Back up gauges?

[flyingvisit]

Right, still trying to figure out equipment set up. Had some great advice from this board in terms of a PSI/BAR SPG, but now I'm wondering about other gauges.

At the moment, I have a dive computer, bought it straight after getting my certification. However, I'm obviously aware that it might fail/break on me at some point. So the advice given is to abort the dive, fair enough. But how will I know how fast I am ascending, or how to time my safety stops (or even know when to do them) etc. Do you just at this point rely on your buddy?

So basically, I'm leaning towards a fairly streamlined set up (leaning towards DIR, but probably not quite there), with just an spg and not a whole console dragging around, but should I get a back up depth gauge too? And where to mount it? I'm going to by a simple dive watch as my back up timer (any good advice on what make to get?) but what about a depth gauge? I don't really want wrist mounted, as I'll already have computer and watch on right side and compass on left. What does everyone else do? Do you carry back ups of everything? Or am I over compensating here? Surely for even the divers who don't use computers, their bottom timer/depth gauges fail at times? What do they do?

Thanks in advance!

 

[scubafanatic]

......I run a hosed air-integrated computer clipped to lower right-side waist fixed D-ring, an SPG clipped to lower left-side waist fixed D-ring.......plus, a wrist computer (air-integrated/wireless) on my left wrist, along with a Poseidon watch on the left wrist as well. (so yeah, I overcompensate too!)
.....so, as I'm using 2 computers, I have 3 sources for seeing my gas levels, and 2 sources for seeing depth, I'd say it's a good idea to have 2 sources for depth readings......there are a number of small/compact 2 gauge consoles out there (gas pressure and depth), so if you want to save $ I'd at least go that route.

 

[costi]

Right, still trying to figure out equipment set up. Had some great advice from this board in terms of a PSI/BAR SPG, but now I'm wondering about other gauges.

At the moment, I have a dive computer, bought it straight after getting my certification. However, I'm obviously aware that it might fail/break on me at some point. So the advice given is to abort the dive, fair enough. But how will I know how fast I am ascending, or how to time my safety stops (or even know when to do them) etc. Do you just at this point rely on your buddy?

So basically, I'm leaning towards a fairly streamlined set up (leaning towards DIR, but probably not quite there), with just an spg and not a whole console dragging around, but should I get a back up depth gauge too? And where to mount it? I'm going to by a simple dive watch as my back up timer (any good advice on what make to get?) but what about a depth gauge? I don't really want wrist mounted, as I'll already have computer and watch on right side and compass on left. What does everyone else do? Do you carry back ups of everything? Or am I over compensating here? Surely for even the divers who don't use computers, their bottom timer/depth gauges fail at times? What do they do?

Thanks in advance!

As you know, or will know soon enough, it is way too easy to clutter yourself with things "hanging everywhere". I need to have a yard sale at some point to get rid of things I have purchased that I thought looked nice at the time, but really aren't needed and only get in the way. (smile)
I don't know what type of diving you plan on doing,but I'll give you some advice from my perspective.
I am strictly a recreational diver, and do most of my dives as shore dives which around here don't really get much deeper than 50 feet or so max and are usually in the 30-40ft range.
Nonetheless, this is how I configure my gauges:
I used to carry a console, but have gotten a little more streamlined by switching to a a small spg.
I wear my computer on my right wrist. I presently have my compass hanging from a retractor on a d-ring on my right shoulder, but will most likely switch back to carrying it on my wrist as I don't like it dangling.
As I was also concerned about not knowing my depth in the event of computer failure, I took the depth gauge that I used to carry in my console, mounted it in an old rubber boot that my Lds had kicking around, and keep it in my pocket out of sight and out of the way unless the computer fails.
My spare timer is a Timex Helix that I don't think are available anymore. This is also clipped off to a d-ring on my right shoulder.
To be honest with you, by the time you purchase a timer and an spg, you might be better off to simply purchase an inexpensive spare computer.
As far as the comment you made about relying on your buddy if your computer fails, I think it is a good practice to try to be self relient, and use your buddy as a "last resort". Remember, nothing says that his computer is working either.
As one final comment, I try to keep the left side on my bc clear as that is where I sling my pony bottle that I don't always carry, depending on the dive.
Hope this helps!
BC

 

[drdaddy]

I wear a compass and computer on my wrist.

I have a console that has compass, depth gauge, and air pressure on it. I have it attached to my BCD in such a way it almost (except when grabbing a crab off the bottom) never drags.

I'll never qualify for DIR, I carry a pony attached to my tank (always on). My picture shows one on a sling (turned off, but reachable).

 

[flyingvisit]

Thanks again for the advice - glad to know I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary!

I quite like the idea that Costi posted about simply carrying a depth gauge in a pocket. My plan is only to use it if my computer fails, so it doesn't need to be on show!

Does anyone know of a depth gauge that reads in both imperial and metric. I know I can figure it out without it being there in front of me, I'd just like to have it in both for ease of use when diving both in the US and in the UK.

I have seen Promate gauges that read in both, but I don't know what Promate's quality is like??? They do a console with spg and depth gauge, but again, I don't necessarily want to go with the cheapest option if its not reliable...

 

[kevinl4270]

I too always at a minimum carry an extra compass on me when diving and an extra console with depth and pressure gauges on the boat with me.
Redundancy is always a good thing!! Redundancy is always a good thing!!

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Right, still trying to figure out equipment set up. Had some great advice from this board in terms of a PSI/BAR SPG, but now I'm wondering about other gauges.

At the moment, I have a dive computer, bought it straight after getting my certification. However, I'm obviously aware that it might fail/break on me at some point. So the advice given is to abort the dive, fair enough. But how will I know how fast I am ascending, or how to time my safety stops (or even know when to do them) etc. Do you just at this point rely on your buddy?

So basically, I'm leaning towards a fairly streamlined set up (leaning towards DIR, but probably not quite there), with just an spg and not a whole console dragging around, but should I get a back up depth gauge too? And where to mount it? I'm going to by a simple dive watch as my back up timer (any good advice on what make to get?) but what about a depth gauge? I don't really want wrist mounted, as I'll already have computer and watch on right side and compass on left. What does everyone else do? Do you carry back ups of everything? Or am I over compensating here? Surely for even the divers who don't use computers, their bottom timer/depth gauges fail at times? What do they do?

Thanks in advance!

In DIR diving, your buddy becomes your back-up gauge because unified team procedures are focused on keeping team unity. However, team breakdown is possible. It is unlikely that you will suffer a breakdown of team at the same time you lose your depth information.

With current watch technology, it is easy to find a watch such as a Casio G-Shock model that has a depth gauge built-in. I like Casio G-Shock for the stopwatch feature which helps when running deco. Level off. Deco. X minutes. Hit the timer. Time to move up. Level off. Deco. X minutes. Reset timer.

You may wish to use an analog watch and several models have depth gauges. My old Citizen analog metric gave me my depth in meters. I found that helpful when diving in England. Having a watch gauge in metric and a bottom/timer depth gauge in imperial will help you think in both so if one fails you can easily use the other. A watch and a depth gauge/bottom timer is perfectly acceptable for DIR. Two depth gauges/bottom timers are not.

In a worst case scenario of not being able to see a gauge because you lost a mask, and a back-up mask, and your buddy, knots tied in a line attached to a finger spool will allow you to know your depth from the surface after deploying a DSMB. I use the following on a spool with 150 feet of line:

1 knot tied at 10 feet
2 knots tied at 20 feet
3 knots tied at 30 feet
4 knots tied at 40 feet
5 knots tied at 50 feet
1 knot tied at 60 feet
2 knots tied at 70 feet
1 knot at 80 feet
1 knot at 90 feet
1 knot at 100 feet

I start my knots from 70 feet because that is the depth that I usually switch to 50% oxygen for decompression. I use 2 knots rather than 7 because 2 is easier to count feel and having been used to US Navy deco tables in the past, I was used to doing deco at 20 feet and 10 feet. Reaching the first two knots signals my brain that I've reached my gas switch depth. Having more knots in shallow water reassures me that I am in the shallow phase of the dive where I need to be more careful about ascending slowly through depths in which dissolved gas is playing a larger role over bubble modeling.

This way, I'm protected if I lose my mask, my back up mask, or if I am alone or separated from my buddy. Knowing that I'll start off-gassing at about 75% of depth on trimix or 50% of depth on nitrox, once I deploy the line I can feel my way to the surface making sure to ascend slowly and stop at each knot for my required decompression time. This can be anywhere from 20 seconds to many minutes.

Counting stop time is simple: One-Mississippi ... Two-Mississippi ... Three-Mississippi ...

 

[drdaddy]

1 knot tied at 10 feet
2 knots tied at 20 feet
3 knots tied at 30 feet
4 knots tied at 40 feet
5 knots tied at 50 feet
1 knot tied at 60 feet
2 knots tied at 70 feet
1 knot at 80 feet
1 knot at 90 feet
1 knot at 100 feet

WOW!!!!!

DrDaddy

 

[Skunky]

I just use 2 computers... A Vyper Air AI wrist computer and a Cobra 2 Console with hose.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

1 knot tied at 10 feet
2 knots tied at 20 feet
3 knots tied at 30 feet
4 knots tied at 40 feet
5 knots tied at 50 feet
1 knot tied at 60 feet
2 knots tied at 70 feet
1 knot at 80 feet
1 knot at 90 feet
1 knot at 100 feet

WOW!!!!!

DrDaddy

Me to my swim coach (a lot): What lap am I on?