How to Pack Your Dive Gear
In my 30 years of diving, I have seen far too many divers ruin dives before they ever got started because of improper packing of dive gear. Gear is either forgotten or broken in transit. Just as a diver is at the height of anticipation and excitement for the upcoming dive, they discover they don’t have the gear they need. If they are lucky they may be able to borrow something but often at the cost of being uncomfortable in the water.

Even if all your gear makes it to the diving staging area, and makes it intact, a disorganized dive bag makes pre-dive prep slow and clumsy. Having to rush to get in the water can lead to mistakes and dangerous situations.

Let’s get your next dive right from the very beginning — from when you pack your gear for the trip.

STORING YOUR GEAR
Proper packing begins with proper storing of your gear. Follow one simple rule—keep all your gear in one location. You can then visually see what you have pack and what you have left out.

LAY IT OUT, FEET TO HEAD
As if you are facing yourself, layout your gear on the floor starting from feet and working your way up to your head. Start with fins and booties. Next wetsuit pants and knife (if you wear it on your calf as most do). Weightbelt, BC, wetsuit jacket and so on. With it all laid out in front of you, the odds of you forgetting something are considerably reduced.

WHAT TO PACK FIRST, LAST
At the bottom of your dive bag, you’ll want to pack first what you’ll need to get at last, usually your wetsuit jacket. This is also an excellent choice to put at the bottom of a dive bag as it is unbreakable and will provide extra padding for other gear. Most dive gear bags have side pockets for fins, but if there are no side pockets the bottom of the bag is a good spot. Again, fins are unbreakable but will provide extra padding for other more delicate items.

At the top of the bag, place what you will need to get at first, usually your BC. This is also a good choice because BCs are generally unbreakable but will provide added padding. Mask, regulator, computer, etc. can go into the middle but it is still a good idea to protect them within their own cases.
DRY STUFF
Pack a separate bag with your dry items. This would include clothing, towel, cell phone, log book, and additional personal items. It has been my experience that dive bags get very wet. Do not keep your dry items with the dive bag.

The best dives start off with proper preparation. Make sure your gear is in good working order, make a good dive plan, but sometimes just as important is how you pack your gear.

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Dale Sheckler is Editor and Publisher of California Diving News, Producer of the annual SCUBA Show expo held each June in Long Beach, CA, and co-author of the book A Diver's Guide to Southern California's Best Beach Dives, 3rd Edition.