To many options!

General banter about diving and why we love it.
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JJHACK
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Joined: Thu Mar 23, 2017 12:04 pm

To many options!

Post by JJHACK »

Okay, I'm an old school guy that started diving 30 years ago. Not much in the last 10 since moving to the USA from South Africa though.

For me, diving involved dive tables decent math skills, a dive watch with a rotating bezel, and a nice sized side order of paranoia. Today I have the very strong desire to own and use a dive computer.

Options are to just use my pressure gage as is and add a Mares watch style computer keeping them separate. Or getting the same in an air integrated console unit maybe with an added compass on top!

The air integrated watch with the tank mounted transmitter simply solves all problems and gets me everything. However,that one piece of gear is about 50% of all my other gear combined! I'm not sure if there are better places to buy these things. But Liesure pro for example sells this design for about 1000 bucks!

I kinda like the idea of all my information in the console. Compass, computer, and pressure gage. Some consoles come with the computer and compass only. The pressure being integrated into the computer. Am I too paranoid to trust only that computer read out for remaining pressure? I dunno?

I don't want the compass on my wrist, that's a tough way to use it for longer navigation as the small angles become larger errors further away. I very much prefer the console mounted compass. I also kinda like the direct hose connected gauge there too. Is it silly or better phrased "overkill" to have a wrist computer and also a console with the pressure gauge and a compass?
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stphnmartin
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Re: To many options!

Post by stphnmartin »

You could consider it having some redundancy.

I have a compass on a bungee mounted on the back of my right hand instead of on the wrist. Easier to hold it level than contorting my arm.

I got a Oceanic VTX with transmitter new on ebay for $700. You can find some deals on there over Leisure pro prices. I prefer to eliminate hoses!
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BillZ
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Re: To many options!

Post by BillZ »

IMHO Keep it simple and cheap. A brass SPG and a wrist nitrox computer is all you need and can be had for under $350. On the computer make sure that the numbers are large enough to be seen in our murky waters and have a user replaceable battery. If you have some cash burning in your pocket get a wrist mounted computer with an OLED display. It's really nice to be able to see your numbers in our dark waters without having to find the light button.

Forget about the transmitter/wrist computer combo. The ones that I've seen are a PIA to sync and most folks I know that have them also have a brass SPG as a back-up for when the signal is lost, which defeats the purpose of having the transmitter in the first place.
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CaptnJack
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Re: To many options!

Post by CaptnJack »

Don't like consoles as they are bulky, usually drag low, and get in the way of being on top of your buoyancy midwater (its hard to be checking them and venting or adding at the same time). Lastly once you know your consumption you only need to double check it on the spg every 5 to 10 mins anyway whereas I check my depth & time often.

Cheap brass SPG with a wrist mount computer is all you need. I have a wrist compass but seriously just use it for N-S-E-W level navigation. Where are you diving in the PNW where small compass angles matter (when swimming, scootering is a different story)?
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Gdog
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Re: To many options!

Post by Gdog »

Don't agree totally. I can take anyone out to depth at lowly Redondo and without a compass you will find yourself completely lost and surfacing a long way out. Bottom topography can be totally misleading. Take a dad gummed compass.
Air integrated, hoseless, etc.. All subject to personal preference. I have air integrated, want to go hoseless, and would love a simple spg as backup. Make the best choice you can, you will probably find out you want something different later.
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Scubie Doo
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Re: To many options!

Post by Scubie Doo »

Gdog wrote:Don't agree totally. I can take anyone out to depth at lowly Redondo and without a compass you will find yourself completely lost and surfacing a long way out. Bottom topography can be totally misleading. Take a dad gummed compass.
Air integrated, hoseless, etc.. All subject to personal preference. I have air integrated, want to go hoseless, and would love a simple spg as backup. Make the best choice you can, you will probably find out you want something different later.
Amen Gdog. I have hundreds of dives at redondo and I get turned around in a couple areas. A compass is cheap and should be used.


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GearHead
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Re: To many options!

Post by GearHead »

Likewise at Edmonds Underwater Park, it's easy to get turned around even when following one of the lines. The bottom is so flat that it offers no directional clues. Learn to use and trust a compass.


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