Folding metal pointer?

I keep looking for a commercially available pointer, like an old car antennae, or presentation pointer. I seen some dive guides with them, but don't see any available as scuba accessories. Pretty sure these weren't DIY do-hickeys, other than connecting to a lanyard.

Heck, can't even find folding pointers at the office supply place any more, just lasers.

Anyone seen one?

I keep looking for a commercially available pointer, like an old car antennae, or presentation pointer. I seen some dive guides with them, but don't see any available as scuba accessories. Pretty sure these weren't DIY do-hickeys, other than connecting to a lanyard.

 

Heck, can't even find folding pointers at the office supply place any more, just lasers.

 

Anyone seen one?

Yup, we've bought ours at a dive store in Singapore. Not cheap though, something like USD 15 or 20?

Cor

I just purchased some 12 inch titanium tent stakes for use as pointers for an upcoming trip to Lembeh. I plan on blunting the sharp ends with a grinder and bending the crooks on the other end into full loops so that I can attach lanyards. A person I met at Lembeh last year used something similar to stabilize himself in the sand. He stored it up his wetsuit sleeve.

http://moontrail.com/accessrs/a-stakes/titanium.html

-Brad

Try Ryan at Reff Photo.

i would just use one from a radio antenna and then use a dremel to drill a small hole in one end to attach akey chain ring...

What century do you guys live in? Nobody uses laser pointers? I know they can be a pain, but are very effective when properly used.

In the US, Radio Shack used to sell replaceable antennaes; but no more so I am still looking myself. We would take these antennaes and put velcro on them and then the opposite velcro on the top of the housing or strobe and it would be available when needed.

What Brad DB is doing is more to steady yourself in the muck. Doesn't matter how good your buoyancy control is the much is so fine that any movement will cause a mess so this helps you to steady yourself, a place to balance your arm on and steady your camera.

Lembeh Resort sells the stainless muck poles in their dive shop.

I prefer a retractable antennae for pointing.

Terry

Or you can simply get a plastic chopstick and store it in your wetsuit sleeve when you don't use it. Very cheap, low-tech alternative

Oh, now I get it, to point stuff underwater! LOL Now I see why you can't just use a laser. I've used chopsticks and the like as suggested above, antennas corrode too fast...

It seems everyone now wants to have a pointer, not so long ago it was only the guides who had them.

The problem with resorts and the likes selling them or giving them away, is that they don't tell new divers what they should be used for or what they shouldn’t be doing with them. I've started to see leather corals and other corals with pointer size holes right through them. More and more divers are using pointers and sadly not everyone looks where there pointer goes. They often drag in the reef, they are poked into allsorts of corals unbeknown to the careless diver.

I had an issue once working for someone who started to give out reef hooks on certain dives without any instruction on how to use them what so ever. I then had to try and stop a few divers who were trying to hook into sponges, table corals and allsorts of other live corals. Needless to say I stopped the reef hook diving straight away, not too sure if they are still given out by dive operators?

For those keen on getting pointers, try and be a careful with it - PLEASE!

I purchased some lengths of 1/4" titanium tubing from a local surplus store. I attached a cable tie after drilling a hole in one end. Lighter than stainless, and will never corode.

Works great in sand, but you must be careful ware you use it. Don't knock the use of reef hooks if you havent been to someplace like the Galapagos, or Komodo, ware currents can whip you all over the place. Using a pointer or reef hook can protect the reef if used correctly, and add to the divers safety.