As a scuba instructor, I need to make sure my scuba gear is working perfectly, and I need to be ready to help students with any issues they may encounter with their gear. So I carry a rather large save-a-dive kit with every tool you could imagine… wrenches, hex wrenches, screwdrivers, etc. But on a recent dive in the caves of Mexico, I had a loose low pressure regulator hose and my guide pulled out a fantastic scuba multi-tool that she carried with her underwater. That saved us from getting out of our gear and trekking back to the truck to make the fix. Once back home, I set out to find the best scuba multi-tool on the market, and I’m confident I found it with the Pandora Tool v3.0.

The Pandora Tool v3.0 is approximately the size of a credit card and machined out of titanium so that it won’t rust, even under harsh conditions (sea water will eventually cause rust on stainless steel). The multi-tool is 7mm thick, which is an upgrade from the previous generation which was only 3mm thick. This makes the tool more comfortable to use, stronger, and let them include some new functions that weren’t possible before. It weighs 59g.

This third generation of the Pandora Tool is a worthy upgrade over previous generations, and replaces 25 individual tools. I haven’t found any other scuba multi-tool that combines this many tools:

Some of the most common equipment adjustments you can make with this tool alone include:

• Remove yoke inserts in scuba cylinders
• Remove/replace regulator port plugs
• Remove/tighten regulator hoses
• Adjust sidemount cylinder rigging
• Tighten cylinder hand wheel nut and spindle
• Adjust second stage orifice/cracking pressure
• Adjust IP pressure on diaphragm first stages

Compared to the previous version of the Pandora Tool, the increased thickness of the third generation has allowed them to add the flat-head and cross-head screwdriver heads, as well as the larger hex key (Allen wrench) sizes. So definitely a worthy upgrade that gives the tool several additional uses.

As amazing as this tool is, all multi-tools have inherent limitations. Some wrench slots are tricky to use with some applications, so you may need to get creative. Also, because of the relative thinness of the tool, and because it’s made of titanium, the Pandora Tool v3.0 is rated for a maximum of 12 newton-metres of torque (approx. 9 lb-ft). This should be more than enough for tightening things, but dedicated tools may be required to unscrew seized parts.

The other trick may be finding a place to purchase the Pandora Tool. It’s not sold by any major distributors, so it’s not easy for scuba shops to stock it. I was lucky to find it stocked a local scuba shop in Toronto, but you may need to dig deeper online to find it.