Do you bring down your manual depth gauge?

[superkingkong]

Since i see most tec divers mount a spg alone on their HP hose, just wondering, do you guys still use a manual depth gauge? or do you rely solely on your dive computer?

well, as they say, don't trust the electronic stuff 100% ...

[Chad]

Most of them I have seen use a bottom timer/ depth guage on their right wrist.

[kobalap]

I use a computer in gauge mode. So in essence, it is a manual depth gauge. It tells me my depth and the dive time.

[MSilvia]

I only know of a few tech divers that use a dive computer at all, unless you count a digital bottom timer (or computer in gauge mode) that doesn't try to tell you how to dive.

Typically, everything but the SPG will be wrist mounted, and the dive plan (and contingency plans) will have been calculated beforehand and carried on a slate or wetnotes. My bottom timer doesn't tell me when to do things, it just helps me follow the plan.

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by superkingkong

Since i see most tec divers mount a spg alone on their HP hose, just wondering, do you guys still use a manual depth gauge? or do you rely solely on your dive computer?

well, as they say, don't trust the electronic stuff 100% ...

Electronic depth gauges are sealed and have an excellent safety record. Most technical divers use computers in gauge mode or a simple digital bottom timer with depth functions, to determine their depth.

Technical divers generally use wrist-mounted gauges, not hose-mounted gauges, for things that need to be referenced frequently. That's another reason you don't see them on the hose.

[superkingkong]

Sorry, what i mean manual depth gauge is the conventional depth gauge.



well, do they wear this kind of gauge on their wrist?

I've read that some of them argued that a digital gauge might run out of battery suddenly.

[in_cavediver]

Many of the tec divers I know use one or two computers/bottom timers. For my wife and I, we use a VR3 backed up with tables and a bottom timer. I figure between the 4 devices in our team, at least one will work for the duration of the dive and that's enough to get us out safely should murphy come and have a grand party.

Why do I say many of tec divers I know use computers - its because we dive profiles that aren't easily modeled in software and a computer will do it for us easily on the fly. When I do square profile deco dives (wrecks), I tend to cut tables but in the caves (anything but square profile), its to much of a PIA.

[superkingkong]

Nice point there

[kobalap]

Originally Posted by superkingkong

Sorry, what i mean manual depth gauge is the conventional depth gauge.

well, do they wear this kind of gauge on their wrist?

I've read that some of them argued that a digital gauge might run out of battery suddenly.

Well, you could but a digital depth gauge seems easier to use. A digital gauge might run out of a battery suddenly but then even a computer is not completely fail safe. They break too.

Redundancy for depth gauges and computers is not all that difficult. Either your team members all have one so that if one breaks, there is still someone on the team that can keep track of depth or if you are a solo diver, you could bring two.

[vadiver]

I carry a computer set in guage mode. I has a stopwatch function, max depth and average depth--I love the average depth feature. As for a backup, some people I know carry a back-up clipped off in a pocket just in case your primary goes INOP.

As for me, I cut my own profiles for off shore stuff--usually square profiles, unless I've been on the wreck before and know where I'll be.