Mermet Springs: 14 Things to Pack

Mermet Springs 14 Things to Pack

Can you believe we are just a little over a week out from the annual Mermet Springs trip? Who is ready for cold water diving and Fat Edd’s? {raises hand} Even though I’m not a fan of the cold water diving… With Labor Day coming up, now is a good time to start thinking about what to pack for Mermet Springs. We have created a list of 14 items NOT to forget to pack. I’m sure we have missed something, so please, comment and let us know what we forgot!

Mermet Springs: 14 Things to Pack

1.     5 mil, 7 mil, or Dry Suit.

You’ll want a warm suit. If you have never dove at Mermet Springs, you’ll want to make note that it is chilly. On the surface, the water temperature is around 75˚F or so but at the nose of the plane or even at the 108’ Platform you won’t be so lucky for those temps. Dan La Due dove in a 1.5 Mil suit last year more on a dare, but unless you want to try it, I wouldn’t.

14 things to pack - headband

2.     Hood, Beanie, or Headband.

Because the water temperature is so cold, you’ll definitely want to help with the warmth. It seems like you lose a lot of heat through the top of your head. When the water is cold, you surely want to do the headband at least. It will help, but you might even want a beanie or a dive hood.

3.     Gloves.

Gloves will help with your hands. In that cold of water, your fingers can get really cold. Those gloves, even a real thin 1.5 mil thin glove add just a little protection against the cold.

4.     Dive Socks.

So are these a must? Not really but they are helpful. If you wear some of the thicker/taller dive boots, I think you can get by without them. I know I can and I get cold easily. But, if you are going deeper, I might strongly recommend wearing them. The deepest I have been there is around 50’. I didn’t have socks on but I had my 6.5 Mil Dive boots on and my toes were a little cold. So take that into account.

14 things to remember to pack - BCD

5.     BCD.

You’ll definitely want this. I mean… you can’t dive without a BCD so that’s a given, but if we’re making a list of things to take, make sure this is in your arsenal. You’ll be sad if you don’t have that.

6.     Weights.

These are helpful too. Obviously, if you forget, maybe someone can help you out, but it is best to remember your weights. That way you are prepared.

7.     Dive Boots/Fin.

Your dive boots are another must. Sometimes people have extras but don’t rely on that. It’s always best to show up with your own. And another helpful hint is to make sure you have a left and a right. It’s not always fun when you show up with 2 left or 2 rights. Fins are another one of those that go along with the dive boots. Fins are helpful in propelling you through the water, so just make a mental note to have boots and fins.

You can get away without boots if you have the Go Fins, but they really are made for Caribbean water so…

8.     Hot dogs.

Hello, the fish need to eat too. It’s fun to sit on the platform and feed fish… so make sure you have hot dogs. Make a mental note here though… Don’t wipe hotdog juice on your wetsuit. Take Celwyn West’s word for it!

9.     Camera.

Do you have a dive camera? Remember not all cameras survive in water… lol. But if you have a waterproof camera, by all means, take it. If nothing else, it is fun to take pictures of feeding the fish (see hot dogs). The visibility in Mermet Springs is not that of Cozumel or Curaçao, but it is better than Beaver Lake.

10.  Tank.

Air, Air please! Trust me, you’ll definitely want that air supply! Now another thing to keep in mind… check those hydros and visual dates. If they refill your tank at Mermet Springs and find that the visual/hydros is out of date, they’ll charge you for those as well. Just something handy to make note of so you don’t have to pay extra for those air charges. They will refill regular air tanks as well as Nitrox tanks (note: Nitrox is a little more expensive and have your Nitrox certification card).

11.  Certification cards.

You’ll definitely want to prove you are certified. If not, they won’t allow you to dive. If you plan on diving Nitrox, you’ll need that card too. Decide beforehand and prepare accordingly.

12.  Water/Snacks.

When you dive, remember you need extra water. It is a weird thought that being in water would make you need the extra water. Might be because you pee so much? (Remember the two types of divers, those who pee in their wetsuits and those who say they don’t but really do.)

Also, remember that we named our cookbook If There’s Food, They Will Come. For some reason it seems like when you are a diver, you eat a lot. Eat, dive, eat, dive, eat, dive. Repeat.

13.  Save-a-dive Kit.

These are handy to have to keep you from having to forfeit a dive. We’ll do a special blog post on how to build/what you need in your save-a-dive kit.

14.  Swimsuit

This comes from personal experience. I have wound up at a dive site more than once without a swimsuit. It is handy that I have rash guards, a skin, and dive suits or else I would not have been able to dive. So just, double check yourself and make sure you have that swimsuit. A towel is handy from time to time too.

2 thoughts on “Mermet Springs: 14 Things to Pack”

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *