gloves, goggles, dive shorts, regulator system (both stages), and compact 2000 lumen Chinese dive light.
I'd forego my bcd, spg (because I have wireless), dsmb & reel, umbilical-cord dive light.
Can always rent a dsmb & bcd.
Only the regulator system & fins truly have weight.
Can't help but think of a movie I saw a while back...think it was called , "Open Water" where a husband and wife get separated from the dive group, and the boat departs leaving them stranded to their deaths...these days there is no excuse not to have a GPS PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) as a primary piece of equipment.
I take a small line cutter+-small shears but no knife as many coral sites don't allow it. I take a large mesh bag which takes little space and I do have a small SPG in addition to my AI computer.
Lol for a week in Scapa in mid november we decided to load all our 7 divers' stuff on three station wagons and ride the UK from Dover to Scrabster and beyond. But yes, if going to warm waters you can rely on some rental options. Tbqh we never found a better service than in Stromness, drysuitwise and any other possible issue.
Just back from a week in Tenerife, only went on a couple of dives but had my computer and Paralenz camera, both small and easy to pack. Everything else hired on the day, helps if you know the dive centre you are planning to go with.
People have already mentioned cert cards, mask and dive computer as the minimum but I'd add to that gloves for me if the destination might involve a cold water dive or two. It can be really hard to find gloves that fit well when renting.
After I got my entire divebag stolen in Egypt - regulators,BCD,fins,2masks,2 divecomputers,3knives,3divelights and the logbooks (in paper) of my past 290 dives. - I stopped caring about the STUFF. Nowdays I bring my fav mask,and that's it.
I bring my sidemount regulator kit in my carry-on. Weighs too damn much to put in the suitcase. Also, no one rents out a sidemount BCD, so I'm always at the weight limit.
I travel internationally and dive where/when I can. I always wear a dive watch (wearing one now), with carry-on being 2 dive computers (with backup batteries) and mask. I also carry-on my reg set. Only once was I stopped and questioned which was quickly followed by the x-ray tech getting up from his position and chewed out the security officer who ended up in apologetic tears.
In my checked luggage, I have taken my fins and BCD, and even a wetsuit when I was diving in a region where I would not find one big enough for me. We have been in Thailand enough times that I have left an entire kit there. Unfortunately, but wonderfully, our family in Thailand has moved to the South on the Gulf of Thailand where there is no scuba air, but I snorkel almost daily, as my BCD and reg set hangs limply in storage.
Some good advice, Spare battery for dive computer is light and cheap, try finding one in Aquaba and you can lose a day . However to be honest I take everything except lead. I don't use rental suits that someone else has pissed in I like MY weightbelt that is so comfortable... at 66 I can be slightly porky and dive club belts have over worn belts with plastic clips which may give and lose. I always take dive boots and open heel fins.... if you have to walk a burning hot sand beach or a sharp shingle beach you will love your boots.
#simplyscuba #holidaykit hold that thought on forgoing an analog spg, being based in the Philippines most of the dive operations here are full service, meaning you are required to setup your gear on the first day and only for the first dive after that your dm or guide takes over and sets up for you as well as rinsing and set to dry through your vacation. so before giving your gear to you we want to be sure you that you have a full tank of air or nitrox and the only way to check is by by having that spg.
if you would want to shave off some weight from your reg why not just go din the Aclamp weighs roughly a kilogram.
I have a large, rolling travel dive bag which I use to transport gear and clothing as checked baggage. However, I hand carry my expensive gear such as bcd, computer(s), camera, regulator and my mask (with Rx lenses, because I don’t want to have to replace it should it not “arrive” with me). Having said that, my large, rolling dive travel bag gets filled with clothes and stuff I can easily replace-again, should it be “lost” via the five-finger discount.
Also, I pack an additional, smaller mesh duffel to bring along my gear on the dive boat. That way, I’m not that guy who brings his large, rolling bag on the boat where space may be limited. Just a courtesy to other divers on the boat. Also, a decent-sized Tupperware container is good for stuff I want to keep dry on the boat (wallet, cell phone, etc).
A 22”/56cm carry on bag fits the bcd, regulator, etc., and I’ve never had any trouble with airport security and these items.
My certification cards are in electronic format on my iPhone, so I don’t worry about losing the plastic ones-again, only present highest level and nitrox cert.
Just one man’s opinion. 😁
I'd love to see a recommendation for a travel dive bag, rather than a straight review of one you sell. What bag do you guys personally use to pack away your kit in, a standard large suitcase or a specialized dive gear bag?
Hubby has a Scubapro Hydros Pro so his entire kit goes into the backpack included with the BC and is his carryon.. I have hard exterior standard rolling luggage for the traveling part and then put it all into an inexpensive mesh dive bag with backpack shoulder straps once we get there for the boat.
@Michael Atherton I've got a mesh duffle bag already, but I don't think it's really suitable for airline travel or checked luggage. My plan is to use a larger, more heavy duty roller bag to actually pack stuff in for flight, and just transfer the kit to the mesh bag to actually get to the dive sites.
I'm also trying to carry both mine and my wife's equipment in one bag. I've got more than she does, all she has are a mask, fins, snorkle, and different wetsuits depending on where we're going. But I've got my own BCD and regs. I don't trust the mesh bag to protect everything in stowage or from baggage handlers.
I like my own gear. Things like a mask are non negotiable. But then, I really love the spring straps on my fins. I trust my regs. Enough said. Plus I KNOW my own computer. Finally, I dive with an Agualung I3 BCD which I love. sigh. I just check my dive bag. Flown with the gear to Caribbean islands and to the Mediterranean. Retired divemaster.
The first thing I think to bring with me is my girlfriend..........unless of course my wife wants to go, then it gets a little tricky. 😳 I suppose regulator would be next? 👍
Why did it take me 5 minutes to understand this.
RANDOM RICH Because you haven’t been married long enough? 🤣
@@paulwhite3637 true ive only been married for 3 years
The first thins I think to bring is your girlfriend to!
mikeandbarb Hey my girlfriends name is Barb?? Hmmmmmm..........🤔
Bsd I don't think to take. Even if I had an outlaw or such. It's still just a bag of air like Mark says
Great Video, always good content from you guys!
I always bring mask and computer as well and also my 2mm neoprene vest with a hood, bc renthal suits mostly don't fit me and I hate being cold
Not every place has DIN, so if you have an adapter, bring it. I’ve had issues flying with a dive knife, even a 3” blunt tip. I just leave it home now.
Trilobites... weigh nothing and never dive without a couple.
Based on my numerous experiences at Brac Reef Resort in the 90's, condoms.
William Cronin then that’s where I’m going next!
40+ years of diving here. I disagree with the assertion that an SPG hose & gauge are unnecessary if you’ve got an air integrated transmitter on your first stage. My last dive trip, I experienced flooding of my transmitter on my 2nd dive of the week. The reg had just been serviced, the user-replaceable battery in the xmitter was changed by my local (trusted) tech, and water & pressure tested. still flooded at depth. if I hadn’t kept an SPG on my system, I would have lost dives. anything with a user-replaceable battery requires a back-up to prevent disappointment.
brought home sea water from the Caribbean to New England. I now dump my BCD at the end of every dive...
I went to Hawaii prior to the pandemic and forgot my booties for my bigger fins.
Got out on the boat and had an oh shit moment. They had a spare pair of fins
on the boat! In Mexico diving, unplanned dive, walked into the dive shop and
said I want to dive tomorrow. They hooked me up with some basic kit and I bought
a dive mask and went diving. Same in Jamaica. Don't forget your gear is
heavier when it wet. 49.5 pound on your way to your destination, 58 pounds at the airport
leaving. Extra fee for that.
Shore diving tips!
I will bring everything even pay more! But if I have to choose one then it would be dive computet of course!!!😁😁😁
thanks for the interesting topic you raised, actually I've never been to a diving trip, yet hopeful soon i'll be there.. back to your equation , I will take my mask , open heel fins , dive computer , the full Reg set , and wetsuit .but I'm not sure about the BCD.. I prefer to rent it .. however, all accessories and clips are included in my bag. what do you think ?
So one time I had hole in my wet suit and what I did? Duct tape for life! But don't try this at home, it does not work as I thought
Maksymilian Szypowski Neoprene glue isn’t in your kit?
I probably could fit 4 cressi calibros in my rk3‘s 😂
I've been taking everything. Never a surprise about tattered ill-fitting rental suits or clunky BCs.
But looking to ditch the trusty 7mm suit for the future. It makes up 1/3 of the weight and the space. Thinking of taking just shortie and renting a suit to put over it if needed.
@Michael Atherton My holidays are more realistically targeted at the Mediterranean. It's a chilly 16C at depth.
if it is like 1 or 2 dives, then i will bring my watch n my mask. if it is a full trip, i would reduced my weights... now i am thinking of getting light weight bcd... lol... but it will only save like 2 to 3kg. i also have a full bags of camera stuff which i will never leave them behind.
Never log ur dives on a dive computer, bc you may loose ur dive computer, upgrade or simply have it sold out from under you as my dad did, so all his dive logs are lost. Best use the padi app, a physical book and ur iphone, then theres no worry
Everything including camera but no tank or weights, clothes up to the weight limit. Diving with what I know takes priority over clothing.
Scuba Pro Air 2 ..... Nooooo, no, NO, NEVER!!
I will agree with you here. Air 2 (and other similar ones) used to be a great way to add an additional way to breathe for when a buddy is out of gas. The truth is that they can also be dangerous. A few years ago someone in Scotland died after breathing off their Air 2. There were some spores in the BC and somehow they inhaled them.
Also, your buddy has to breathe off your main 2nd stage and you will have to breath off the Air 2 as the hose is too short and you're the one who should be controlling your buoyancy.
The better option is to purchase a set of regs that are specifically designed for travelling. There are some excellent ones out the which are lightweight and do a great job at depth and in colder waters, should that be required too.
p.s. I used to use an Air 2 many years ago.
very helpful, thanks a bunch
Regulators, I tend to think about every person's who used it before me.... And.... I bought my new apax xl4+from an online shop called simply scuba. Com
My travel bcd contains a 3mm thick steel backplate :)
My instructor always told me to show the card with the lowest credentials.
Why?
Because, if they see that you are a more experienced diver (a dm for example) they will match you with people who are newer divers while new divers without a buddy get matched with more experienced divers without a buddy.
Personally i would orefer diving solo than dive with someone who just got qualified. I am paying to be on vacation not to babysit divers underwater.
So yea i will always show the lowest qualified card for the dive im on.
You know Baba, everyone starts off as a newbie, including yourself. I’m sure you appreciate being with a more advanced buddy when you first started. Perhaps the newbie might teach you a thing or two or even save your life
All and spare, if no flight involved.
Bolts, screws and basic tools.
Had a reel with a broken handle. Did my wreck dive with a handwound spool. Horribly annoying. Wish i just had a screw to use as a handle.
Poseidon xtreams dive rite double wing, medical and solo diving cert
What if I use an airtrim bcd? (Axiom i3 or mares morphos). Are they available for rent worldwide?
Rarely. Dive shops usually have one brand, and they pick the model with the most basic features and a high robustness.
Handled by up to 100 vacationers and students, they select longevity over gadgetry and options.
Don't expect an axiom with i3 inflater and the optional trim pockets living complete on the shelf, just waiting for you
Looking at getting the souli3. How do you like the axiom
I do not know if you can address this before next weekend, I have approximately 50 dives under my belt, all 15 years ago. I certified in Monterey California, and the wonderful warm water in Florida. I have a new wetsuit, BC, primary, regulator , octopus, dive computer. I plan on testing all of it in a swimming pool, if I am allowed to, because there is no dive pool available in my area
Money. Bring lots of money. That fixes everything.
Am i totally fucked if i don't have a divers licens if i go for example to Thailand for a diving experience?
I only bring my masks, fins and boots (because they’re opened heels) since I am a near sight and my mask’s lens are prescripted and the first trip I got the scratched from the unfitted full foot fins because I rent and accident happened with the size. I haven’t got my own dive computer though. I probably get it later in the future, but not sure when. I don’t dive very often as much as I’d like to; money & time, etc.
I heard a guy said (not sure if it was a joke or he was serious) he would buy a wetsuit first before other gears, and I assumed he would prefer to use his own than rent, because (his words not mine) he hadn’t met anyone who did not pee on their wetsuit so he’d buy it first in his list.
Spares parts and repair tools, I’ll bring an instructor instead unless I know how to fix my own gear. I want to learn but it stucks on my to do list queue. Long line.
I have never heard anyone travelling with leads for their own weight belt before. Do share if you heard of any cases that the diver needs to bring his or her own lead.
I was looking at the mares 2nd stage as a primary but they only exist as a octo
Being an adaptive diver, I bring a tool kit with various wrenchs, silicone grease and spare parts for my prosthetic.
How does your bcd hose double as an octo hose?
If you use an integrated Inflator on your BCD like an Atomic SS1, that one hose feeds your inflator and the built in AAS if you need it.
Don’t forget to bring your Excalibur II metal detector on your next dive holiday LOL. Cheers, -> #SeattleRingHunter
Lame scales 😔
Who thinks Shaun could have done a better job with the graphics?
P.s. Shaun was working very hard on our new studio this week so didn’t have a great amount of time for video editing... I’ll let him off.
Safe Diving this weekend Everybody!
Whoa whoa whoa! They are the greatest graphics ever made.... In the five minutes I had to make them... 😬
And also cheers boss!! 😝
We are planing a family dive trip. The masks are must, because you can never find perfect masks for your boys and girls. And to snorkel around every day renting?!
I always pack a boat in my luggage. You never know.
Screw clothes and all that useless stuff. I bring my Manta 112 fins on holidays.
Garmin Descent everyday dive computer and Garmin Connect App keeps my dive logs easily loaded. The downside is the lack of ability to save a regular list of dive gear is a bit shitty and no air integration support.
If you use an android phone have a look at an app called DiveMate. can pull the logs off you computer but also has facilities to keep track of gear, diver info, all your certs, dive sites. My physical logbook hasn't seen a dive shop since I completed my openwater. you can collect the rubber stamps that many dive shops have, but you can get signatures and DM numbers. oh and you can back it all up online so you never loose your logs (or drop them over the side)
Im going on my first dive vacation since my certification. I appreciated this video and your contributions are always informative. I must say, you can do without the high brow comments like "we know what kind of diver you are the first minute in your in the water, and somtimes even before that" regarding certs. We understand that you are a skilled diver, that's why you provide this great info. But no need to be judgy in your presentation. The video was about gear for travelling. Thanks again for your contributions to the diving community. A little humility goes a long way.
Use a surgical tube for fixing a broken mask strap.
Bolt snap didn't make the list?!
Amazing video!! Thank you for sharing it!
Try also to check our last contents! ✈️
Video idea:
Is it worth buying own gear if you scube dive less than 10 times a year?
It'd be a short video. Probably not but I wouldn't rent a toothbrush, so I'd go more along the lines of what kit would justify the expense.
It's always worth buying your own wetsuit/drysuit, fins, mask and computer, as these are personal to you. The rest isn't such a big deal, though a lot of people don't like the idea of using rental regs (either due to safety as it gives you the air you breathe, or hygiene.... someone else has had that in their gob! ewwwww!) so you might want to get them as well. BCD/Tanks/Weights aren't worth it unless you're diving at home as well as on holiday.
@@lmlmd2714 I'm a primary air donor so if you have a problem with that in your gob, I guarantee the alternative is worse. We had problems with rental regs, they either breathed like crap or they let in water. One of our first major purchases outside of personal equipment.
@@YuriyDel Yeah I think in OOA situations people get a little less choosy lol - that said it's never really bothered me, but it does seem to a lot of people. I'd be more worried about the reliability. It's one thing that absolutely *has* to work well, so I like having my own as I know they are looked after, cleaned, serviced, all that jazz. It makes sense to have your own as far as I'm concerned - but I can get why people who only dive on holiday might be hesitant.
@@lmlmd2714 Funny how they get that way. Agree with both latter portions.
Blow up doll - great floatation device and keeps everyone away from you.....
Ok but your TH-cam channel is cool and awesome keep up the good work and done do a good job
But I like that set 😭
Bye bye studio! 😭😭😭
So don't bring a BCD... it's big, it's heavy it might as well be wood.
Summary: wetsuit/drysuit, fins, mask, computer and regulator... rent the rest: didn't need some fancy smancy bar chart to tell you that.
When you Hugged the Camera Man after saying Bye to the Set. I thought about the scene from Return of the Jedi when the Rancor Died and the Keepers helper was consoling the Rancor Keeper.
Orings. Bring o rings
You so called divers over prepare too much. All *expert* divers know that all you need is a few stacks of doors.
After 5 minutes I finally got it. HAH good one 😄 i used to use fences before water logging was a thing XD
You should be a comedian. You’ve got the personality. I love the videos
@simplyscuba going to Greece in 3 weeks. So euh Mark was it? You. Get. In. My. Bag. And stay below 25kg please. You said instructors always have spares. So yeah that.💁🏻♂️
That's a bit of a rapid diet and probably not too healthy.
No I reckon Mark could do it!
Mask, rash guard/ lavacore, computer. That's all I take with me.
Wear your wetsuit and bcd on the plane
Ondia Somone told me that last time haha wetsuit was 7mm
If ur gonna rent a wetsuit prepare to deal with ringworm and all sorts of other shit
British jokes am I right