Compass preferences?

[Sirenita]

Just a quick question. Do you guys prefer a compass that is wrist mounted or console mounted? Is there a difference? Pros and cons of slightly different techniques? Personally I've noticed more people have a little difficulty with tilting and alignment issues with the wrist models.

 

[do it easy]

I like the Suunto SK-7 in a DSS wrist mount. It is readable through a wide range of tilt and can be moved quickly to that level sweet spot.

Generally, I don't think the mounting matters as much as practicing and learning how to use it in whatever configuration.

Deep Sea Supply Compass Boot

 

[scubajcf]

Most of my students prefer the compass clipped onto the BC with a retractor. Suunto has one of these models. However, nothing saying a student couldn't wrap a wrist mounted onto a retractor and have the best of both worlds.

For some reason, the wrist mounted tends to be less flexible and tilts/jams for people who don't use compasses regularly. The BC mounted allows more creative angles for students without the need to bend their arm in an unusual way.

http://www.suunto.com/suunto/main/p...older_id=9852723697223379&bmUID=1161868130660

Hope this helps.

 

[uglyredshoes]

i too use the Sk-7 in a dss boot.

it solves the tilt issues. however, ive noticed and experienced myself to have it easier to manage (as a new diver) when the compass is mounted. that way, holding the console stretched outwards, seems to give a more natural positional reading because it is exactly how you would read a compass in in the woods.

 

[amascuba]

I prefer a wrist mount compass personally. I rarely use a wrist mounted compass unless it's a site that I'm not familiar with, but I do keep a camping compass in my wetnotes in my right thigh pocket.

 

[ScubaThor]

I use a retractor-mounted compass that clips to my BC. My SPG is clipped close for streamlining purposes and it would be a pain to have to pull it that far forward to use any console-mounted compass. Just my two cents.

 

[Thalassamania]

It has been my observation that most folks have trouble navigating because they are unable to align the lubber line of the compass with their direction of travel. Tests have shown that the best way to assure such alignment is with the use of a compass mounted on an "attack board." If you don't feel like carrying such a device about with you then you need another system to assure alignment. I wondered about the console vs wrist question (my bias was for wrist) and so over the course of the next 4 ITC's that I staffed I added a long single leg, due north, compass course to the candidate's qualification dive. I kept track of wrist vs. console users (38 candidates, 31 console users and 7 wrist wearers, if I recall correctly). The wrist wearers did much better on the compass course than the console users. I saw this pattern on the first outing and so I started watching console and wrist wearers, here's what I saw:

1) Overall, the wrist wearers were much better at aligning the lubber line with their direction of travel. I suspect that this was because they not only had their forearm in their field of view, but they had a "body-position" knowledge and feeling.
2) The console users who did well (and about a quarter did as well as the wrist users) also were good at aligning the lubber line with their direction of travel and keeping it there.
3) Most of the console users did not do well, they usually had systematic lubber line errors, though a number simply did not know how to navigate, they’d check their compass, drop their console, swim a ways, repeat, etc.
4) A few of the wrist wearers did them same thing as those in (3), they also did poorly, except for one who was right on the money, I suspect that random errors canceled each other out.

My conclusion was that a diver can learn to naviagate just fine either way, but it appears to be a bit easier (fewer "joints?") with a compass mounted on the wrist.

 

[TSandM]

I've used both, and I prefer having the compass on my wrist. Reaching across and putting my left hand on my right forearm seems to get the compass pretty flat and get the lubber line lined up pretty well. The process seemed more complicated and prone to error back when I was using the compass on my console.

I use an SK-7 in a DSS mount. The DSS mounts rock.

 

[Thalassamania]

I use an SK-7 in a DSS mount. The DSS mounts rock.

The DSS mounts are great, eveyone who dives dry should try them.

 

[ClayJar]

I've been finding it difficult to shoot a bearing across my consoled compass, so I'm probably going to go wrist mounted soon. It's an SK-7, so it's very forgiving tilt-wise, but I've been hiking and geocaching with a compass for many years, so it's not like I have much difficulty with even a $5 single-dive compass.