Northwest Dive Club

Pretty cool for around here to find mapped wrecks by scooter from shore.

Seen that one... but then I found this...Wireless
http://www.navimate.com/index.html

navimate is vaporware though, been several years.

Not very exciting. You are tethered to the surface with a max depth of 75 fsw. This is something a home DIY enthusiast could accomplish

Yeah, not thrilling.

Too bad Navimate looks like it'll never happen. That would be a heck of a cool gadget.

The position information is collected at the surface so it is not actually the same as the underwater position. You can do the same by towing a gps on the surface time synced to a camera carried by the diver.

selkie wrote:The position information is collected at the surface so it is not actually the same as the underwater position. You can do the same by towing a gps on the surface time synced to a camera carried by the diver.

Yep and that is an even more elegant solution but you still need to be tethered to the surface and you still don't get real time locational info to the diver.

If the antenna is on a big enough float just pull down to take out the majority of the scope. That gets you into a <10ft circle of precision which nearly as good as GPS + WAAS is in the first place (<3ft 95% of the time). The problem is more the 75ft cable length and watreproofing issues with trying to split on a longer one. Also the diameter of the cable and how much drag it creates in current.

Thats why I was figuring keep about 20ft depth, once on target, surface, drop a shot line, leave unit there. Now would be nice to be able to disconnect unit from antenna, throw in an otterbox, so at worse you only loose antenna. Or I guess something big enough to throw the whole thing in, and bring with you.

There aren't that many sites where this is even warranted. Ben and John hit the Bomber from shore via a compass bearing alone. Its hard but not impossible. About the only site where this is even useful right now is the Dauntless off Golden Gardens, if you don't get mowed down by a boat getting there and back. Almost everywhere the dive flag and antenna is more of a liability than a help.

With our local charters struggling and the dubious nature of being a long way from shore in boat infested waters, you are better off investing in a few charters a year or a private boat.

CaptnJack wrote: Almost everywhere the dive flag and antenna is more of a liability than a help..

Sadly oh so true...