Dive knife, Sea Snips, or both?

[Dan]

Now that this post is migrating to DSMB's...

Do y'all tie knots at 10', 15', and 20' in your DSMB line to let you know where to hang out at about 15' without constantly looking at your computer?

Welcome to Scubaboard discussion forums!

I used to put knots every 5', then a lightbulb flashed on my head and someone inside my brain told me: "that's what your dive computers are for dummy". Then I unknotted the line back. Besides, the knots will mess up my neat reel.

Once the reel is unreeled to certain depth, you can just hang on to the reel with slight negative buoyant to keep some line tension if the current is mild, then you'll pretty much will stay at that depth. If the line tension is slacking due to upwelling current, then you can let out some air out of your BCD to regain the line tension.

My DSMB pouch

What's inside the pouch

 

[Snoweman]

Welcome to Scubaboard discussion forums!

I used to put knots every 5', then a lightbulb flashed on my head and someone inside my brain told me: "that's what your dive computers are for dummy". Then I unknotted the line back. Besides, the knots will mess up my neat reel.

My DSMB pouch
View attachment 427252

What's inside the pouch
View attachment 427253

Thanks for the welcome, but I have been here for a little while. What kind of knots were you using that would jack up your reel? Irish Love Knots???

 

[Dan]

Thanks for the welcome, but I have been here for a little while. What kind of knots were you using that would jack up your reel? Irish Love Knots???

I didn't say jack up my reel You need to show me how to make the Irish Love Knots since I showed you my reel.

Kidding aside, may be if we can color mark with say a white paint on the black color line at 10' & 15' points, then we won't need to have knots.

 

[Snoweman]

You said mess up. I translate that to jack up. I figured you showed me your reel without the Irish Love Knots, since you learned how to use a dive computer. Now, what do you do if your computer quits? Or quits during a night dive?

 

[Dan]

You said mess up. I translate that to jack up. I figured you showed me your reel without the Irish Love Knots, since you learned how to use a dive computer. Now, what do you do if your computer quits? Or quits during a night dive?

That's why I have 2 dive computers

The dive computers are SUUNTO D4 & Cobra3 with built-in electronic pressure gauge readout. Also I have a small SPG as a backup if the Cobra3 quits.

I have been to several night dives oops and make a rule for myself to do such dive in the shallow (< 40' deep), near shore, and know compass direction of the shore, in case I get lost or other diving related problem.

 

[Snoweman]

Suunto? Isn't that a bit conservative?

 

[Dan]

Yep. I like to dive conservatively.

 

[briannapstevens]

That's why I have 2 dive computers

The dive computers are SUUNTO D4 & Cobra3 with built-in electronic pressure gauge readout. Also I have a small SPG as a backup if the Cobra3 quits.

I have been to several night dives oops and make a rule for myself to do such dive in the shallow (< 40' deep), near shore, and know compass direction of the shore, in case I get lost or other diving related problem.

Oooh, what a show off! I want just ONE of those Suuntos! Jealous!

 

[Snoweman]

The last time I was in Turks and Caicos, the dive operator had a steel bar they hung over the side of the boat at 15' of depth. I loved that bar for my safety stop. No worrying about looking at a computer (except as a timer) for depth management. They even had a spare reg on the bar if you needed the air (I didn't need it).

I like the idea of hanging out at a fixed depth without needing to watch my wrist the entire time. A knot on a rope from an inflated DSMB is not as reliable for depth management as a steel pipe from a boat, but I will take it over constantly looking at my wrist.

 

[Dan]

Oooh, what a show off! I want just ONE of those Suuntos! Jealous!

It's not a show off. It's a necessary for my peace of mind and to insure that I have backup dive computer to continue the dive, when the primary one fails during the dive / dive trip. After some dive computer failures (ran out of battery & set to free diving mode by accident during a dive) that grounded me for a day / two during a week-long liveaboard trip, I decided to have a backup dive computer.

After seeing my dive buddy high-pressure hose failure (the hose was actually blew up with a bang, luckily it happened before he jumped into the water), I decided to have a back up tank press reading too. Now I have 2 ways to read the tank pressure, one with SPG, the other one via one of the dive computer. If one of the 2 high pressure hoses fails, I'd just thumb that dive, remove the broken hose and plug the port in the 1st stage. Then continue the rest of the dive trip with the backup pressure gauge.

There are quite a few divers here in Scubaboard diving with 2 dive computers and a backup SPG for similar reason I have experienced.