Scuba Bucket (Thanks, Claudette)

[b1gcountry]

I shamelessly stole this idea from Claudette when I was up there last fall. She uses a bucket to keep a bunch of crap, and I thought it was a nice way to wrangle your mask and various goodies on a rocking boat.

I'm getting ready to head up to Chicago for a quick dive on Saturday, so my bucket is already all loaded up. Here's a shot of what I throw on the bottom for transport. This saves me from having to bring along an extra box for my regs and can light. Obviously, this doesn't work if you are doing a three bottle dive, but for simple dives like this, its fine. The white things are PVC end caps I zip tied to the side of the bucket. They hold my ear dry, talc, soapy water, and zipper lube. I also put my dry glove straws in there. (Oops! I forgot my straws. I'll need to find those before I leave.


Here's a shot with everything hanging out of the bucket. The bungee is standard 1/8" bungee from mcmaster. like 5c per foot. There is a small cel phone dry bag hanging on the left. I keep my dust caps in there. There is a piece of bungee threaded through a hole with a boltsnap on the end on the right. I thread the bungee through my guage straps, and clip off to the bungee around the rim. I also usually have a tie down EPDM (truckers') bungee strap just wrapped around the rim just below the top, but I donated that to Jitka last trip since she was running short.


When I'm on the boat, the regs, canlight, and backup lights go on the rig before we leave the dock. Everything else stays in the bucket, and I also grab my hood and drygloves and toss them in the bucket. Sometimes I throw the weightbelt in as well, and fins usually go below the seat, and EVERYTHING else goes either below, or gets left in the car. So this is my only junk cluttering up the boat. Plus, as you know if you were in Milwuakee, the bucket tends to become the boat mask bucket.

When I suit up, I put all the pocket crap in my Drysuit pockets, and then the only things that are left in the bucket is the stuff that goes on last: Mask, guages, gloves, straws, hood. Plus my defog is handy in case I forgot. Basically, if the bucket isn't empty, you forgot something.

Tom

[Ulfhedinn]

I love DIY stuff like this. Thanks for giving me some great ideas!

Which is the strap you have on your bucket? Abrasion resistant right?
http://www.mcmaster.com/#bungee-straps/=idj3rn

[HBDiveGirl]

O.M.G.

You pimped your bucket.

I'm so proud.
Just shed a little tear of happiness.

~~~~
Chica

P.S. "Basically, if the bucket isn't empty, you forgot something."
Genius.
I do this all the time.
I didn't realize I was doing it.

[hindmost]

I just got my boat bucket a few weeks ago. This is great!

[Mo2vation]

They make a super size version, too, that I love. A 6 gallon size.

[LCF]

I love DMX for this . . . the best photo essays around!

[jahjahwarrior]

I like this idea! Currently on boat dives, I


Hmm, having trouble pasting in tapatalk, I'll have to post later...

Basically, how do you make sure the captain has room for stuff like this? Or are your boats bigger over there? Here, some are too small and get upset about boxes and buckets

[hindmost]

The bucket is a LOT smaller than a wheelie bag or even the ubiquitous rental mesh bags. It fits under many benches and it's fairly unobtrusive in a corner too. The biggest risk is clueless people mistaking it for a trash can...

[Mo2vation]

I haven't found the boat yet that doesn't appreciate a bucket of neatly placed gear over fins and masks and power and sunglasses, and hats, amd dry gloves, and dry glove liners, and, and, and, and whatnot sitting around.

We bring them on every boat trip. Heck - I bring them on shore dive trips... makes it easy to toss stuff when we're done.

-K

[Merlin Rhoda]

I use one of these to the same end. It doesn't fit my fins or multiple regs but it does hold pocket contents, mask, bottom timer, compass, etc. I can't believe I ever lived without it.

[b1gcountry]

Ulf-
It doesn't matter what sort of Bungee, just go to Home Depot and find one that fits around the bucket. If you spend more than $3 you're being ripped off.

Mo2-
Its the cadillac of buckets! Sweet!

Claudette-
You are my muse. For all I know it might actually have been Ken's idea first, but I dove with you first so you get the credit.

And yeah, all the crap I load into the bucket would take up a lot more room if it wasn't organized into the bucket, and the bucket makes it a lot easier to find the stuff. I dive in cold water, and a lot of the sites are below 100', so its not unusual for everyone on the boat to have doubles, Drysuits, stage bottles, and a bunch of other crap. A small bucket like this just protects stuff from getting broken/stepped on.

Tom