Managing computer, compass, & light?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

R

redacted

Guest
I normally dive with a compass on my left wrist and computer on my right wrist. But have trouble at night putting them under the light. I usually night dive with a bungee loop on each wrist and my light clipped to the loop on my right wrist. Navigation is OK but have a hard time illuminating my computer. The bungee will stretch enough, but that is ackward. Unclipping the light from the right bungee and reclipping to the left is cumbersome - and then it's back to compass navigation. So I'm thinking I need to put both the computer and the compass on the same arm. How are others solving this problem? No, I'm not interested in going back to a console.
 
Why are you clipping the light off while you're using it? I did a bunch of dives with my UK C4 without attaching it to myself while using it, and it was never an issue. I could pass the light back and forth between hands, and it sank so slowly that when I dropped it I had a good long time to grab it again.

Or just buy a canister light :wink:
 
I clip my light head to the right d ring for ascent, in a way that I can get my computer illuminated while managing my inflator. I don't reference my computer real often while navigating but have a 7 - second backlight for the times that I do.
 
awap:
I normally dive with a compass on my left wrist and computer on my right wrist. But have trouble at night putting them under the light. I usually night dive with a bungee loop on each wrist and my light clipped to the loop on my right wrist. Navigation is OK but have a hard time illuminating my computer. The bungee will stretch enough, but that is ackward. Unclipping the light from the right bungee and reclipping to the left is cumbersome - and then it's back to compass navigation. So I'm thinking I need to put both the computer and the compass on the same arm. How are others solving this problem? No, I'm not interested in going back to a console.

The easiest thing to do is to clip your light and your computer off on opposite sides. Your compass is luminous so you just need to shine your light on it for a second and then you can read it for a couple of minutes. Putting it on the same side as the computer won't cause problems with most computers.

R..
 
jonnythan:
Why are you clipping the light off while you're using it?
Or just buy a canister light :wink:

I thought about that but it is nice to just be able to let it go when you need both hands (or do a whoops). I also thought about one of those handles (and a canister light) but that's more than I want to get involved in for the relatively tame diving I do.

I might try a short piece of bungee between the clip and the light which would give it a little more range even when it is clipper to my wrist.

Older Oceanic either doesn't have backlight ot it isn't working. Compass lights up but I'm usually spending a lot more time and attention to the compass than I need to spend with the computer. It's not that I don't trust my buddy to navigate, but if I (we) do manage to get lost, I want to be at fault.
 
AWAP... how about a small Q40 with a red lense clipped off to the right shoulder strap d-ring and left hanging (you could even leave it turned on if you don't mind the $ for batteries.)

That way you could aim it at either wrist to see your compass or your computer.
 
awap:
I normally dive with a compass on my left wrist and computer on my right wrist. But have trouble at night putting them under the light. I usually night dive with a bungee loop on each wrist and my light clipped to the loop on my right wrist. Navigation is OK but have a hard time illuminating my computer. The bungee will stretch enough, but that is ackward. Unclipping the light from the right bungee and reclipping to the left is cumbersome - and then it's back to compass navigation. So I'm thinking I need to put both the computer and the compass on the same arm. How are others solving this problem? No, I'm not interested in going back to a console.

Most computers have a light (something like indiglo) built in. Have you checked to see if pushing a button illuminates it? The Oceanics do...
 
Uncle Pug:
AWAP... how about a small Q40 with a red lense clipped off to the right shoulder strap d-ring and left hanging (you could even leave it turned on if you don't mind the $ for batteries.)

That way you could aim it at either wrist to see your compass or your computer.

I thought about that also (as well as one of those little mask lights). But I'm already starting to feel like a Xmas tree. For the FGB night dives, I already carry 2 primary lights (ones stays clipped on a hip D-ring) and a PCa backup clipped on the shoulder ring and the required tank light. FGB operator requires a (working) primay of 4 C-cell or larger plus at least one backup per buddy pair. I was having some problems with my primary working one time so I added the second primary. Sure enough, I shuffled to the door and my Dacor primary failed and it was nice being able to set it on the bench and unclip the PC lite with only a couple second delay.

The Dacor (400) just needed a little modification to keep all the little metal circuit clips in place in the battery carriage. Poor design on the battery carriage but nice handle design that gives you a pull and twist conversion from pistol to lantern grip.
 
I keep my computer and compass on my left arm. I can use my right hand for my primary light, and if necessary pass the light to my left hand if I needed to manipulate the computer's controls.

I don't usually mess around with the compass bezel, i just use the lubber line in the sight window.
 

Back
Top Bottom