The coolest gear - packing for BVI March 2014

You wouldn't think a company that provides swimming vacations would have much stuff. We don't, really. But the stuff we have is super cool. Like waterproof flashing lights that attach to goggle straps for night swims. Sunblock with sea-lice repellent mixed into it. Anti-chafe stuff. Funky bathing suits. Latex swim caps with our logo. Whistles that work when wet. A million pairs of goggles. A waterproof camera small enough to fit into your bathing suit. A GoPro video camera.

We spread out all of this cool stuff and take a picture of it before every trip. It reminds me that we need to stay light. We've been leaving lots of gear in a locker on Tortola to reduce the travel load, and we also leave some gear in the basement of guide Ryan's house in Kona, Hawaii. So our stuff is spread around the world, which is actually comforting to me.

Guides Heather, Alina, and Simon leave on Friday to kick of the next trip to the British Virgin Islands. Heather has the heaviest load, as she's the professional photographer. Her underwater camera housing alone weighs more than she does. The images she captures make it worth the hassle, though. You'll see them if you follow this blog next week.

- Hopper