Back up Comps...Quick question

[Sooners]

:DHeyllo!

Alrighty i was curious about back up comps. This might be a silly question, but was wondering.

OK, a lot of ppl carry back up comps when diving.... Now would your back up comp be a console OR would you rather have 2 wrist mount comps. I know its personal preference, but just curious..

Thank You!

B

[Michael_Lambert]

Allot would depend on your gear configurations.

Personally I dive my computer with a Back up Bottom Timmer hooked to a bungee in my pocket and tables in my wet notes. mentally keeping track of my average depths and times.

[FishOutUvH2O]

My preference, 2 wrist mounted PDC's. My primary in a bungee mount on my right forearm and the other a smaller wristwatch model (same manufacturer w/the same algorithm) I wear on my left wrist.

[muddiver]

My backup is in a hose mount boot that I can clamp to any of the hoses coming off my regulator. If I am in standard recreation mode I clamp it on my SPG/console hose. When I am in deep dive/nitrox dive mode (using an air intigrated Cochran Gemini) I clamp it to either my BC inflator hose or I can clamp it to one of the D rings on my harness.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

My backup is a wristmount in my pocket. I have never needed to use it and prefer to keep it out of the way and protected. I don't have any reason to look at it once I check the battery before the first dive of the day unless the primary fails.

[scubafanatic]

A.I. Oceanic DataMax Pro Plus II (hose) computer clipped to lower right side waist D-ring
Brass analog (Halcyon or Poseidon) SPG clipped to lower left side waist D-ring
A.I Cochran Gemini wireless multi-gas computer (with intelligent wrist unit)...with wrist unit worn on left wrist, and transmitter mounted on left-side of 1st-stage.
...and, on top of all that, if I'm on a high-intensity multi-day/multi dives per day trip, I'll also clip a Cochran EMC-20H wrist-only multi-gas computer to a chest D-ring...so yeah, (1) SPG and either (2) or sometimes (3) computers...simultaneously!

[Jeff Toorish]

This is a good question.

When I am technical diving I use two computers, they are essentially identical, and they are both wrist mounted. If I am on a rebreather, one of them is integrated to monitor my PO2 and the other is independent so it will calculate my decompression obligation based on a pre-set PO2. Normally they are within seconds of each other in their calculations.

Of course, that is probably not type of diving you were referring to in your original post.

I don't particularly like console mounted guages, so this isn't much of an issue with me. I wrist mount everything I can. But aside from the personal preference aspect, I also think wrist mount makes sense for redundant computers for this reason. You should check your redundant computer whenever you check your primary computer. If you have a secondary timer or computer clipped off on a D-ring or stuffed into a pocket, chances are you are not going to be looking at it. So what happens if the primary computer dies? If you have not looked at the back up, it might be dead too.

I realize that the chances of both computers crapping out on the same dive are remote. But I once had all three of my lights in a cave fail on the same dive, and they all failed for different reasons. What are the chances of that? But here's the rub, earlier that day, one of my dive buddies had all three of her lights fail during a previous dive.

My point is, perhaps it is better to consider your computers as two redundant computers rather than a primary and a backup. And if that is the case, then they should perhaps both be mounted in a similar fashion.

Jeff

[Atomic_Diver]

I carry 2

Dive Rite Nitek Trio: NiTek Trio Dive Computer by Dive Rite - Dive Gear Express (http://www.divegearexpress.com/computers/nitektrio.shtml)

Dive Rite Nitek Plus (back up): NiTek Plus Dive Computer/Watch by Dive Rite - Dive Gear Express (http://www.divegearexpress.com/computers/nitekplus.shtml)

[RAWalker]

I carry 2 Oceanic Atom computers.

[Sooners]

A.I. Oceanic DataMax Pro Plus II (hose) computer clipped to lower right side waist D-ring
Brass analog (Halcyon or Poseidon) SPG clipped to lower left side waist D-ring
A.I Cochran Gemini wireless multi-gas computer (with intelligent wrist unit)...with wrist unit worn on left wrist, and transmitter mounted on left-side of 1st-stage.
...and, on top of all that, if I'm on a high-intensity multi-day/multi dives per day trip, I'll also clip a Cochran EMC-20H wrist-only multi-gas computer to a chest D-ring...so yeah, (1) SPG and either (2) or sometimes (3) computers...simultaneously!

Woohoo for a second there all I saw was $$$$ haha.


This is a good question.

When I am technical diving I use two computers, they are essentially identical, and they are both wrist mounted. If I am on a rebreather, one of them is integrated to monitor my PO2 and the other is independent so it will calculate my decompression obligation based on a pre-set PO2. Normally they are within seconds of each other in their calculations.

Of course, that is probably not type of diving you were referring to in your original post.

I don't particularly like console mounted guages, so this isn't much of an issue with me. I wrist mount everything I can. But aside from the personal preference aspect, I also think wrist mount makes sense for redundant computers for this reason. You should check your redundant computer whenever you check your primary computer. If you have a secondary timer or computer clipped off on a D-ring or stuffed into a pocket, chances are you are not going to be looking at it. So what happens if the primary computer dies? If you have not looked at the back up, it might be dead too.

I realize that the chances of both computers crapping out on the same dive are remote. But I once had all three of my lights in a cave fail on the same dive, and they all failed for different reasons. What are the chances of that? But here's the rub, earlier that day, one of my dive buddies had all three of her lights fail during a previous dive.

My point is, perhaps it is better to consider your computers as two redundant computers rather than a primary and a backup. And if that is the case, then they should perhaps both be mounted in a similar fashion.

Jeff

Jeff i agree with you with respect to having both comps visible and monitoring them both.

I was curious, because I just bought the Sunnto Gekko. Now, at some point I want to get an AI comp. When I do I am actually leaning towards a console mount. Reason being that I am a little iffy about the whole wireless trans. I know a lot of people have them and they work just fine, but im iffy with anything wireless, thats just me.

Since I only have one comp I'll for sure be using dive tables as back up I guess you could say. Need/Want to get really familiar with them ;)

Thanks for all the info folks!!