Gas Pressure Indication Redundancy

[jar546]

For all of those people who have a wireless transmitter, I hope you have an SPG installed too.

For all of those people who have air integrated computers hooked up to you HP port, I hope you have an SPG installed.

These are 2 examples of why dives get cut short when diving as a group. The 2nd one just happened tonight. Nothing like being in another country and have to cut your dive short because of someone else's equipment problem.

[flots am]

For all of those people who have a wireless transmitter, I hope you have an SPG installed too.

For all of those people who have air integrated computers hooked up to you HP port, I hope you have an SPG installed.

The other option would be to dive with an actual buddy instead of a mob, so you only cut your buddy's dive short.

It's a recreational dive. The worst that can happen is that you end the dive, and surface, sharing air if necessary and available.

I don't known where it comes from, but there seems to be a real confusion on the part of recreational divers that makes them think they're doing an overhead dive. They aren't. A good buddy and following training are all the "redundancy" a recreational dive needs.

flots.

[jar546]

Once again "electronics" caused a problem. At the very least, if you use electronics for gas pressure, you should have an analog spg as a backup.

[CPH]

I was doing some GUE based training last year and it was also cut short due to a "Gass pressure indicator failure". The SPG on the wifes set started to leak very badly. Dive aborted.
Please don't think it's just wireless indicators that fail. In 3 years with my Galileo, it has never failed. If I still had my Suunto then yes, I would agree that you need a backup.

[jar546]

It was not the wireless that failed this time, although my Suunto wireless did fail on a boat trip once but I had an SPG. The direct connected electronic computers off of a HP line are still electronics. I just advocate the use of an SPG as a backup when you have a HP port unused. That's all.

[fdarden]

My wife had her non-wireless air-integrated console computer's gauge fail - Well not fail, but suddenly started showing 0 psi. We ended the dive, and upon further inspection ended up cleaning out the port with some pressurized air, and have not seen the problem since. She has had an analog backup gauge added the day after the failure.

[Ozwald]

Curious as to how many SPG's have failed.

I know we speak of redundancy for everything but what redundancy do we have if our SPG fails?

[Superlyte27]

If your SPG fails, you surface. No need for redundancy.

Even in a cave.... If your SPG fails what do you do? You head for the surface. It doesn't change the amount of gas you have (provided it's not leaking). At the point of a failure all you need to know is, "I have gas for the moment, but that may change". Assume it will change by staying close to your buddy during your ascent/exit.

[nfarrar]

My wife and I both have Galileo Sols. Neither have ever had the first problem but we both still have backup SPG's. They are in consoles with Aladin Tec 2g's because ALL computers can fail and I would hate to lose a day or 2 because our Sol's failed for some reason. Both the Sol and Tec 2G use the same algorithm. The Sol does give a little less time because of the AI but the bottom time is the same. If you are going to have a backup SPG why not a computer too? Our consoles where less than $250 with the computers, SPG/spool/hose and compass. 2 days of lost diving sitting on the shore are worth WAY more than $250!

[flots am]

2 days of lost diving sitting on the shore are worth WAY more than $250!

A failed computer on a recreational dive means that you have to at most sit out the rest of the day. However given that the NDL @ 30' is 250 minutes, I'd be very happy to just make the last dive of the day a nice shallow reef, then start over the next day with a new computer or gauge.

A redundant pressure gauge gets you nothing except a warm fuzzy feeling that you're probably not out of air. You still have to end the dive, but can then start diving again the next day with either tables or another computer, and in any case, should be diving with a buddy who can help you if you do run out.

I've spent years removing useless junk from my rig. I'm not about to add an extra hose and a mechanical gauge just in case my computer fails, especially since it doesn't actually give me any benefit except for a little bit of "warm fuzzy feelings"