wrist vs console

I am a new diver, I am researching computers as my next gear purchace. I was wondering if there was a major advantage to one over the other.

My diving will be cold water (35+ deg.) to tropical, and I am planning to go tech in 1-2 years.

thanks!
Bob

Wrist is the way to go. IMO, the information is way more accessible. Good luck with going tech.

BelikinBob:

I am a new diver, I am researching computers as my next gear purchace. I was wondering if there was a major advantage to one over the other.

My diving will be cold water (35+ deg.) to tropical, and I am planning to go tech in 1-2 years.

thanks!
Bob

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Most technical divers wear their computers on their wrist. Why, because most of the high end tech computers come that way. Plus your wrist is always faster to glance at than trying to find a console.

Curt Bowen:

Most technical divers wear their computers on their wrist. Why, because most of the high end tech computers come that way. Plus your wrist is always faster to glance at than trying to find a console.

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Also, fewer danglies to worry about. More streamlined, too.

I'm as new as they come, but I've already found that I like my compass and computer on my wrists.

I bought a console to begin with. Long before I thought of where my diving was going, I got tired of dragging the blasted thing up to look at it. Get a wrist computer -- it's always in front of your face.

Gotte agree with everyone else here. I wore mine in a console for the first 75 dives or so because my instructor said that was the way to go and that he always had problems with wrist mounted ones getting in the way. Well I badgered enough that he got me a wrist boot for mine and guess what? I will never go back to a console mounted unit! I wear mine on my right wrist with my dive watch and my compass on the left. I stll have the console on but it's going the way of the dodo as soon as I get my BP/W. In it is my spg, extra compass and analog depth guage. I don't need the extra compass really and the depth guage will be going in a pocket until I can get a wrist boot for it to wear right next to my wrist compass(maybe) or somewhere else convenient but out of the way and the spg until I can get a brass one will go in it's own boot and be clipped off. I like back up since I also solo.

Well, I'll come along here and take the other side of the coin... I actually prefer a console.

Here's my take: First, if I'm looking at my depth, I should be looking at my pressure too... so why put some of the data on this arm, some over here, some down there... Put all instruments together. That's what they do in a car, a plane, a space ship - why change for scuba.

Second, I'm kind of a disorganized, messy, sloppy individual. I lose sunglasses on my head, keys in my hand. With a wrist computer, it's too big and bulky to wear around after I get out of the water, so I take it off and set it down "somewhere", and "somewhere" seems to move to the other end of the boat, dock, island, when it's time for me to go back in to the water for the next dive. I like the security that if I have a bc on, and a reg in my mouth - everything else is there. I don't put anything on legs, arms, etc. It's all attached - even I can't lose it.

Third, folks talked about streamline, but I have more problems with a wrist computer getting hung up when putting my arm through the bc, getting scratched when trying to reach into a little opening to tickle the lobster out so I can grab a photo, etc. So for me, I'm less likely to hang or scratch if it's in the console with the rest of my stuff.

Now at this point, I'm using a hose-less air integrated wrist computer, but I don't have it on my wrist, I have it on a retractor that hooks on a front d-ring on my BC, and that's the best setup for me...

So just a different take from the "put it on your wrist" crowd... and remember in this, there is no right or wrong, just what works best for you!

Another wrist vote here. If you're planning on going tech, you might as well buy equipment that can serve either purpose and get used to it rather than having to unlearn habits as your diving progresses. And I can tell you that when I'm on a deco stop and watching my depth, the last thing I want to look at is the pressure of a gas I'm not using.

scubatoys:

Well, I'll come along here and take the other side of the coin... I actually prefer a console.

Here's my take: First, if I'm looking at my depth, I should be looking at my pressure too... so why put some of the data on this arm, some over here, some down there... Put all instruments together. That's what they do in a car, a plane, a space ship - why change for scuba.

Second, I'm kind of a disorganized, messy, sloppy individual. I lose sunglasses on my head, keys in my hand. With a wrist computer, it's too big and bulky to wear around after I get out of the water, so I take it off and set it down "somewhere", and "somewhere" seems to move to the other end of the boat, dock, island, when it's time for me to go back in to the water for the next dive. I like the security that if I have a bc on, and a reg in my mouth - everything else is there.

Click to expand...

I'm a console sort of guy too. The responses on Scubaboard on things like wrist vs console, and BP/W vs. BCD are very skewed from what you see at most dive sites and boats.

I like an instrument panel with everything --- SPG, computer for depth/time, and compass all in one spot. If I'm going to have a hose with an SPG on it, then the rest of the instruments might as well go there. I don't go around staring at them, so it's OK to have to reach down and yank on a retractor, or unclip a boltsnap to check my pressure and other vitals.

The downside to a console is that it's kind of retro and since 90+% of recreational divers do it that way, it's not as cool as having SPG boltsnapped to the hip, your compass in one location, and a computer in another location. If you want to be really, really cool, you could always not use a computer or depth gauge/timer combo and put the depth gauge one place, and the timer in another.