A good diving equipment configuration should allow for the addition of items necessary to perform a specific dive without interfering with or changing the existing configuration. Diving with the same configuration not only helps solve problems, it prevents them.

Following is a list of equipment as that is of prime consideration:

1. Mask: Low Volume mask reduces drag and requires less effort to clear it of water.
2. Primary Regulator: Quality regulator that will be passed to an out-of-air diver.
3. Short Hose: Should be long enough to breathe comfortably, but not long enough to bow and create drag.
4. Back-Up Regulator: Quality regulator that a diver will use as a reserve either in the event of a failure or in an air-sharing episode.
5. Long Hose: Optional in shallow, open water diving, but mandatory in deeper or overhead diving; the long hose simplifies air sharing. When used, the long hose, along with the primary regulator, should ALWAYS be placed on the diver’s right post.
6. Back-Up Lights: Tucked away to reduce drag but still allow for easy one-hand removal.
7. Goodman Handle Light Head: Allows for hands-free diving while allowing the diver to easily direct the focused light beam.
8. Thermal Suit: Appropriate to keep diver alert and comfortable.
9. Crotch Strap: Allows for custom fit, and supports two D-rings: one works as a scooter attachment point; (divers should not hang equipment here as it would hang too low); and one further up, closer to the back plate, which works for towing additional gear. The crotch strap also holds the BC in position and prevents the BC from floating up away from the body.
10. Hood: Where necessary to keep diver alert and comfortable.
11. Mask Strap: Strong strap that will resist breaking.
12. Necklace: Designed to hold the back-up regulator within easy access.
13. Corrugated Hose: Should be just long enough to allow for ear clearing and potential dry suit inflation while actuating inflator, but not so long that it drags or entangles easily.
14. Power Inflation Hose: Should be long enough for a diver to easily use his/her corrugated hose, but not long enough for it to bow or otherwise create excess drag.
15. D-rings: No more than two on the chest, positioned to reduce the drag of attached items; one hip D-ring to hold the pressure gauge.
16. Pressure Gauge Hose: Custom hose allows a diver to easily read the gauge after unclipping, but does not bow or dangle, thus avoiding excess drag.
17. Pressure Gauge: Quality brass gauge should be easy to read and reliable.

18. Knife: Waist-mounted in front, near the center of the diver’s body, for easy access.

19. Pockets: Hip-mounted to reduce drag.

20. Knobs: Soft knobs (to limit risk of breakage) should be opened completely.
21. Valve: Contingent on environment and diving activity. Dual orifice valves (H or Manifold) are an excellent way to increase safety and redundancy.
22. Burst Disks: Use of double disks prevents accidental burst failure.
23. Buoyancy Compensator: Adjusted based upon needed lift whether one is diving single or double tanks. Buoyancy should be sufficient to float equipment by itself while at the surface.
24. Cylinders: Contingent on environment and diving activity.
25. Harness and Backplate: Designed to hold the diver snugly to their rig while reducing drag and increasing control.
26. Primary Light: Hip-mounted, canister-style light; this is optional in some environments, but valuable in nearly all.
27. Alternate Lift Device: Lift bag, diver alert marker, or surface life raft, for open water diving. Halcyon’s MC system allows for storage in backplate pack for increased streamlining.
28. Overboard Discharge: Also known as a P-Valve; used with a condom catheter by male divers to allow for urination during long dives with a dry suit.
29. Bottom Timer: Wrist mounted to eliminate drag and entanglement.
30. Watch: Wrist-mounted, with a functional stopwatch to allow for timing safety or decompression stops.
31. Compass: Wrist mounted to eliminate drag and entanglement.
32. Fins: These should have no attachment buckles that can break. Replace with a more robust connection.
33. Guideline Reel: Use is contingent on the diving environment; it is usually mounted on the rear crotch strap D-ring for streamlining and to reduce clutter. Spools and other guideline devices are usually kept in the diver’s hip-mounted pocket.

Source: GUE Fundamentals of Better Diving Manual

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Diving Air Hose for Dry Suits

Units: About 65,000

Manufacturer: SI Tech AB, of Brastad, Sweden

Hazard: The hose contains an insert that can dislodge during diving and restrict air flow to the diver, posing a drowning hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: SI Tech has received six reports of hose inserts dislodging, including one that was involved in the death of a diver in Los Angeles, Calif.

Description: This recall involves a dry suit inflation hose that connects a diver’s dry suit to the air supply and allows for the pumping of air into the suit to set up a positive pressure arrangement to help keep it watertight. The hose contains an air flow restricting insert that may be either black, blue or green in color. The batch code is stamped on the threaded metal end of the hose. They were sold with dry suits and also sold separately. Contact SI Tech for a list of batch codes included in this recall or visit the firm’s Web site, www.sitech.se

Sold at: Diving equipment retailers and distributors nationwide from July 2006 through February 2009 for about $45.

Manufactured in: Sweden

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using diving equipment that contains the recalled low pressure inflation hoses and contact SI Tech for the location of an authorized dealer for a free repair which involves removal of the hose insert, or to receive instructions on how to repair the hose.