Dive Computers

Peter Guy · Post by **Peter Guy** » Mon May 07, 2007 10:43 pm

Doug, FOR THE CLASS I removed the retractor and for a while I'll use the SPG. BUT, I'm quite content to risk death by using the AI computer with a retractor instead of an SPG and a bolt-snap.

Yes, it is harder for someone else to read my pressure, but honestly, so what? If they want to know, they can ask me! I'll tell them.

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Tue May 08, 2007 10:31 am

Peter Guy wrote:Doug, FOR THE CLASS I removed the retractor and for a while I'll use the SPG. BUT, I'm quite content to risk death by using the AI computer with a retractor instead of an SPG and a bolt-snap.

Yes, it is harder for someone else to read my pressure, but honestly, so what? If they want to know, they can ask me! I'll tell them.

Peter, to get to the tech pass level, I recommend just diving the proper gear configuration all the time. Muscle memory is a powerfiul thing, work with it not against it.

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Tue May 08, 2007 10:33 am

Nailer99 wrote: Nope- my config is pretty darn close to yours, actually. It comes off my left post, and then up under my left arm and clips off to my right chest D ring. It's great- out of the way and easy to read!

Nailer are you diving with a long hose?

Joshua Smith · Post by **Joshua Smith** » Tue May 08, 2007 11:03 am

CaptnJack wrote:
Nailer99 wrote: Nope- my config is pretty darn close to yours, actually. It comes off my left post, and then up under my left arm and clips off to my right chest D ring. It's great- out of the way and easy to read!
Nailer are you diving with a long hose?

Yep!

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Tue May 08, 2007 1:25 pm

Getting it trapped by the gauge across the chest?

I don't understand why having in inline with the body doesn't work for you?

Dmitchell · Post by **Dmitchell** » Tue May 08, 2007 1:31 pm

CaptnJack wrote:Getting it trapped by the gauge across the chest?

I don't understand why having in inline with the body doesn't work for you?

Does it matter? it works for him. All he has to do is clip the gauge before wrapping the long hose.

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Tue May 08, 2007 1:52 pm

Nevermind

Joshua Smith · Post by **Joshua Smith** » Tue May 08, 2007 2:09 pm

CaptnJack wrote:Getting it trapped by the gauge across the chest?

I don't understand why having in inline with the body doesn't work for you?

Not sure I understand the question....If you mean longhose/ SPG tangles, that doesn't happen because I clip off the SPG first, and then it stays there 'till I'm done diving. No need to unclip it because I can see it with a glance down.

dsteding · Post by **dsteding** » Tue May 08, 2007 2:17 pm

Nailer99 wrote:
Not sure I understand the question....If you mean longhose/ SPG tangles, that doesn't happen because I clip off the SPG first, and then it stays there 'till I'm done diving. No need to unclip it because I can see it with a glance down.

One reason I'd see for not doing it that way is because you could accidently unclip it-at various times on a dive I have my lighthead, maybe my primary, and a extra bolt snap on my d-ring. I don't look down to unclip these things but do it by feel. Having the SPG there could lead to it being unclipped and then re-clipped over the long hose.

Also, related to an earlier post about buddies sneaking peaks at gauges, that can't be done effectively when it is on your chest. Even though my buddies are good about tracking their air consumption, I still glance at their gauges as I keep track of them on a dive from time to time.

Finally, it is so trivial to unclip it, take a peak and reclip it that I find the hip to be more streamlined without any issues, but certainly it isn't the only way to do things . . . YMMV.

Dmitchell · Post by **Dmitchell** » Tue May 08, 2007 2:37 pm

This is PotAtoe Potahto in my book.

I know what the DIR way is, in fact my Hp hose is a Halcyon - hose and I do clip mine off to the waist but I also us an AI computer

so I Hardly ever look at it anyway.

I can tell you that when diving multiple stages, I prefer to clip it to my left chest d-ring. If nothing else because having 3 stages hanging there makes a mess and one less thing in of the way is cleaner.

Ok, I can see where you could possibly make a mistake and unclip the wrong bolt snap and then not realize that you accidently clipped it over the long hose.

But, Even if a paniced diver ripped your reg out of your mouth they are still going to get 3-4' of hose. Then they are going to calm down and you can sort it all out.

This would be the same issue as if your can light is in your left hand when you pass the reg. The hose is going to tangle with the light cord. GI III himself has said that this is acceptable and that once the reg is passed and things calm down then you can sort it out. -that comes from the Gavin scooter group if you want to research it.

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Tue May 08, 2007 2:48 pm

Nailer99 wrote:Not sure I understand the question....If you mean longhose/ SPG tangles, that doesn't happen because I clip off the SPG first, and then it stays there 'till I'm done diving. No need to unclip it because I can see it with a glance down.

You never show buddy's your gauge?

Joshua Smith · Post by **Joshua Smith** » Tue May 08, 2007 3:11 pm

Well, almost never. But it's really easy to do- I don't even have to unclip it.

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Tue May 08, 2007 3:17 pm

Nailer99 wrote:Well, almost never. But it's really easy to do- I don't even have to unclip it.

I'm not picturing it. Are you tipping vertical or something? Or does it hang down a little or something?

Joshua Smith · Post by **Joshua Smith** » Tue May 08, 2007 3:46 pm

I route it under my left arm, across my chest, and clip it off to my right D ring. The guage ends up roughly over my sternum. I usually just need a quick glance down to read it. If I need to show it to someone, it just takes a little twist to make it face them, but I prefer to discuss hand signals for air before the dive. I know you guys keep your SPG on your hip- that's cool, I know it works for you. I like my way better.....for me. We should go for a dive sometime, and I'll show you!

dsteding · Post by **dsteding** » Tue May 08, 2007 4:04 pm

Dmitchell wrote:This is PotAtoe Potahto in my book.

Perhaps.

Dmitchell wrote:
Ok, I can see where you could possibly make a mistake and unclip the wrong bolt snap and then not realize that you accidently clipped it over the long hose. But, Even if a paniced diver ripped your reg out of your mouth they are still going to get 3-4' of hose. Then they are going to calm down and you can sort it all out.

This would be interesting to test, my feeling is that you won't get that much hose because the HP hose is going to be over your long hose at about armpit level. If a panicked diver pulls your reg out of your mouth in that scenario, there will be maybe a foot of hose that comes from the length between your mouth and where the hose goes behind your neck. they may get another foot as it unravels off of your head, but that would be it. Having accidently put my backup on after I routed my longhose (trapping it) I could see this being much more like that in terms of results. Plus, I wasn't thinking so much about a diver pulling your reg out of your mouth as a diver having trouble donating at the time when your buddy needs gas, i.e., going to deploy the long hose and finding it trapped against your body.

Dmitchell wrote:
This would be the same issue as if your can light is in your left hand when you pass the reg. The hose is going to tangle with the light cord. GI III himself has said that this is acceptable and that once the reg is passed and things calm down then you can sort it out. -that comes from the Gavin scooter group if you want to research it.

I'd disagree with that. I am pretty familiar with the light cord routing at this point (I route it over the long hose, and unravel it after donating). The long hose is fully deployable even with the light cord over it, there is just a loop of cord around the hose that you straighten out afterwards, which is what GI III is refering to.

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Tue May 08, 2007 8:32 pm

Nailer99 wrote:I route it under my left arm, across my chest, and clip it off to my right D ring. The guage ends up roughly over my sternum. I usually just need a quick glance down to read it. If I need to show it to someone, it just takes a little twist to make it face them, but I prefer to discuss hand signals for air before the dive. I know you guys keep your SPG on your hip- that's cool, I know it works for you. I like my way better.....for me. We should go for a dive sometime, and I'll show you!

There are standard number signs. They are in Prosser and Gray from NSS, GUE's fundementals book, and the hand signals book from NACD. Pretty standard stuff which has crossed over from the cave universe. The only one which is a bit nebulous is the number 10 since some people don't like to use their thumb for any signs except "terminate the dive" and some people are ok using a thumb plus all the fingers for 10 (horizontal with back of hand out).

Thanks for the dive offer. I don't need to see the hose configuration to feel uncomfortable about it in anything deeper than the depth I'd CESA from i.e. ~50-60ft. It may work for you, but that's potentially my long hose getting trapped so it doesn't work for me. So we'd have to stick to Edmonds or Titlow.

Cheers,
Richard