i use a quick release retractor . several brands out there. clip on and off when setting gear. zipped in and out of the way while diving , always in the same spot , zip out to check , let go and zipped in , back and out of the way. ps i use an air integrated dive computer but prefer analog backups :)
#askmark thanks for the great video! Instead of using Reel line or a retractor to fix the Boltsnap, I use 6mm bungee of around 3-5 cm length. That way the SPG is nice and close during the dive but I can pull it out just far enough to have a look at it without unhooking the Boltsnap.
I guess the scubapro hydros pro has a few D-rings, if not, it's quite easy to add one. I also got a boltsnap in my SPG, it makes it so much easier, it's also useful, if you carry your bcd with the cylinder around.
#askmark Hey Mark, longtime fan of your videos. Thank you for all you do for the scuba community! My question is regarding alternatives to the traditional octo and the primary donate setups. I'm honestly not a fan of the long hose primary donate as I don't like having extra stuff around my neck and on my chest, but would still like to have a longer secondary to share gas with a panicked diver in a recreational setting if needed. However, I also want to keep the whole setup nice, tidy and streamlined because I dive in an area with strong currents, wrecks and also dive a DPV quite often, so flappy snag hazards, as you call them, are a big no no. I've seen some instructors with a long octo hose looped a couple of times and clipped on their side that they can just pull and extend when needed, do you think that's a good idea or should I just try to get used to the primary donate setup? Are there any other options that you can share? Thank you
#askmark Hi Mark, this summer I bought a new SPG. I noticed, that it shows always around 20bar less at the beginning of the dive compared to other divers SPG which have the same amount of air in their tank (we even changed the tanks to confirm that). Is that something to worry about or is it within an acceptable range? Thanks!
#askmark Hi Mark! I took my open water in 2015 did some dives but life came and time got away, so didn't dive anything until now. Have done 10 dives this summer and love to be back in the water. I've signed up for a ssi advanced diver course combined with a nitrox course. My question is therefore what is your recommendation for how to be best prepared for the course, and do you recommend anything a do / train on before the course since it's so long ago since my open water. Like DSMB wasn't a thing back in the days.
#askmark hi Mark. I dive 7mm wetsuit with Mares XR Rec Trim. I have 2 sets of trim weight pockets on the tank cam bands. And 2 Mares standard weight pockets on the waist strap. Recently I moved to a long hose configuration and I use a pony bottle so the strap is getting pretty crowded because the weight pockets are massive and I cannot use them as hose retainers so I added a hose retainer bar as well. I am looking for solutions to have the weights without taking all the space. My current weight distribution is 4lbs top trim pockets. 8lbs middle trim pockets and 6lbs in my waist pockets for a total 18lbs. So I need a solution for the 6lbs (2.7kg) on my waist. I am thinking of swapping the tank adapter from aluminium to stainless steel but that wouldn’t replace the whole weight. And swapping the backplate for 6mm stainless steel changes the whole ergonomic of the XR rec trim. So any solutions for attaching weights closer to my back without sacrificing all the space on my waist strap. Thanks
Omg. I never realised you could put it through the hole behind the BCD pocket. I need to try that. Thank you! For the octo I bought a funny animal, I think the manufacturer is Oceanarium.
I am going to say drop the SPG and use air integration instead. Thats exactly what I did. As long as you carry spare battery for the transmitter, you wont have a problem.
I have air integrated transmitter but incase some knocks my transmitter and i don't trust it entirely it's nice to have visual backup even in general it's sometimes easier to read the manual gauge. Transmitter fails under water you gotta end the dive got a backup you can just continue diving.
I have a shearwater teric. The receiver in the watch broke and would not hold signal with the transmitter. As a DM I keep an SPG on my left hip because I can still dive with a back up SPG if my teric losses connection for some reason.
ISE has a video about attaching bolt snaps with line if you don't want to use a ziptie and want a suggestion on how to tie the line to the bolt snap: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Qm_oZTAqE04.html pretty straightforward.
#askmark I asked that before earlier today: I'm thinking about getting a backplate and wing setup. I like colored stuff, so I looked on amazon and fpund a colored aluminium backplate and a harness set with colored d-rings. The backplate has no ratings (1-5 Stars). Is it safe to buy such stuff on amazon or should I stick to the known scuba brands?
