Waterproof notesbooks other than Wet Notes okay?

[Beiji]

I'm taking a Primer class next week and need to replace my notebook that is floating around the lake somewhere. Are other brands besides Wet Notes okay, such as Rite in the Rain? I know I can order Rite in the Rain from LeisurePro and get it before class, but I'm not sure I can get a Wet Notes brand in time.

[PfcAJ]

I used to use write in the rain in the military a lot. When it gets truly soaked, its not as good as wetnotes.

[Beiji]

Do the Wet Notes pages not stick together the way the Rite in the Rain ones do? I'm going to order both since the Wet Notes may not arrive in time.

Are wrist slates never used by DIR divers?

[PfcAJ]

Nah, they're made of different materials. Don't get me wrong, they'll stick, but not in the same way the write in the rain pages do. WITR is kinda like regular paper, but the wetnotes are more like super thin pieces of white plastic.

Wrist slates are not used.

[Guy Alcala]

Do the Wet Notes pages not stick together the way the Rite in the Rain ones do? I'm going to order both since the Wet Notes may not arrive in time.

Are wrist slates never used by DIR divers?

I've taken Fundies but am probably not a DIR diver most of the time. If wrist slates were prohibited I would definitely not be DIR. I bought some wetnotes with cover (from Piranha) specifically for class, and my Fundies instructor encouraged me to remove my wrist slate for class, which I did. But I've never had any need to use my wetnotes in or out of class, and use my wrist slate all the time. It's far more efficient and convenient to take navigation/rough mapping notes there than to extract wetnotes from a pocket, unclip, open, close, re-clip and re-insert into a pocket. When doing precise surveying, though, I use waterproof survey paper (lined columns on one side, grid on the other), typically rubber banding a sheet or two to a dive table plastic card (for backing) instead of taking the plastic binder (the rings corrode). I rarely put the thing away during the dive, as I'm usually moving quite slowly and taking multiple points of data at each survey point.

So far, I've never had need to make use of more than three surfaces of my three-leaf (five surfaces total) wrist slate so I've always got a couple of surfaces available for communications, but I'm not doing tech dives. Doing rec. dives I don't bother to carry wetnotes, I just wear my wrist slate. If there's a problem that requires excessive written communication on a rec. dive, it's simpler to just surface. Maybe my regular dive buddies and I just understand each other well, but we don't need much written communication under water. I'd be surprised if I've written ten words for communication purposes underwater in 4 plus years of diving.

Guy

[Beiji]

Thanks for the replies. I like the wrist slate too, but I've only dived it a few times. My advanced nitrox instructor used one, and since I lost my notebook I thought I would give it a try. Keeping the notebook in a pocket should work better than keeping it tucked inside a loose waist strap. I keep hoping someone will find it, see my phone number written in it, and call me.

[rlynch]

i just took GUE primer..

having wet notes is good but they will generally stay in your pocket. it will not matter for the course.

it is good to have them in your standard kit (along with a backup mask, wrench, reel, SMB, etc.) as you will go through the entire mod -S-drill and GUE Edge for each water entry.

the idea is get in use to carrying everything you would normally bring regaurdless of dive now and drill it into you memory (what goes where, in what pocket, in what order for you)

WITR notebooks get waterlogged after a dive or 2..

You'll be able to pick up a notebook at the shop your doing your class out of (Scuba shack or EE). If not focus on the class material and not a missing peice of gear.

Enjoy...

[rlynch]

oh... and wrist slates are not in the GUE Equipment configuration so i would leave them at home.
your wrists are for

Left - Compass, watch
Right - Bottom timer

pretty much it on the wrists

[BluewaterSail]

For Primer don't stress over having all of the equipment details exactly right. I wouldn't buy a substitute product that you probably won't get much use of (Write in the Rain book) just to have it in time for Primer. Those products are intended to be rained on, not submerged.

I took Primer a few weeks ago, and I did not look at my Dive Rite Wet Notes during our class dives. If you have the Wet Notes, you can write the GUE EDGE predive checkout sequence, but thats about it.

Fundies is a different story. I just took Fundies a couple of days ago. During the class we learned some calculation shortcuts, and were told to write them in our wetnotes. I didn't look at those notes during the dives, but it was expected that we had them written in case we wanted to look.

I would recommend that you take steps to buy real wet notes as soon as is convenient, but don't worry if you don't have them in time for Primer.

Linda

[Beiji]

You'll be able to pick up a notebook at the shop your doing your class out of (Scuba shack or EE). If not focus on the class material and not a missing peice of gear.

Enjoy...

I've already finished the book, so what else can I do except obsess over gear?!!! (I'm not taking it out of a shop, btw. It's with Bob Sherwood in Cape Vincent.)

For Primer don't stress over having all of the equipment details exactly right. I wouldn't buy a substitute product that you probably won't get much use of (Write in the Rain book) just to have it in time for Primer. Those products are intended to be rained on, not submerged.

I took Primer a few weeks ago, and I did not look at my Dive Rite Wet Notes during our class dives. If you have the Wet Notes, you can write the GUE EDGE predive checkout sequence, but thats about it.

Fundies is a different story. I just took Fundies a couple of days ago. During the class we learned some calculation shortcuts, and were told to write them in our wetnotes. I didn't look at those notes during the dives, but it was expected that we had them written in case we wanted to look.

I would recommend that you take steps to buy real wet notes as soon as is convenient, but don't worry if you don't have them in time for Primer.

Linda

Thanks, Linda. Did you find Primer good preparation for Fundies?