Where to keep SPG on a dive

[LowDrag]

You're all gonna DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just kidding. I clip mine (mini SPG) off to a retractor on my left side too. No problems.

Someone mentioned putting it across their chest. To each his own, but I've always refrained from putting anything in a configuration that might slow me down from taking off my BC under water.

HUGE RASPBERRIES TO YOU MAN!!! Oh wait..you are just kidding...so am I...

I use a three gauge console which is currently on a retractor. I clip it off to my left chest D-ring. I am able to pull it out so that I can practice using my compass and l can check my SPG when ever I want to. With the small amount of dives that I have so far, I like to keep an eye on my SPG.

 

[bryce1993]

I put mine under my left arm, and under the strap of the BC, it stays flush on my belly. I can just reach to my bellybutton and find it to have a look at it. No clips, no dragging.

 

[JesperS]

I was shown this config and thought it was genius. Short hose (18" I think) comes over the left shoulder, passes under a bungee, and has the gauge mounted on the end, next to power inflator. Glance down and to the left, and that's it.

 

[Nemrod]

Back in the old days when we just wore cutoffs and a t shirt I would stick the spg in my left front pocket. They had not invented BCs yet and even if they had we could not afford them or a wetsuit. The spg, sometimes we used them, sometimes not, kind of thought of them like a battery indicator on a flashlight to tell you if the batteries are dead, you are out of air when none comes out anymore, time to go up. Now I clip it to my right hip D ring, look at it once or twice in a while.

N

 

[MMM]

I guess my configuration is closest to Bryce's. I have just a small brass gauge and I run it under my arm and under my BCD shoulder strap so that it comes out right in front of my face, more or less. As I always remove my BCD in the water and hand it up to the boat crew, this is easy to doff.

It is a backup because I have an air integrated wrist computer. (and another back-up computer on the other arm)....Did I mention I am obsessive-compulsive?

 

[oreocookie]

Mine runs under my left arm on a hose that I'm currently thinking is too long and clips to my left chest D-ring with a bolt snap. It doesn't hang any lower than my inflator and most of the time I can see it by just looking down - when it hides, nudging the hose with my upper arm usually swings it back into view.

 

[OldNSalty]

For me the evolution of the SPG location went from
'Held in my hands because I was going to run out of air at any minute' to
'under left arm and clipped to my right chest D-ring so I could look at it several times' to
'Clipped to left hip as a back-up to my air-integrated'

I will sometimes, mid-dive, move it from hip to chest because I dove it that way for years and it is comfortable.

As long as you can see it when needed and it does not drag you are fine.

 

[charlesml3]

Lopez,

There's no "correct" place to keep it. You want to avoid just letting it dangle because it bangs into the coral and it could possibly get caught up somewhere. What you're doing is just fine. Some people use bolt snaps, carabiners, retractors, etc. Get it somewhere accessible but don't let it drag.

-Charles

 

[rx7diver]

I was shown this config and thought it was genius. Short hose (18" I think) comes over the left shoulder, passes under a bungee, and has the gauge mounted on the end, next to power inflator. Glance down and to the left, and that's it.

Interesting approach, JesperS. Seems simple and slick, but a couple of questions, if you don't mind:

1. What kind of tank(s) have you dove this configuration with? Actually, what was the service pressure of these tanks? I'm wondering if this configuration would work better for lower pressure tanks (e.g., 2,450 psig, relatively flexible HP hose), and not so well for higher pressure tanks (e.g. 3,500 psig, very stiff HP hose). Any thoughts?

2. Your power inflator and your SPG would seem to occupy the same real estate. Do things get too crowded at this location? Do these two items tend to get in each other's way?

3. One approach for carrying a pony bottle would use this location to anchor the regulator end of the pony bottle. Do you think things would *really* be too crowded at this location if a pony bottle were to be carried this way? And, do you think things would be too confusing if the pony bottle regulator were wearing a (its own) SPG on a 6" hose?

Thanks in advance.

Safe Diving,

rx7diver

 

[g1138]

For consoles, clip it on your shoulder D-rings so your computer it in easy viewing. On your left, you can view it with a hand. On the right you can rest it on your right arm and see it on the fly.

If you separate the console and go with wrist gauges, then clip your SPG to your waist D-ring so it's out of the way.

As for attachments, you can use what ever your want. Retractors have a tendency to fail fully extended, and carabiners have a tendency to clip onto straps when suiting up (requiring you to reset).
3/4 or 5/8 SS Bolt snaps are pretty reliable. Brass/Bronze bolt snaps you have to file down the gate channel to avoid cutting your thumb; they also don't come in good sizes, the length was always too stubby for my liking. You can attach boltsnaps with split rings, bungee, zipties, or caveline. Caveline would be preferable as it doesn't give like bungee, snap upon twisting like zip ties, and still provides a cutaway capability unlike split rings.