DIY Tank Stickers

[DarinMartell]

Another thread got me thinking about what I wish I was taught in OW but wasn't. One thing was some basic things about other types of diving. I was never told that if I find a line or a tank underwater that it was probably staged and to leave it alone. Now I would like to think I would be smart enough to know to not screw around with it but I am not that confident with everyone out there. And while I don't plan on leaving my pony anywhere anytime soon you never know. So, have you ever seen a sticker like I made in the Word doc below? I was thinking that I could print it on printable bumper sticker paper like this: Bumper Stickers what do you think?

[terrillja]

Originally Posted by DarinMartell

Another thread got me thinking about what I wish I was taught in OW but wasn't. One thing was some basic things about other types of diving. I was never told that if I find a line or a tank underwater that it was probably staged and to leave it alone. Now I would like to think I would be smart enough to know to not screw around with it but I am not that confident with everyone out there. And while I don't plan on leaving my pony anywhere anytime soon you never know. So, have you ever seen a sticker like I made in the Word doc below? I was thinking that I could print it on printable bumper sticker paper like this: Bumper Stickers what do you think?

Looks kinda like the one here:

Tank stickers

I'm going to order a few of the "This is not your tank" stickers. I'll probably buy a few voodoo gas stickers as well, I like the bit about the dark lord.

[DarinMartell]

Originally Posted by terrillja

Looks kinda like the one here:

Tank stickers

I'm going to order a few of the "This is not your tank" stickers. I'll probably buy a few voodoo gas stickers as well, I like the bit about the dark lord.

I have seen these and while the "this is not your tank" sticker comes close, it really only says it may contain different gasses then air so be carefull. I'm trying get the whole "I left this tank here on purpose, someone didn't drop so please don't take it with you, because I might REALLY need the air in it when I come back"

[texdiveguy]

Darin.... least you are thinking of what could happen.....I know from what you have shared with us to this point, is that your bottle is a pony bottle intended to be carried with you at ALL times underwater as a form of contingency gas ....so you will not be 'staging' that bottle as that is not the purpose of a pony bottle. In the future were you progress into other areas of diving were you may in fact 'stage' that bottle or others at a point within your dive for use later or to pick up....in all likely hood those diving with you or likely to come in contact with such bottle will know its purpose and would not remove/move it! I don't think you have any concerns at this point. But it is a nice sticker....catches your eye if someone took the time underwater to even read it.

[marchand]

I know for a fact that down here in Florida in the Devil's system there have been snorkelers who have swum down into the eye and seen deco tanks and have breathed off of them. So I do agree that this sticker has merit, but most cave divers do not like stickers on there tanks so I think something that slips over the tank would be better. I would also suggest using a color other than red because it is the first color to go, maybe a yellow and green or something.

[DarinMartell]

Originally Posted by texdiveguy

Darin.... least you are thinking of what could happen.....I know from what you have shared with us to this point, is that your bottle is a pony bottle intended to be carried with you at ALL times underwater as a form of contingency gas ....so you will not be 'staging' that bottle as that is not the purpose of a pony bottle. In the future were you progress into other areas of diving were you may in fact 'stage' that bottle or others at a point within your dive for use later or to pick up....in all likely hood those diving with you or likely to come in contact with such bottle will know its purpose and would not remove/move it! I don't think you have any concerns at this point. But it is a nice sticker....catches your eye if someone took the time underwater to even read it.

As we have talked about I have no plans on useing this as a "stage bottle" I am nowhere near experienced enough to be diving that kind of dive and will not be for a long time. But I have been stuck at work by myself for the last two days and am extremly bored. So I find myself thinking "what if", my thoughts on that one was what if I was on a dive in a popular area and it had a cool, safe, swim through, But I had to remove the pony and tie it off to keep from damaging coralor something. Would everyone down (maybe even from a different boat) know to leave it alone? I think some people would be tempted to bring it up be it to keep or to find the owner.


"I know for a fact that down here in Florida in the Devil's system there have been snorkelers who have swum down into the eye and seen deco tanks and have breathed off of them. So I do agree that this sticker has merit, but most cave divers do not like stickers on there tanks so I think something that slips over the tank would be better. I would also suggest using a color other than red because it is the first color to go, maybe a yellow and green or something."

Wow, I hope those snorkelers knew enough to not keep holding their breath after doing this! Thanks for the tip on the color, I just thought red for "stop" but it makes sense to change it. Like I said, just throwing stuff out there to see what sticks

[marchand]

I'm pretty sure they are still alive, most of them anyways (the owner of one of the tanks finally caught the culprit)

What if you made the lettering reflective?

[WaScubaDude]

Originally Posted by DarinMartell

Another thread got me thinking about what I wish I was taught in OW but wasn't. One thing was some basic things about other types of diving. I was never told that if I find a line or a tank underwater that it was probably staged and to leave it alone. Now I would like to think I would be smart enough to know to not screw around with it but I am not that confident with everyone out there. And while I don't plan on leaving my pony anywhere anytime soon you never know. So, have you ever seen a sticker like I made in the Word doc below? I was thinking that I could print it on printable bumper sticker paper like this: Bumper Stickers what do you think?

great idea. May want to add your name to it for ID and so people will really get that the tank is owned by a real person. A date on removeable tape may help with this as well.

[texdiveguy]

Originally Posted by DarinMartell

As we have talked about I have no plans on useing this as a "stage bottle" I am nowhere near experienced enough to be diving that kind of dive and will not be for a long time. But I have been stuck at work by myself for the last two days and am extremly bored. So I find myself thinking "what if", my thoughts on that one was what if I was on a dive in a popular area and it had a cool, safe, swim through, But I had to remove the pony and tie it off to keep from damaging coralor something. Would everyone down (maybe even from a different boat) know to leave it alone? I think some people would be tempted to bring it up be it to keep or to find the owner.


"I know for a fact that down here in Florida in the Devil's system there have been snorkelers who have swum down into the eye and seen deco tanks and have breathed off of them. So I do agree that this sticker has merit, but most cave divers do not like stickers on there tanks so I think something that slips over the tank would be better. I would also suggest using a color other than red because it is the first color to go, maybe a yellow and green or something."

Wow, I hope those snorkelers knew enough to not keep holding their breath after doing this! Thanks for the tip on the color, I just thought red for "stop" but it makes sense to change it. Like I said, just throwing stuff out there to see what sticks

I understand your thoughts--really! What IF'S are a great tool for divers.

But say you encounter a swim through that is to tight for you to make it through fully kitted...than its not the time or place to remove your redundant gas and leave it behind only to have to back track and retrieve it...I don't see the logic. 'IF' you did for some reason have to 'clip' off the bottle and leave it in hopes of returning...thats a pretty strong indicator to other divers that it was not left behind in haste or by mistake or that an accident had occurred and the bottle was just discarded in panic. I see no reason for such a decal on a bottle. Just don't take the bottle off unless you are handing it off to another diver or as a last resort to free yourself from an entanglement.

[DarinMartell]

Originally Posted by texdiveguy

I understand your thoughts--really! What IF'S are a great tool for divers.

But say you encounter a swim through that is to tight for you to make it through fully kitted...than its not the time or place to remove your redundant gas and leave it behind only to have to back track and retrieve it...I don't see the logic. 'IF' you did for some reason have to 'clip' off the bottle and leave it in hopes of returning...thats a pretty strong indicator to other divers that it was not left behind in haste or by mistake or that an accident had occurred and the bottle was just discarded in panic. I see no reason for such a decal on a bottle. Just don't take the bottle off unless you are handing it off to another diver or as a last resort to free yourself from an entanglement.

Good points as usual!