Metric or Imperial?

[The Chairman]

I have exactly zero imperial measuring devices.

If you take a look in my tool chest, you'll see that I have lots of fractional as well as metric tools. While you might force an 11mm to turn a 7/16" nut, you'll find that 10mm and 3/8" are completely incompatible in that regard. I simply won't force myself to use metric on a 67 Midget and you won't find me reverting to using imperial on my Sprinter. I use the logical tool for the job. If all you own is a hammer, the world becomes a nail.

Caveat: I've had to add a few bolts to my sprinter as I have decked it out. When I drilled out the rivets holding the after market paneling on to the sliding door, I used a #7 drill (0.201") rather than a 13/64" which is a bit larger (0.2031") and tapped them for a 1/4-20 bolt.

 

[Zeagle Eagle]

I have been diving since the 60's. I would love for everyone to switch over to metric, including shoe sizes, tank sizes, diving, speed limits, everything. It's so much easier; but, it ain't going to happen, anymore than England is going to drive on the right. Got my splits, got my wireless and I am a happy man. Why aren't you?

 

[dmaziuk]

Microfortnight is a new one for me. Thank you. I will certainly use it.

Look up "FFF system" on pikiwedia. Heat transfer coefficients are particularly neat.

(I am old enough to have usedhated VAX/VMS in school though I don't recall if this was where I first heard the microfortnight joke . It's a variation on the "glass of water in case he wakes up thirsty and empty glass in case he wakes up not thirsty" programmer joke. Except for realz: computer clock was not battery-backed and had to be set at boot. VMS programmers came up with a silly name for what it was counting if it wasn't.)

 

[EFX]

Why hasn't the US gone metric? It's because of guns, drugs, and lack of jobs.

 

[Centrals]

In Hong Kong we have THREE type of weighting systems in the market!!!!! Chinese, Imperial and Metric.
Have to be flexible.
I prefer Metric over Imperial because it is simpler. But I can survive on the Imperial system because I was brought up with that.
BTW, I weight 9 stones 4.

 

[XS-NRG]

BTW, I weight 9 stones 4.

Now that unit of measure boggles my mind. Never even knew what stones were until a few years ago.

 

[TMHeimer]

What are stones?

 

[Peter69_56]

In your kidney........Oh wrong forum


Ok take 2 .......... 14 lb = 1 stone =6.35 kg

 

[Centrals]

Boxers weight-in are still expressed in stone in certain quarter!

 

[PhatD1ver]

As my goal is to take some tech diving classes, and as I'm in the process of updating/improving my scuba gear, I feel compelled to ask...which is more commonly used, Metric? or Imperial? I am currently reading Steve Lewis' book, "Staying Alive" and it just seems at least for me, to calculate in metric is much more conducive. Of course I can only speak for myself. But one of the items I am looking to purchase is a new dive computer. I know some will calculate in metric AND imperial, but if I had to choose one over the other, I'd opt for metric but also, I want to be sure that this would be okay considering most of my diving will be here in the US, so any advice and/or comments will be greatly appreciated.

D

RANT ALERT!! For all that is good, PLEASE CHOOSE METRIC!! the continued perpetuation and dumbing down of the world by continuing the use of IMPERIAL measures anywhere is ruining the world.

Why choose to complicate simple math? why choose to work in inches, feet, yards, or psi when such beautiful, uncomplicated system is available.

the average person can't tell you how may grams in an ounce, how many ml to a cup, or other conversions... but why should we?

The ability to know that 1L of volume = 1kg of weight is awesome. The ability to convert bar to liters of air based solely on multiplying the capacity of your tank by the pressure in bar, and then apply your SAC to know your available time at a specific dept is amazing. And easy.

What kind of person would still use 14# = 1 stone? a cave man is who. I mean, great, the Brits find it part of their kooky heritage. And it's fine so long as you take the next step and follow the metric system.

I just don't get it. A GLOBAL standard of measures is good for everyone. It's safer too. And it's unbelievable to me that a DM in Mexico or Belize who grows up learning the metric system has to learn imperial measures to guide dives because as an industry we can't decide to follow ONE standard. What a joke! What an atrocity.

Seriously, I had a DM in Cozumel who gave me funny looks when I responded with bar for my tank pressure. And you could see this poor guys brain go into gear and have to start mashing numbers to figure out psi before he gave me an okay. Imagine if we only expected them to know just BAR!!!

METRIC. METRIC, METRIC, be part of the solution, not the problem.