Can't hear my computers alarm, not sure if it's working

[zoid]

Hi, this is a repost from a different forum as suggested there. Please let me know if this is not the right etiquette.

I'm a very novice diver (~20 logged dives). I recently got my first diving computer, a Mares Puck Pro Plus. Reviewing the computer logs I noticed that at some points, I exceeded the recommended ascent rate (even got to 18 m/min for a short while). I never heard my computer beep. I checked and the audible alarm is on.
Now, I'm not sure if this is a problem of me hearing underwater with a hood on or the computer is not beeping. Do you know of any way I can test the beeping on the surface? I wrote Mares support about this but haven't heard back from them yet.
Thanks and happy holidays!

 

[GiraffeMarineSalvage]

It's very likely you simply didn't hear the beeping while wearing a hood. Some people are huge fans of computers beeping at them and others aren't, personally I would move forward paying much more visual attention to your dive computer and don't count on being able to hear that or any other computer beeping while wearing a hood.
Focus on the fundamentals you were taught and getting your weighting/buoyancy dialed in (ie if overweighted you're going to have excess air in your BCD to be neutral at depth and then when you ascend that air is going to expand which dramatically raises your buoyancy and therefore your ascent rate...). Don't feel bad though, it's a very common issue for new divers, especially in the last ~15ft of a dive.

 

[zoranb]

It's unlikely the computer is not beeping, it's just an awfully specific sound you don't register as you're probably not accustomed to it. Do a simple test. While underwater, raise your arm quickly as this should activate the fast ascent alarm. It the alarm doesn't sound at first try a couple of times. Once you hear the sound underwater, you're more likely to notice it the next time it sounds as you'll know what it sounds like.
I had an Icon and switched to the Genius. I was convinced the alarm didn't work until I made the Genius sound the alarm on purpose. The sound was very similar to the Icon, but different enough that I didn't register it as I wasn't used to it.

 

[Bazzathemammoth]

I’ve got the mares smart computer. Most of my diving is with a hood and when I first got it I thought that the audible alarm wasn’t working. I realized later on when diving in warmer water without a hood that it does work, but it’s pretty quiet.

I watch it fairly closely so it never really bothered me that I couldn’t hear it. I find it’s ascent alarm quite sensitive so I think I’d find it annoying if I could hear it. I don’t care if I exceed the rate when moving 2m up in the water column!

Oh and I logged a ticket with mares about a firmware question and they still haven’t responded (2.5 years later!)

 

[joebob24]

I realize you just bought a computer, but if you do actually want to get alarms with a hood on, something with a good strong vibrating alarm is the way to go. I can't hear any of the alarms on my Peregrine, but I can feel the vibration even through a dry suit cuff.