i'm doing a scuba diving course in few weeks time. any ideas on safety/survival equipment that is worth carrying?

Woft,<br><br><br>It may be that I am accident prone (ok, I am), but I had so many close calls diving that I finally it gave up. My advice:<br><br>Always, always, always carry a knife. Always. Obvious reasons.<br><br>Have a whistle that works when wet (Fox 40, JetScream, etc...). When you surface far from dive boat and don't feel like swimming to it (or can't), a whistle is far more likely to be heard than your voice. Likewise, some sort of visual signaling device is also a good idea.<br><br>A "Spare Air" is nice to have, but not really neccessary.<br><br>That's all I can think of for now.<br><br>Take care,<br><br>Andy

>>It may be that I am accident prone (ok, I am), but I had so many close calls diving that I finally it gave up.<<<br><br>As one who dives only once in a blue moon, as a tourist, I'd be interested in hearing details.<br><br>I understand the feeling though- I have not personally known anyone well who has died in an automobile. I have known three who have died on motorcycles. It sure looks like fun, but...

I would look into a rescue streamer as discussed in the signalling section. Should you become seperated from your dive boat this will greatly enhance visibility to air units during daylight hours. for twilight or darkness a waterproof flashlight with a directed beam is a fair signalling devise. My use of the strobes only gave me a eye twitch. They are nice if your unconscious. You may elect to make for shore. The surf is actually one of the most dangerous areas of the seas, so a local knowledge of conditions is helpfull. If you make a successfull landfall, a metal match with your knife will provide reliable fire starting,neccessary for signalling and warmth. I doubt Altoid tins are rated for many atmospheres, so Id keep it simple.

<<A "Spare Air" is nice to have, but not really neccessary.>><br><br>forgive my ignorance, but is that a product or a concept? i remember seeing tiny hand-held air cylinders on 'Baywatch' once...

Pick a good knife. Don't settle for a cheap molded rip-offs. Get a good titanium blade with strong straps. I would recommend a knife with blunt tip for safety reasons. Get a good flashlight. I saw people using two flashlight system. One is a very big but powerful wide beam light and second one is a smaller type also powerful but not as wide. I only use a smaller one. It gives me greater chance to go around and doesn't slow me down. Now attach couple of climbing carabiners to you BCU. In high waves or when waiting for your turn to enter the diving platform it's much easier to get attached to the rope thrown from the dive boat. Or if you are just resting next to a buoy and you don't want to drift away or if you want to attach yourself to a buddy in a poor visibility. Get your self couple of glow sticks or a Krill light and also attach it to your BCU. Krill light is better because you can turn it on or off but it requires practice (I flooded mine once). Try sticking to white lights for a true color views underwater. Princeton Tec Aqua Strobe is strobe light, water tight down to 2000 feet. It will blind you underwater but when you surface it's an excellent locator for a night time. For my on-board kit my bag has load of rubber straps for my mask and fins, rubber bands, duct tape, o-ring and sealants, ropes plus set of small wrenches and Swiss Army Multi Tool. Pony bottles are great back up systems but they do cost a lot. But they should NEVER be used or calculated into your diving plans. You should plan such that you still have air left in your tank when you surface and pony tank would be used in emergency situations only. You place pony tank on your BCU around your chest flat usually. My gauges (air, navigation, compass, dive computer) are electronic so I carry a spare battery but I also strap magnetic compass to my wrist just in case. Now all the strobes, hoses and things have a tendency to go into different directions when underwater. Try keeping everything tight and organized. <br><br>But all the about gear (except for pony bottle) will increase your survival chance mostly on the water. Under you are still forced to make sound and reasonable decisions. You have to maintain your equipment and observe all the safety rules. Listen in class and ask questions, go over thing you are unclear about. You will get better with time. Underwater your life depends on your gear so take care of it. And be friendly and cautious of other divers and aware of your surroundings... Never had a bad experience when diving and that's probably because it is the only thing in my life that I did by the numbers. I never tried to skip a step. As you get more experienced you will see you can push yourself little further and go places where you couldn't at the beginning.<br>

Yes, it's a product, and yes, that's what you've seen on Baywatch.

I can't help thinking about the Leatherman ad/survival story about the diver who was descending a line from a bouy to a wreck and his hand became impaled on a very large fish hook that was stuck in the line. The barb had him trapped there, but he used his leatherman to cut the hook in half to free himself.<br><br>I think I'd want a leatherman with me, maybe in a water-proof enclosure to minimize the maintenance needed to prevent rusting. I also like the idea of a whistle, compass, flashlight and fire as a "bare minimum" starting point. Next I would consider a signal mirror for daytime signalling.<br><br>And the suggestion of carabiners makes a lot of sense, not so much as survival gear, but just part of your general equipment (for the reasons given) along with some cord.<br>

Woft,<br><br><br>Yeah, tiny cylinder of air with an integrated regulator/mouthpiece. A web search should turn up about 6 zillion scuba sites that sell them.<br><br>Andy

Mr. Polak187 pritty much has it. In my "Topside Kit" I have fresh water. A basic First Aid kit with tweezers, antihistimine, possibly anti-sea sickness medication (I have never needed any).<br><br>I second and third duct tape and a good knife. If you dive in kelp (like we do in California) be carefull about equipment that can get caught an fowled.<br><br>larry<br>