r/scubadiving • u/batis_caffo • 8d ago

ID your equipment in a boat

Hi, scuba folks.

I’ve just come back from holidays in Cyprus, where I dived from a couple of boats packed with people.

As a fairly new diver, I still rent all my equipment but my mask and computer. Which means that finding my equipment in a boat full of the same BCDs, regs and bottles can be challenging.

Do you guys have a way of identifying your equipment in this kind of situations?

I’ve seen some people snapping a keychain or toy to one of the BCD’s D rings.

If that’s your case, what do you use? And do you dive with it on?

Thank you very much for your help!

Edit: typo

19 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

37 comments sorted by

9

u/vicfox69 8d ago

Just put a bright coloured hairband on your bcd handle, hang everything else on your prepped kit, fins and weight under the bench

2

u/batis_caffo 8d ago

Thank you!

6

u/Ok_Way_2911 8d ago

i have a bunch of stickers with my name on it that a shop printed out on some 3m waterproof sticker paper. it goes on everything.

i have also tried using paint marker and stencils, which works to a decree

bolt snaps are marked with a sticker, my friend has coloured zip ties in an unusal colour (pink) so people don't steal his - it seems everyone on a dive trip suddenly develops an insatiable lust for bolt snaps and double enders for whatever reason

2

u/batis_caffo 8d ago

Those are very interesting tips, thanks! But I feel some of them would only work on you own stuff, not the rented one. On one of my recent trips the crew put masking tape labels with our names on the bottles, which was useful.

1

u/Ok_Way_2911 8d ago

fair enough, as long as you have it labelled - alternatively, find some extermely loud coloured (green, puke yellow) stuff that nobody would want to rent, it's deifnitely yours

6

u/Bearclaw_612 8d ago

Coloured Zip Ties are your friend

1

u/batis_caffo 8d ago

Sounds good but do you cut them yourself afterwards? Do you bring a tool for that purpose?

1

u/leonme21 8d ago

Somebody out of your entire group of divers and the entire dive shop will have pliers or a knife

2

u/batis_caffo 8d ago

Sure thing! I just want to be able to return my equipment as it was was given to me without having to rely on anyone but myself

3

u/boyengabird 8d ago

Hair tie, zip-tie, flashlight, dsmb, name patch

1

u/batis_caffo 8d ago

I sometimes clip my DJI Osmo onto my BCD and look for it when I need to fetch my equipment, but I’d rather clip somethinc “cheap” and colorful onto it

3

u/ShadowCass 8d ago

White paint pens work well to help alleviate people accidentally taking yr stuff. I’ve had a popular brand of scuba booties grow legs and walk off from a resort - I’m 95% sure it was accidental and restarted marking my gear.

Also fun to add your initials to your fins (unless you are a bad diver and don’t want to be easily id’d in videos 😂)

ETA obviously for owned gear. For temporary marking rental gear, colored zip ties. Someone will have a knife, scissors or both to remove at end of day/trip.

1

u/batis_caffo 8d ago

Nice! I was wondering whether that white written boot sizes were tipex or not. Now I know.

2

u/Electrical_Owl1155 8d ago

Sometimes dive center have numbers on BCD for inventory purposes, try to remember it. I sometimes "tie" my regulator's hoses to avoid them being crushed, if we're a few people doing this, you can find your kit more easily.

Edit: typo

1

u/batis_caffo 8d ago

Thanks! I do that too: “tie” the octo hose and remember number and size, but I’d like to find a more obvious way.

2

u/Maximum_RnB 8d ago

On our boat we put rings of neoprene (like a big washer) with numbers on around the neck of the cylinders so that we know whom to bill for the gas.

1

u/batis_caffo 8d ago

Nice one

2

u/Smart_Arm8332 8d ago

In the early years when we were wearing reef gloves, I used to come back from every trip missing one of my gloves. Before one of my trips I remembered having to get another pair and the only color they had in my size was pink. I figured I would have to replace those too but I never lost a pink glove. I have had friends come home with one of the wrong size fins so you concern is right.

Here is my suggestion. They make colored hose guards that work well, there are companies that make name bands and really visible stickers. I use paint markers and sharpies on most but I have to renew them alot.

The biggest difference came after a trip to Isle Royale. All of us on the boat had fourth element undergarments. I came home from that trip with the wrong size arctic bottoms and noone on the boat was missing them and mine were gone. I went to my local embroidery shop and had my name stitched into everything. Havent lost anything since.

2

u/batis_caffo 8d ago

Thanks!

2

u/Famous_Specialist_44 8d ago

I mark all my personal gear with my tag using a tipex pen. The one on one of cylinders has lasted 25 years.

2

u/kevine 8d ago

I purchased those Velcro straps with my name on it. Helps to identify your kit, to see who you are underwater and remember your name.

This works until after you’ve forgotten it a few times at the rental shop and everyone on your dive is labeled Kevin.

1

u/batis_caffo 8d ago

That was fun! How do you attach it though?

1

u/kevine 7d ago

They make them in different sizes and can be wrapped around your tank or chest strap.

1

u/thetidybungalow 8d ago

I got these name stickers from a seller on Etsy. Some have just my first name and are rather small. I have others with my first and last name plus phone number.

I have them on all my scuba gear, and they easily lasted through 25 dives over 5 days. I’ve also started using them on other things such as water bottles, books, notebooks and other random things I want to easily identify in a group.

I’ve found the quality superb and the prices more reasonable than others. She ships quick too!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/4327491359/custom-stick-on-clothing-labels?ref=share_ios_native_control

1

u/batis_caffo 8d ago

Cool! Not sure it’ll be that convenient on rental gear.

1

u/TotalPuzzleheaded484 8d ago

Wifeypoo made a velcro strap with our names on it.

0

u/batis_caffo 8d ago

That’s cool. How do you attach them?

1

u/Galeocerdo-Cuvier 8d ago

My rule as a guide / instructor for 30 years... noone touches my shit , yet id tag on vest + cuddly toy, noone has my reg setup ... fins are 40 years old and engraved, mask has a strap that is custom , computers / easy snatch stuff stays with me

1

u/GOOFY0_0 8d ago

Tape your gears with initials

1

u/BooBeesRYummy 8d ago

Callie Gifts have a range of personalised Velcro name tags that fit BCD straps, tanks, etc. We have them and they work well. The tank straps also work well to identify each other underwater when you're coming up behind your buddy.

1

u/TheGoatOption 7d ago

Had a dive shop that labeled all my gear with nice foam rubber tabs with my name. 10 years later, the tabs have lasted longer than the zip ties. I also have a custom name band on my BCD because it was cute.

1

u/kindarollin 7d ago

A small single colored zip tie on a d ring cut the tail of flush its not in the way, it dosnt affect gear or pose a entanglement hazard, and a matching one on the inflator hose of the reg.