Help Royal Navy Engineers to design cost friendly Max depth alarm.

[muzza24]

Hello all,

I'm currently doing a degree in aeronautical engineering through the Royal Navy. Part of the degree is to design an instrument which will benefit people in a big way. As one of the members of a 5 man team is a diver (has been a freedive instructor) he has put forward to us the idea of making a cost friendly max depth alarm with a vibrating and visual alert function to alert you that you have reached your maximum depth. This seems like a good idea to me as after researching all I can find is extremely expensive dive computers. I am looking for scuba divers/freedivers such as yourselves to give me some info. as to what is available in the field of max depth alarms, any gripes you have with them e.g. ways they can be improved, things that annoy you about them, and any positives - things that you would like us to incorporate in the alarm. If we are succesful in our design, which will be tested by Royal Navy Clearance divers the item may be allegable to go into production and possibly make your diving life better.

Thanks for listening and I hope you will leave me some good feedback to help us in our designs.

Thanks Again Daley.

[Luis H]

I appreciate your interest, but most divers (actually IMO all divers) should have a depth gauge of some sort and be aware of their depth. Reaching a maximum depth should never catch one by surprised.

The only exception that I can imagine to the above statement would be someone working in a zero visibility condition. In that situation one can only hope that they are getting paid enough that they can afford any computer with a depth alarm. Such a diver would probably be on a tether/ umbilical line anyway.

Other opinions will differ, but I am personally not a fan of alarms.

[Scubastud16]

Possibly a cost-friendly depth gauge WITH those functions?

[muzza24]

Thanks for that, I am not a diver - so all this is new to me, any info is good info as far as I'm concerned.

[Scubastud16]

I'll agree with what Luis said. Divers usually plan a max depth, and are constantly aware of it (or so they should be). Max depth alarms are usually included in computers (certain gas mixes have maximum operating depths, otherwise they become toxic).

Edit: What I meant to get across is that depth gauges are standard equipment for all divers, and a max depth "alarm" is kind of out of the question, because you have to be aware of your exact depth at all times.

[muzza24]

Cheers, the only thing people have told me is that when they night diving and also wall diving it is difficult to keep an eye on your depths as you sometimes become disorientated and don't even realise that you have gone as deep as you have? Also if this idea is a 'no go' are there any other items that would be of use to you which are not available on the market or could do with improving? Thanks Muzza

[Thalassamania]

Many Citizens and Casio watches (and others) already have this functionality.

[Scubastud16]

Possibly some sort of beacon (light) or locator (sound) for an instructor to keep an eye on his students during a night dive? I'll keep thinking of new ideas!

Danny

[muzza24]

Cheers Danny

[Froggy_McFroggington]

being a frog i wud ****in love a max depth alarm, i would be king of the pond. toads are bellends.

[kanenas]

The Mares Nemo dive computer has an audible alarm for maximum depth. So far I have used it only in free-dive mode, and it works beautifully.

Some alarms can be useful. Too many alarms can be distracting.

What does cost-friendly mean? Can you give a number?

[DuboisP]

a Suunto Geko does it for USD 250.
Is it too expensive ?

[muzza24]

Cheers Kanenas - cost friendly meaning cost effective i.e. cheaper than most of the models on the market.

[muzza24]

I think the difference in the type of diving in which you are doing for pleasure and the type that the forces divers are doing requires different measures for certain alarms. The type of alarm we would be designing would be for our clerance/attack divers who have a head up display (HUD), and beause of the intensity of the diving they are doing they have many things to concentrate on other than just depth - a max depth alarm to them with a flashing light in the HUD would be of great benefit?

Thanks for everyones input - even Froggy McFroggingtons

Muzza24