Choosing And Using A Dive Slate - Scuba Tech Tips: S04E17

[@markturzak8252]

Hi Alec, I really enjoy your videos. I was NAUI certified in 1985 while stationed in Southern California. I dove for 5 years and when I was reassigned to England I left diving behind. I've often thought about getting back into it but haven't. Your videos have inspired me to take the plunge again ! I still have my cert card but I'm taking the course over again just to be safe. Thanks for the videos and please keep them coming.

[@johnreiten6473]

Alec, Can you discuss twinset diving and side mount diving in more detail and give pros and cons to both? I would love to hear your opinion, in great detail, about diving with 2 tanks, either both on the back of the diver or mounted on their sides. And maybe you could go into detail about the equipment required to use a twinset (like a winged BCD). Also, if 2 tanks give a diver much higher dive time, why don't most, if not all divers, dive with a 2 tank system? Thanks, and I really enjoy your Tech Tips! -John

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

The vast majority of divers are recreational. They dive at the cottage a few times each summer and make 1 or 2 trips south for a week each and make a few dives. Total dives might be a dozen a year. If you are really into it and looking at alternative tank set-ups and dive procedures, there are lots of books available and forums to read with good discussions. For me to talk about doubles, whether on the back or the side, I'd be making a video for 10% of the readers. Just to pique your interest though, I have diver with doubles and side mounts many times. I have also dived with triples and am currently working on a set of 5 tanks. That's five 72 cf tanks in a single band on my back! It's essentially a set of triples with a set of doubles on top. If nothing else it'll be a great photo opp!

[@jeeyoon]

I didn't expect to laugh this much while looking up slates Thank you so much!

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@neal3800]

Another good way I've found to erase/clean slates is a part of a magic eraser. I bought one and cut it into thirds, and then just tied it on to the slate. Works like a charm.

[@rikialwaysright]

I love that Hi Kevin! haha

[@clementbonnardel8763]

Great tip to communicate is to learn some words in Sign Language 🤟 Make sure your dive buddy does too 😂

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

So true!

[@bombousboy]

You broke it, you pay for it ;) Excellent series of videos by the way.

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Thanks for watching. Alec

[@jeremydelille965]

Wonderful :) as always ! About the magnetic rewritable "yellow" slate, mine turned unusable after a few dives... In fact, normal... My magnetic slate became unreactive, all white, after several nights stuck in the bag with the lights during a mission on the field (I should have thought about it, as batteries for the LEDs emit magnetic fields... and "old style light bulbs" are even worse). But the same for a friend, while collecting info for science (thus writing a lot), the screen went unresponsive to erasement. It is now all "white". These are tiny magnets and you write with a bigger one, attracting them onto the screen or repulsing them from it. And he was working close to electrical wires, emitting magnetic field... Just noticing it this way scared me a bit about the time I spend working nearby underwater power plants at the research station...

[@Dive_Me_Crazy]

Jeremy Delille I was really liking the idea of a magnetic slate till I read you post. Did you ever get yours working again? Do you think it was the environment you were in or are they just not that good? I have one of the simple pencil ones and use it a bit, however it's a bit of a pain with the small pencil and low contrast grey on white writing.

[@jeremydelille965]

I didn't manage to have it back on work. I tried with opposite magnetic field, stronger ones and so on. I think it is really great thing to have, but you have to take care where you put it. Should be stored or often (repetition acts the same) carried far away from anything electrical or magnetic (like far away from lights, dive computer, the magnets on some carabiners, ...). In bag with only your mask and reg should be OK... but dive comp in another bag for long lasting trips or repetitive action.

[@pamy5965]

Another super tip. Wishing you Happy New Year.

[@misterkaos.357]

I knew a guy who had one of those magnetic sketch pads that they sell at toy stores for kiddies (I know I had one as a kiddy; 80s kids will remember) and he would take it diving with him. Rumor has it that a lot of dive instructors these days like to use them for pool training exercises, since there's no risk of waterlogged pencils having their tips snap off and potentially damage the filters.

[@toriedwards126]

Just found this video, it was brilliant thank you

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Glad you enjoyed it! Lots more to laugh at/with me. A

[@Sokeresa]

Hi ALec, wonderful vid as always. Can you talk about ful face masks with intercoms please. i saw a youtube vidoe of a guy using one and was very interested in the topic, thank you

[@moclepocle]

Thanks for the great video. Happy new 2017!

[@phantomman39]

You forgot the high altitude table slate, With the slate on the back. For diving in the mountain lakes. For us divers that dive high altitude lakes and Cold water . Great videos, keep them coming.

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

It's called a 'dive computer' David. Of course, if I included everything about dive tables, the video would be 1 1/2 hours long. At one time and certainly in places like Alberta or Colorado, dive planning took a long time before you ever got wet. Cold water and high altitude can screw things up. I love my Oceanic OCi. Takes better care of me than my wife does. Alec

[@Kevin-fj5oe]

What about Sign language for deaf people, the alphabets one. There's learning curve but it would be a great assets. Also since american sign language use one hand, it would be more efficient than slate

[@seikibrian8641]

I can sign (slowly) a little bit, but when diving in my local waters I have to wear thick cold-water gloves. Trying to sign with gloves on would be like trying to talk with my mouth taped shut. Anything more than the basic dive signals would be really tough.

[@sampest1040]

Hey I was wondering if you think it would be worth doing a video on single and twin set diving and the differences etc, love the videos

[@alaind831]

yes, I've been thinking of that. While I learned on twin tanks as a kid in the 70s, with high capacity steel tank going to 140cf I'm not seeing a reason to go double (seem a large single is more efficient weight and buoyancy than 2xsmaller tanks). I can't image carrying 2 HP 100s now when one is already 43lbs full.

[@Cyjodev]

True that it would be useful for a new guy like me to know all about single VS twin tanks and info around that. thanks for mentionning it

[@richerich853]

I would love to be able to sit in one of your dive classes.😁

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Sorry. I taught scuba diving at all levels and over 20 Specialties from 1969 to 2016 - almost 50 years of fun. You will have to be satisfied with watching my videos. I hope you enjoy them Rich. Take care. Alec

[@Cyjodev]

Hello Alec ... I love the way you go about your vids and thanks so much for all the info ;) I would have loved to have a man like you to teach me the different certification until I get my Master scuba diver ;) I heard you talking about cleaning at the end and wondered if you have a vid already made about cleaning ... the one that interest me the most is how to clean a mask and to prepare that mask and then how to keep it fog free ... I got a cressi pannoramic mask and using sea drops but having hard time to keep it free of fog .. when I went diving in Jamaica they used a blue stuff and rinsed the mask thoroughly before we went in the water and it seemed good .. any vids on advice about fog and cleaning and preparing a new mask VS used mask to dive without fog ? and how about some mask that claims anti fog ? Thanks again for all those precious info

[@alaind831]

he's got a video explaining how/why you need to scrub the thin film you get on new mask or it will fog like crazy...

[@Cyjodev]

Thanks I'll take a look at it ;)

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

There is a vid on mask cleaning. Try to find it in the list of episodes Joel. It is important to understand that mask cleaning and mask defogging are 2 separate and somewhat unrelated processes. You must clean your mask properly first. Then, before you jump in the water you must defog it. If you don't clean it first it will fog up no matter how much defog you put on it. If you clean it and don't use defog, it will fog up. Thanks for watching and for your kind comments. Alec

[@Cyjodev]

Many thanks ! awesome I'll definitely get to that video thanks again

[@kanchanasilva]

Alec, Are there any slates that can be illuminated like pressure gauges for night diving?

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

There are several slates that Glow-In-The-Dark. Look up Trident Diving or Innovative Scuba. Good luck. Alec

[@SeattleRingHunter]

In the US we have cleaning product called Mr. Clean Erasers they work a charm in cleaning the plastic slates after a dive. Cheers, #SeattleRingHunter

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

That works too, also for cleaning masks from too much defog. A

[@RadioManVeteran]

a small square of mr. clean magic eraser works really well for cleaning a slate and fits perfectly in a dive bag. you only need a little 1" piece.

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Yep. I've made slates out of lots of things. Uh ...... they cost $6. Maybe not the best DIY project! Alec

[@Ralphgtx280]

Wetnotes are handy and cheap too , I use them when doing research dives , 30 pages and cost like $5 each impossible to fill it up and you can either erase the page or tear it out

[@robertweisskopf]

I had one that attached to the back of my gauge cluster housing. you always had it and it was never in the way

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

A nice piece of kit for those who need lots of notes.

[@bornaluckyman1]

Love the video.. thank u

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@feidhlimoshea968]

Can they be used again

[@scubasteveandunderwaterroc3547]

Slates yes wet notes as far as I know no

[@Hotspur37]

yes they can just use one of those magic eraser cleaning sponges and they will clean them up nicely

[@adammoore251]

You can make one by chopping a section out of an old white bucket/tub, pencil and string.

[@misterkaos.357]

Ah yes, the good old pvc bucket method. Pro Tip for that method, brush the plastic with sandpaper so the graphite sticks to it better.

[@mistifeyed]

Hi Kevin! That would be a magna-doodle not an etch-a-sketch Kevin.

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Cute. Alec

[@mistifeyed]

Oops! I just watched the video again to try to figure out why I called you Kevin. I see now it’s because you wrote “Hi Kevin” and I got confused.... sorry Alec! I do really love your videos as a new diver. But it’s still a Magna-doodle Alec.... 😆😉 Tell Kevin I said hi though.

[@mistifeyed]

By the way you remind me of Red Foreman from That 70’s Show and I love watching your videos that much more because of it. I’m just waiting for you to call someone a dumbass and I swear I’ll watch every single one of your videos for the rest if my life 😂

[@luikriaco]

ha ha ha ha ha !!! ... Great !!!

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Glad you liked it Lou.

[@buzywil]

Congrats on your retirement.

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Thanks. So far it's going great! Alec