Check out dives this weekend!

[button]

After nearly six weeks out of the pool, I finally get to do my check out dives for OW this weekend!

I am SOOO excited. Can't wait to take that # of dives from "None - Not Certified" to "1-25."

Like all new divers, I want to go out and buy all of the fun new toys. I just got my bonus from work today and it is burning a hole in my pocket!!! However, I am going to exercise patience for once and slowly compile gear. My first planned purchase will be a wetsuit and my second will be a dive computer. I'm also thinking of getting a dive watch... anyone have suggestions for a cheap dive watch?

 

[iluvtheocean]

timex walmart special! --- "keeps on ticking"

 

[beaverdivers]

My first planned purchase will be a wetsuit and my second will be a dive computer. I'm also thinking of getting a dive watch... anyone have suggestions for a cheap dive watch?

Save your money & put it into a dive computer. Then get a nice dive watch like a St. Moritz so you can show off that you are a SCUBA diver!

 

[button]

timex walmart special! --- "keeps on ticking"

Haha thanks! I've seen some specials on the Ironman watches on Amazon that are rated for 100M for about $25. I figure that will do me until I get more dives under my belt. I'm not anticipating to go below 60' until I've done my AOW and have much more experience anyway, so it should be fine for me.

Save your money & put it into a dive computer. Then get a nice dive watch like a St. Moritz so you can show off that you are a SCUBA diver!

The dive computer is definitely on the list - thanks for the PM. However, I want to have redundant systems so that my dive plans aren't impacted if my computer goes wonky. My instructor said that he's never had a dive computer fail on him, but I'm not relying on someone else's luck.

 

[SteveBF]

Early congrats and welcome to the dive tribe!! I have a luminox that I dive with and love... not cheap or expensive. I think around $200 on amazon. Don't get anything with buttons and if you do don't press thim under water!! Good luck this weekend!

 

[TMHeimer]

Yeah, any of those Dept. store watches for $25 or so, that's rated to 100m (300'), not that we could go down there as rec. divers. Some more expensive ones are rated to 300m. I've been TOLD that if when you have to replace the battery the integrity of the seal may be lost, thus a flooded & ruined watch--but it's only $25. What I do is I wait 2 full days after the dive then pull the stop knob. The 2 days makes sure no water will enter around the knob. I figure the the battery will last a lot longer if the watch is not running in the days between dives. My present one is over 2 years old. The vast majority of my diving is in 20-30'-- I only use the watch. Why take the computer and have one more item to rinse. Anything deeper than that, I use both.

 

[victorzamora]

So, let me start off by saying that you're --**ahem**-- AS CUTE AS A "BUTTON"

Get it? Right? I liked it.

Secondly, congrats. That's a big step. Just remember what you did in the pool, and then remember to relax. Everything works better when you're calm, cool, and collected. Nothing works well if you're stressed out.

On the dive watch: Any watch will work for diving. Some people like Timex-style (or G-Force or whatever) watches for diving as they're rugged and relatively cheap. I wear whatever watch I have on when I go diving (unless I'm dry, watches tear seals). Normally it's my Tag.

As for computers: I like that attitude. I don't like hearing complacency from new divers. Imagine how bad it'll be once you ACTUALLY get complacent . For recreational diving, however, it's not the worst thing for your PDC to die on a recreational dive as all you need to do is surface to be safe. It will, however, negatively impact repetetive dives.

 

[beaverdivers]

The dive computer is definitely on the list - thanks for the PM. However, I want to have redundant systems so that my dive plans aren't impacted if my computer goes wonky. My instructor said that he's never had a dive computer fail on him, but I'm not relying on someone else's luck.

You need a 2nd computer to have redundancy. A dive watch will help give you time & Bottom Time. But if your dive computer fails, you should abort the dive in almost all cases.

You can get into a very nice Lady's MI St. Moritz dive watch for around $100.

 

[button]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

I'm not too nervous... I feel confident in my basic skills, although I don't expect to have my buoyancy perfected for a while. This will be my 5th open water dive in some ways... it's just my first after doing all of the pool work. I did Discover Scuba earlier this year (in OZ) and loved it... that's why I'm getting certified. I was enrolled in my OW class a week after I got home from my trip!

You need a 2nd computer to have redundancy. A dive watch will help give you time & Bottom Time. But if your dive computer fails, you should abort the dive in almost all cases.

You can get into a very nice Lady's MI St. Moritz dive watch for around $100.

As I'm a new diver, disagreeing with you makes me a little afraid to say this... HOWEVER. I'm not planning to be doing anything too deep or difficult until I have more experience. I don't see myself doing more than two dives a day for the foreseeable future (unless I'm on a liveaboard which isn't in the works yet). Most of my dives are going to be pretty shallow and I'm planning to use the eRDP in addition to the computer. I'm imagining that sticking to the eRDP is going to be more conservative than a computer. I feel pretty confident that if my dive computer craps out five minutes in on my first dive to 40' that I won't be aborting the dive. Watch + SPG = I should be able to continue the dive, have a surface interval and complete a second dive (to 40' or less).

Obviously if I'm having a really bad day and my watch stops working during the second dive, I will be calling it a day and will head straight for the beer cooler.

Would this be okay or should I run out and buy two computers and two watches just in case?

(and if I'm totally wrong, please tell me!)

P.S. You really want me to buy that Lady's MI St. Moritz watch, dontcha?

 

[victorzamora]

button, you'll learn very quickly to ignore most of what beaverdivers has to say.

I'm glad to hear you're not afraid. Some people take to the water like fish (good friend) while others don't do so well (my wife - she loves diving, but it doesn't come naturally).

As far as having two computers. Yes, if you're doing deep Trimix dives where you want full redundancy then you'd need two trimix computers, two bottom timers, TONS of tables cut, etc, etc, etc. For recreational diving, it's not that big of a deal. Here's my procedure, you may find that it works for you. I just dive. I follow my PDC. If my computer craps out (never has), the plan is to either wait until the next day and then dive strictly tables....or guess my pressure group (data from others, my watch, readings prior to my PDC failing), add some conservatism, and then do a very shallow, conservative dive. The biggest reason you would need two computers

St Moritz watches are nice....but they're not "Dive watches." I mean, what makes a watch a "dive watch"....y'know???? If you want a watch dedicated to scuba so you don't have to worry about damaging the watch(es?) that you really like....then my last recommendation stands: Timex.

Obviously if I'm having a really bad day and my watch stops working during the second dive, I will be calling it a day and will head straight for the beer cooler.

Would this be okay or should I run out and buy two computers and two watches just in case?

You're wise beyond your dive count! You did exactly what any intelligent, responsible diver would do. Only thing to mention is that the eRDPml is still a computer, still has batteries, is still something that can fail, and is still vulnerable to water. If I were you, I'd pick up a normal RDP (the blue PADI one is my favorite)....and an EAD chart for when you get Nitrox certified. Those will never fail, and you can stick them with your dive log. Oh, keep a dive log. Don't get lazy. You'll want those logs one day. I had over 150 when I lost my dive log and stopped keeping track, and over 100 since then. I now log every dive on paper AND on my laptop, backed up to my desktop and a cloud server I've got running.