Hose routing

[redseal]

Got a question for all of you...

Now that my daughter and I have about 20 dives under our belts, we've noticed that by having both the gauge console and low pressure inflator on the left hand side of the BC (second stage and octo on right), we don't seem to have enough hands to vent the BC, hold and view the depth gauge and hold our right arm over our heads as we ascend at the end of a deep dive. We were taught in BOW and reinforced in the ddep dive that you should keep one hand/arm above your head, turning the body during ascent to have a full 360 view above. Yet we also need to vent air and watch ascent rate.

How do you accomplish these three tasks with 2 limbs?!?

[Scubaroo]

Use either a wrist mounted depth gauge or computer on your right wrist.

[Butch103]

Myself I guess I have become more intuned to where I am in the water, so on my ascent I generally know whenI have hit the 15-20 ft mark...check my guages to be sure and then hang around for the neccesary time............As with all things, practice and then things become second nature.........

[O-ring]

Get some type of retractor or clip to secure the gauges to your chest so you can see them by looking down instead of holding them. That way you can eliminate the dangling gauge problem and also see your gauges without using your hand..

[JDostal]

I judge by my bubbles my ascent rate. As long as I am going slower than all of my bubbles (especially the little ones) I usually am OK. I also try to make my ascent slow enough so my computer doesn't beep at me. I alternate grabbing my computer and my bc deflator...

I usually start kicking up, look at my guage, kick a little, look at my guage, kick a little, let out some air, look at my guage, kick a little...repeat.

I also have a clip holding my computer to a D-ring on my BC.

As far as keeping my arm up in the air...eh. How much is your hand going to stop a boat that may zip past just as you break the surface? I can see where it could help you from bumping into an overhanging cliff...but dang. So does looking up. I usually just keep my arms at my side.

[kwesler]

I have my computer and watch (which has depth and time) on my right wrist, and a compass on my left wrist. I then use my left hand for the inflator (or in my case, I often use the bottom dump on my wing) while I keep an eye on my right wrist.

Having said that, there are some interesting and useful posts by a Regulator named Uncle Pug (you can search on his name) where he discusses using natural objects like material floating in the water column to judge his ascent rate.

I do the same, and always use an object on the bottom to make sure I am not drifting away. That is of course predicated on viz.

Ken

PS. I always ascend horizontally.

[redseal]

All good responses but let's assume for the present that I have all of my gauges mounted on a console; how difficult is it to change that to wrist/forearm mountings? Would the local LDS have the components to make the switch?

I like the idea of wearing the compass on my right wrist. Having the SPG and computer on the left wrist also has something positive about it.

Has any manufacturer worked on a "heads-up" type display for the important info yet?

[divernva]

The SPG would be the only device left tethered to your 1st stage. Everything else (compass, computer) should be fairly simple to move into a wrist strap boot. The LDS can help you with all the conversions.

You may want to consider putting the computer on the right forearm and compass on the left forearm. This way you can work the inflator with your left, AND keep an eye on the computer since it'll be on the right.

Good luck.
Ken

[redseal]

Thanks Ken.

That does seem to make more sense, especially since I'm right-handed. Probably won't need to frequently check the compass on ascents but will want to know depth!


Chuck