DIVE SCHOOL REAPS THE BENEFITS OF SHARKCAGE

The Challenge

Previously, Storage lockers being used by the Diving School were not designed to withstand the corrosive elements associated with being near the ocean so there was extensive corrosion. Additionally, dive gear is often wet when it is stored in the lockers, so the lack of air flow resulted in damage to the equipment.
Additionally, the lockers being used previously did not consider the equipment being stored in them; specifically, dive gear. There was no logical way to organize the gear in the current lockers. This meant there were no standard locations for types of equipment that could maximize the effectiveness of the storage lockers. This lack of organization contributed to several challenges which created waste.
  • • Several hours to inventory due to a lack of visibility and no standard packing procedure
  • • Equipment loss and damage due to removing equipment from lockers for accountability
  • • Extensive time finding certain pieces of gear due to a lack of a standard packing system

The Solution

SHARKCAGE developed custom Gear Lockers in two different sizes that were tailored to the Dive School requirements. These requirements included corrosion resistance, equipment drying capability, accountability and increased efficiency for periodic services, inventories, and operations.

Corrosion Resistance

The SHARKCAGE Gear Locker is “hot dip galvanized” to prevent corrosion of the cage from salty humid environments. Hot dip galvanizing has a theoretical corrosion resistance life cycle of 22 years. Additionally, the moving parts (hinges and locking mechanism) are designed from stainless steel for corrosion protection but also for ease of movement.

Equipment Drying

The gridded design of the SHARKCAGE Gear Locker promotes good air flow to speed up the drying process for equipment. The shelves and bottom are gridded as well to allow water to drip through the cage to the floor and drain. The bottom grid is elevated to prevent standing water in the locker. The grid also allows for hanging items on the outside of the cage while drying to further increase air flow.

Accountability

The internal components of the SHARKCAGE Gear Locker were specifically designed to accommodate the gear required for dive students and instructors. We considered the type of gear and designed specific locations for items to be stored (Based on unit SOP). This includes air bottles, wet suits, fins, and other accessories. The cage itself has a top shelf for storage items and the lower portion of the locker is split down the middle with one side containing shelves and the other open to facilitate tank storage and hanging of wet suits and other items. An inventory clipboard (galvanized) is also included on the front of the cage to record the packing list inside the locker and damaged equipment which needs to be repaired.

Increased Efficiency

The Sharkcage Gear Locker resolved the issues related to not having predesigned locations for equipment, the ability to find certain equipment and long-lasting inventories that were experienced with the previous lockers. Additionally, the predesignated load plan reduced the numbers of damaged and lost equipment which require administrative time to reorder or repair those items of equipment.

The Results

The unit has experienced significantly improved efficiency since incorporating the SHARKCAGE Gear Lockers into their infrastructure.
  • • Rust and corrosion no longer present a hazard to the equipment or personnel
  • • Standardized locations for equipment within the Gear Lockers have reduced inventory time from several hours to minutes
  • • Tracking of gear shortages, damaged equipment in need of repair is faster through the packing list clipboard
  • • Standardizing gear storage procedures have created more disciplined students and promoted a positive focus on the learning objectives of the course
“I’ve been around the military for a long time, and for me, the quality of the [SHARKCAGE] product has been outstanding. Maybe the best I’ve ever seen.”
- Dive School Instructor and Resource Manager