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Save a dive kits are a very important part of any scuba divers packing before any dive trip, be it a day trip to the coast or a week-long liveaboard in the Maldives. Below are a list of Items, with links to where you can buy them, that every save a dive kit needs.
All the pictures are linked to Amazon products to save you time searching for them.
First, we will start off with a container to hold your save a dive kit. This is important as you don’t want to have to waste time looking through your scuba diving kit bag for that O ring you need when your save a dive kit accidentally falls open, so you are looking for a strong container that is large enough to hold the things you need and won’t break open when it is banged around in the back of your car or on the dive boat.
The first option is a small toolbox. hard-wearing and easy to carry. a small toolbox like this will fit pretty much everything you can think of.
If that's a bit big for you then why try out an old Mask box
You can pick these up cheaply on Amazon if you don't have one laying around and can fit the basics in if the larger tools you might need but hopefully, the boat has those.
Somewhere between the two is the mini hard case
These are a little more expensive but will give you more room than the old mask box while still not taking up loads fo room in your dive bag
Once you have a good container for your save a dive kit you will need to start filling it. Firstly I would suggest a good pack of O-rings of multiple sizes and please make sure the O rings you buy are O2 compatible for those times you, or your Buddy, will be using Nitrox
These are popular as they are nice and small and come with an O-ring hook inside to help get the old O-ring out but I find they don't carry enough variation of O-rings.
I prefer a large selection such as you get with these boxes
I find these selection boxes very handy when something like the O-ring on one of your hoses decides to go, it doesn't happen often but is a pain in the arse when it does. The only problem with this size of the box is that it won't fit in the smaller boxes above although as it doe come in it own box you always have the option of not putting it in teh box, but if you go down that route I would suggest a couple of elastic banks as you don't wont this box opening accidentally.
Next, you should be looking into some basic tools such as a 14 and a 15 mm spanner as these will cover most of your hoses should you need to tighten them or replace an O-ring on your regulator set. I have also added a good pair of scissors here as although you are meant to scuba dive with a cutting edge at all times, I know not everybody does, so having something in your save-a-dive kit you can cut with will always come in handy.
This is a draper 14 mm spanner, so its of reasonable quality but not super expensive. you want good quality as it will get damp and can rust quite quickly
You also want high-quality scissors like these
You could also go for an adjustable spanner like this. Although these adjustable Spanners give you more flexibility with the size it does also increase the risk of rounding off the edge of what you are trying to undo or do up if you don’t adjust the size right.
If you are going to be changing O-rings I would suggest some oxygen-compatible silicon grease, You only need a very small bit on each O-ring but it does massively improve the life of your O-rings and reduce the risks of leaks from any O-ring you replace. Also really good if you are an underwater photographer or just like taking your Go-Pro with you on dives as a little silicone grease on the O-ring whenever you close the camera housing will help protect the O-ring, and as we know, a good O-ring on your camera houses is essential when scuba diving.
Fin Straps, Mask straps, and mouthpieces. These are the basics you will need in your save a dive kit. Just simple replacements of these basic items have saved more dives than you can imagine so having at least one of each in your save-a-dive box will definitely improve your chances of being able to deal with a problem and keep your scuba diving trip on track.
The best place to find these are in our online shop so please follow the link HERE
Cable ties and duct tape. If it moves and it is not meant to, these two items should be a good bodge fix so you can at least get through your scuba diving trip until you can get back to a dive shop that can fix it properly.
Zip lubricant. Especially if you are diving in a dry suit. Your dry suit zip is very expensive to replace so keeping it properly lubricated is very important but there is always a chance your dry suit zip may jam or get a bit of debris in it and you don’t really want to force it so a bit of Zip lubricant really could save you a bunch of money or a missed dive.
A bicycle puncture repair kit. If you get a hole in your suit or your BCD, the patches in these kits are perfect to repair on the spot. I have also added Black witch neoprene quick-drying adhesive as it is better than the rubber glue you get in the Bicycle repair kits.
Finally, I would suggest a selection of clips, although losing a clip won’t stop you from diving, it can be a hassle and can cause other problems, so a few clips of differing types are really handy to have in your save-a-dive-kits for your next scuba diving trip. You can find a selection of clubs on the dive shop online page HERE
I hope you have found this little list helpful and I look forward to seeing you at a dive site somewhere in the world real soon.