bc214
Contributor
Forgive me if this duplicates. I tried to add it to another thread but it wouldn't let me update it for some reason. My previous issue was with a flooded depth gauge and finding a suitable replacement for my boot. I've pasted my question below relating to going with a stand alone SPG instead of the group console:
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Thanks for the answers so far. I found two gauges that would fit it my boot well, but before I pull the trigger I have some issues. After doing a few dives, mostly in quarry after rain storms (super low viz for a quarry), I have found that my current gear setup is not exactly "for me." Let me try to explain.
The SPG/Depth/Compass. PHeew. Hate it. I know that's where they go, but here is my issue. I'm familiar with land nav with a compass. I have been reading maps, taking headings, and triangulating on land for years. I get in the water, pick a heading, and off I go. Except this damn compass is in the most awkward place. I have to pull up this mammoth console then flip it over just to get a reading. It seems to be difficult hauling it out and keeping it in front of me in merky water, especially if I need to control my power inflator/deflator with my left hand. I considered a wrist mount, but even that seems so awkwardly placed when it comes to reading the heading window. That being said, I ordered a compass on a retractor for my shoulder D ring. I can track it out in my right hand, and while holding it still have visibility of my dive computer that I wear on my right wrist (bottom).
Anyway, Compass on right shoulder d ring, check. Dive computer on right wrist, check. But I'm still hung up here. I like the redundancy of having an analog gauge, and I always wear a traditional watch on my left wrist. I'm not a fan of the big SPG combo boot, and I love the simple SPG only clipped into a D ring. I can easily cut away the top half of my boot and have just a SPG, or pick up a stand along SPG boot for my SPG. So getting that smaller an more manageable is easy. Doing this, I would lose my console compass, but this is not an issue as I ordered the new shoulder mounted retractor compass. Having streamlined a bit in this hypothetical, the only thing that I am missing is a max depth analog gauge as my backup.
Can I just throw a gauge in my pocket, or is there a boot that can clip somewhere to hold just a depth gauge that is not hanging on the end of my HP hose? I was thinking either just a depth gauge in a zipper pocket that I could reference in the event of a computer failure and subsequent ascent, or perhaps a wrist booted depth gauge that I could just clip onto something somewhere in my gear. It wouldn't be for reading on the fly, that's what my computer would be for, but rather it would only a backup in the event of a computer flood.
Maybe I am over thinking this, who knows. But I'd like to hear your thoughts on cleaning up my kit to avoid the massive gauge console, and carrying a depth gauge in a less traditional place.
Thanks a lot.
-BC
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Thanks for the answers so far. I found two gauges that would fit it my boot well, but before I pull the trigger I have some issues. After doing a few dives, mostly in quarry after rain storms (super low viz for a quarry), I have found that my current gear setup is not exactly "for me." Let me try to explain.
The SPG/Depth/Compass. PHeew. Hate it. I know that's where they go, but here is my issue. I'm familiar with land nav with a compass. I have been reading maps, taking headings, and triangulating on land for years. I get in the water, pick a heading, and off I go. Except this damn compass is in the most awkward place. I have to pull up this mammoth console then flip it over just to get a reading. It seems to be difficult hauling it out and keeping it in front of me in merky water, especially if I need to control my power inflator/deflator with my left hand. I considered a wrist mount, but even that seems so awkwardly placed when it comes to reading the heading window. That being said, I ordered a compass on a retractor for my shoulder D ring. I can track it out in my right hand, and while holding it still have visibility of my dive computer that I wear on my right wrist (bottom).
Anyway, Compass on right shoulder d ring, check. Dive computer on right wrist, check. But I'm still hung up here. I like the redundancy of having an analog gauge, and I always wear a traditional watch on my left wrist. I'm not a fan of the big SPG combo boot, and I love the simple SPG only clipped into a D ring. I can easily cut away the top half of my boot and have just a SPG, or pick up a stand along SPG boot for my SPG. So getting that smaller an more manageable is easy. Doing this, I would lose my console compass, but this is not an issue as I ordered the new shoulder mounted retractor compass. Having streamlined a bit in this hypothetical, the only thing that I am missing is a max depth analog gauge as my backup.
Can I just throw a gauge in my pocket, or is there a boot that can clip somewhere to hold just a depth gauge that is not hanging on the end of my HP hose? I was thinking either just a depth gauge in a zipper pocket that I could reference in the event of a computer failure and subsequent ascent, or perhaps a wrist booted depth gauge that I could just clip onto something somewhere in my gear. It wouldn't be for reading on the fly, that's what my computer would be for, but rather it would only a backup in the event of a computer flood.
Maybe I am over thinking this, who knows. But I'd like to hear your thoughts on cleaning up my kit to avoid the massive gauge console, and carrying a depth gauge in a less traditional place.
Thanks a lot.
-BC