The Next Big Thing...

[jeffrey-c]

Interesting, no one has mentioned any communications devices.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Has there ever been any thought to different tank profiles or shapes? The current tanks are simply miniature versions of industrial gas cylinders. Oval shapes, rectangular shapes, wrap around the torso shapes? The tank creates a great deal of drag, as does the irregular shape of the first stage... any thought to putting a streamlining cover over the first stage/tank assembly to reduce drag? If this sounds foolish, consider the trend to aerodynamic bicycle helmets (vs the old round versions) in racing --- and the drag of air is nothing like the drag of water.

The plastic case for the tanks thing has been done although I'm not familiar with any specific usits.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Interesting, no one has mentioned any communications devices.

There are a number of units on the market. Most are ultrasonic but I know of guys custome making radio units.

Most require the use of a full face masks though and that introduces a whole range of equipment configuration issues. I've owned some and played with them but I never found a way to integrate them into any serious diving that I was satisfied with.

I don't want to go too far into the full face mask issue here but some conderations are air sharing, sometimes having to remove a mask to switch to another gas source and gas switches in general. It doesn't take much of a dive before you end up with several different gasses and a whole bunch of individual gas switches. While they do make gas switching blocks, getting the wrong gas at the wrong depth will make you dead like RIGHT NOW so I won't use any of the blocks I've see for procedural reasons.

Of course, military, commercial or public safety diving situations are completely different and UW comms are widely used.

 

[GDCB]

I think Zeagle has a heads up display for civilian use. It's around $750. Some had a demo of it last year. Scott you out there?

Carl

 

[Bill51]

Interesting, no one has mentioned any communications devices.

I don’t want people talking to me underwater – that’s for the bar after the dive.

 

[Doc Harry]

I agree with 1_T_Submariner, the next realistic big thing for all outdoor activities (including scuba) will be an updated GPS/inertia navigation system. First there will be a land-and-aviation based version, and like anything else someone will develop a waterproof/underwater version.

 

[Nemrod]

"So you want a FADEC that controls your mixture and a synthetic vision glass cockpit HUD driven by an inertial navigation system and forward-looking rotary scan sonar with dive data recorder storage. That’s a far improvement over my first dive in TR without a BC on a single stage 2 hose."

Yeah, well, I live in two worlds, lol, quite a dichotomy. As long as the FADEC controls a double hose,it will be OK.

Think about it, diving doubles, one tank would be air and the other a rich O2 nitrox. Then the computer would mix the gas to suit the depth. Electronic servo contolled valves would supply air at virtually zero cracking force and at the same rate as the increasing volume of the lungs on inhalation greatly reducing the work of breathing. Steroscopic high frequency sonar emitters and high definition LCD mask screen to display the image so that the diver could see even in the dark and murk. Could be. N

 

[AstroDad]

I also think with more older bifocal wearing divers the market is ripe for heads up displays now.

Hey, I resemble that remark! I recently bought bi-focals for my mask (farsighted). How would a HUD accommodate this? Can a HUD image appear to be a few feet out in front of you, or, would it display on the inside of the mask? If the latter, I don't think I'd be able to read it without my glasses.

 

[Bill51]

Hey, I resemble that remark! I recently bought bi-focals for my mask (farsighted). How would a HUD accommodate this? Can a HUD image appear to be a few feet out in front of you, or, would it display on the inside of the mask? If the latter, I don't think I'd be able to read it without my glasses.

The better HUD units project a virtual image about 3’ in front of you – longer than my arms for my wrist unit.

You haven’t tried adjusting to bifocals until you dribble a Canadair down the runway.

 

[AstroDad]

The better HUD units project a virtual image about 3’ in front of you – longer than my arms for my wrist unit.

Great. Then I need one!

You haven’t tried adjusting to bifocals until you dribble a Canadair down the runway.

No thanks, that's a little more excitement than I like.

I've been wearing bifocals 10+ years - I'm so used to them I often get in the shower with them still on. I only recently bought 'em for my mask because I also recently bought my first dive computer. The past twenty years I've been fine without bifocals UW due to the 'little past a blob' routine with my (old) analog gauges. Now that I have to actually be able to read UW, I need the bifocal mask (or an ultra-cool HUD mask).