100m "Dive" watches???

[miketsp]

Just a minor point of clairification: Helium is actually very small but the atomic number is 2 and the atomic weight is roughly 4 (two protons and two neutrons) and is also inert. Replacing nitrogen with what you described with atomic number 1 would be Hydrogen...combining that with oxygen is something that NASA, not NAUI, does very well...it is called "Rocket Fuel"...not exactly what I want to have strapped to my back when diving or living under the water.

Otherwise, a very excellent explanation for the creation of such a "special" watch.

Woops - red face. I scanned it in & corrected the OCR process especially the spelling.
That one slipped past me. Of course you are quite right.

 

[lamont]

its not only about the depth rating. the 200m (and up) watches are designed for scuba and they allow you to hit the buttons under water without having them flood. the 100m watches weren't designed for scuba and will flood if you hit the buttons.

 

[IslandHopper]

I wore a Sieko rated to 100m for 10 years ... replaced the battery several times myself... LOTS of swimming, snorkeling, diving, windsurfing ... and it always worked fine. Apparently I didn't get the o-ring in straight the last time I changed the battery and it flooded

I replaced that with a 100m watch made by "Freestyle" (a company out of california ... and sold in our LDS here). For $70 it works fine ... I even use the buttons to switch functions at 130fsw. I wear it next to my Stinger when diving, because it's easier to see the time with an analog watch than with the little digits on the Suunto.

In any case... 100m has always worked just fine for me at "normal" diving depths (1-5 ATA).

Don't buy a Rolex unless you're wealthy ... use that $$ to buy dive gear !!!

 

[getwet2]

its not only about the depth rating. the 200m (and up) watches are designed for scuba and they allow you to hit the buttons under water without having them flood. the 100m watches weren't designed for scuba and will flood if you hit the buttons.

I have to disagree with you on this, I've got two watches both rated at 100 meters. One I've had for 10 years and the other for 8 years, no problems.

 

[Curt Bowen]

its not only about the depth rating. the 200m (and up) watches are designed for scuba and they allow you to hit the buttons under water without having them flood. the 100m watches weren't designed for scuba and will flood if you hit the buttons.

This is not true, I have a 50m G-shock watch on a slate and used it as a bottom timer for a couple years. I hit the buttons all the time and it has never flooded. I have had it to 133 meters and it didnt break or flood.

If all you want is a dependable underwater stop watch that is cheep, I would suggest going to Wallmart and picking up a large button G-shock watch. When it breaks or the batteries go dead, toss it away and buy another. Just dont forget to start the watch as you start to descend, or you can cheat like I do and start it when I hit somewhere around 60+ feet.

 

[ninjamuzo]

Replacing nitrogen with what you described with atomic number 1 would be Hydrogen...combining that with oxygen is something that NASA, not NAUI, does very well...it is called "Rocket Fuel"...not exactly what I want to have strapped to my back when diving or living under the water.

I agree that NAUI is not a technical diving organization but I can tell you that having just finished my Advanced Trimix theory exams that below about 140 meters Hydrogen is one of the gases used as a diving gas to replace nitrogen (and yes the low atomic weight has something to do with that)

One of my instructors regularly dives in the 100-180 meter range.

 

[Toecutter]

I have an Omega Seamaster (200m), SwissArmyDiver(200m), and a Timex Ironman(100m-Digital). I have dived to 100' with all and regularly wakeboard at high speeds with the Timex. Not a leak on any of them yet. I cycled the features on the Timex at 95' feshwater by pressing all buttons repeatedly and had no problems. You may be interested to hear that I lost this same watch in a motorcycle accident almost a month ago, found it in a brackish drainage channel where it was submerged nearly three continuous weeks last weekend, and just bought a new strap for it today. I am looking forward to putting the SS dive watches back in storage. Some Casio's are still rated to 200m and one of those would have been my replacement just for varieties sake.

 

[Squashie]

Oops! Now my face is red! Just a recreational diver, not familiar with the tech stuff, about as wild as I get is a Nitox tank now and again...

Thanks for the info, I'm sure it will help me win a bar bet sometime... :dazzler1: