Scuba Equipment on small sailboats

[david lewis]

Are there any good tips out there for how to store and manage scuba equipment on a small sailboat? How do you store tanks so they aren't banging around in a seaway? Anyone who dives knows just how large and bulky all the equipment is and if there are two divers you immediately want a bigger boat. Obviously sailboats are not ideal dive boats but the fun of diving and the usefulness of cleaning the hull and keel and changing zincs and catching fish, crabs, lobsters, mussels, clams, etc. makes it very worthwhile. Any divers out there for some discussion? How about rescue diver and divemaster courses? How extensive are they? I have an advanced certification but am considering going further.

 

[Robert Pancza]

Tank Tubes

If you're willing to keep your tanks on deck, you can use very large pvc pipes cut down to the right length, attached to a board that's attached between stanchions. If you've taken any commercial dives, you might have seen these tubes/pipes on the dive boats. This size pvc pipe is not standard, not sold at Home Depot, and so might take some looking to find. Or, you can buy extra clamp-ring-things that are used on BCs to attach the tank to the vest, and attach them to the board instead.

 

[red coles]

Out of sun

Hello dave: Whatever you do, store them out of the sun. Had one overheat on me. Scared the s--t out of me when the pressure valve went off. Good luck red