Question from Matthew: Adding onto a BCD (jacket style) being possible uncomfortable, I recently got my own kit along with all the advised safety items: DSMB+spool, safety knife, compass, whistle, Flashlight and a gopro+rig And I feel like I’m just a mess with everything being attached to my BCD. I want to try to streamline my setup but I’m not sure how to best go about that while keeping the safety items at hand for when you might need them.
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Hi Mark,pls make video on mares sirius…
Sidemount butt pouch is also nice for stuff you don’t need often, like tools, tie-wraps, second backup light (for Cave diving), safety spool.
In my thigh pockets I carry wetnotes and my first backup light. Don’t wan much stuff in those pockets when diving sidemount since it’ll push your tanks out and is hard to get at.
Gopro goes (without tray) on my butt d-ring so I can get it quickly but it’s not hanging down.
Chest d-rings are empty except for my long hose reg clipped on and any stuff I need to temporarily store like a double ender when I’m working with a DSMB.
Thigh pockets are great in general. I always wear trousers with thigh pockets, since it’s easier to pull my phone out when sitting (especially if I have a seat belt on)
I’ve got Dive Rite Thigh Pocket XTs which attach to the belt of the BCD right where it meets the BCD (and leg straps), and they work really well when I have a wetsuit on or don’t.
What about glue-on pockets?
Of course those will work too though the glue can look a little messy.
Shoulder harness D-Rings are fine, but the issue with things hanging down, as Mark notes, becomes an issue. However that can also be handled with “ranger bands” (basically large rubber bands, or even O-Rings if you can fit them onto the straps) or bungee looped off. The main point is for things like a dive light you can clip them off to a D-ring and then the handing end get held in place by the ranger band/bungee. When you need it you unclip and just pull it up out of the band. For me, with a BPW setup, that’s not going to handle everything, of course, but convenient things it does. dSMB into the backplate as described but, when all is said and done, I also have tek shorts for those thigh pockets
I have the Apeks Thermiq Semi Dry and it has decent pockets already on it!
#askmark
When adding thigh pockets to a wetsuit, where is the best place to put them? The front of you thighs, the side of your thighs, or any other place?
Most thigh pockets are on the sides because it’s more streamlined both for hydrodynamics and swimming through confined spaces.
Hollis experimented with front-facing pockets to aid with sidemount and I had a prototype that you could adjust the placement but, the system was a bit fiddly…
Put them wherever’s comfortable for you that you can reach. And make sure that you can reach the bottom of the pockets so you can rummage without needing to bend over.
This is why I love my Axiom BCD, lots of space in the pockets, it sits lower on the hips and I also jerry rigged some bungee cord on the inside of the pockets tied off to the knife grommets to be able to easily clip stuff off.
dSMB & spool: Right thigh pocket
Spare mask: Right thigh pocket
Wetnotes: Left thigh pocket
Knives: Waistband left of the buckle, right shoulder strap (both Trilobites)
Dive computer: Right wrist
Compass: On the back of the left hand
Watch: Left wrist
Main flashlight: Right shoulder D-ring when not in use, or on the boat deck when not needed
Back-up flashlight: left shoulder D-ring with a bit of elastic keeping it streamlined against the harness so it doesn’t dangle.
Phone: In back pocket
Spare fins: Back of the cylinder
Spare harness: Under wetsuit
Spare wetsuit: In right pant leg
Spare cylinder: In left pant leg
Thigh-pockets! Got used to em during tech-transition, donโt wanna miss em anymore. Everything is at itโs predetermined spot, no matter whether itโs a technical dive with my drysuit and double 12s in a dark and cold lake or a recreational dive with wetsuit, single Al80 in the big bath tub called red sea.
So go for tech-shorts with some thigh-pockets ๐๐ป
Good advice, I can’t belive Mark didn’t say that first
Miss simply scuba but glad to have found you in this channel
Yeah, I stay in contact with Shaun but, I don’t think we’re going to see much from Simply in the future
@Scuba Diver Magazine Ok. Just happy your back online. Missed seeing your weekly videos :)
Question, where to store easily a camera on retractable selfie stick (stick is 25cm in shortest length) Thanks!
If something is too cumbersome to fit in a pocket I usually clip it to a shoulder D-Ring. If you clip it lower down then it can interfere with your finning.