There’s nothing worse than being forced to sit out a dive, especially if you’ve traveled a long way or spent days in anticipation. Many circumstances could lead to missing out, but one of them is entirely within your power to avoid — small equipment issues that can be easily fixed. These could be anything from a blown O-ring, to a broken zipper, a snapped mask strap or a forgotten hose for your drysuit. With a little forethought and preparation you should be able to resolve some of these common issues that would otherwise stop you or a buddy (it’s always a buddy that has the issues, right?) from getting in the water with a well stocked save-a-dive kit. With this in mind, here’s a list of must-haves.
Your Own Save-a-Dive Kit
- Extra mask and spare mask strap
- Multi-tool or penknife
- Allen keys in both metric and Imperial sizes
- Small adjustable spanner/wrench
- O-Ring kit — most commercially available kits will cover any size you’d need.
- Spare low-pressure (LP) and high-pressure (HP) port plugs
- A spare LP hose
- Spare mouthpiece
- Cable ties
- Zip wax
- Fin strap
- Batteries for your torch or computer
- Duct tape — the universal fix-all
- Dive insurance and spare certification card
- Waterproof box for storing items
- Bottle of soapy water for finding leaks
- Patches for fixing small holes or tears
- Bungee cord
- Bolt snaps in stainless steel
- D-Rings in stainless steel
- DIN-to-yoke or yoke-to-DIN adaptor
Many dive stores and online retailers stock ready-made save-a-dive kits, so it’s worth checking them out and then personalizing them. Prevention is far better than cure, though, so make sure your equipment is well maintained and regularly serviced. If you’re taking a longer journey or a spending a weekend away, make sure to double-check everything before you load the car. Learning a bit about scuba equipment will also help you in the long run, so ask your local dive center or club about any specific equipment courses.
Finally, every diver should also have a first aid kit; find out how you can build your own dive worthy first aid kit here.
Got any suggestions for items divers can add to their save-a-dive kit? Leave us a comment below.
