SK-7 Compass - DSS or Retractor?

[fire_diver]

Retractors are bad in every way. Everyone who ever buys one winds up tossing it away. Get the dss mount and be happy.

 

[mikemill]

I have my SK-7 on my wrist (and another on my scooter). What I do is to grab my right arm and align myself with where I want to go. I then go into my natural position and look at how much it changed. Most of the time it is 30 degrees. I then swim and glance at it and make sure it is in the right spot.

I find the wrist to be convenient and out of the way.

IMO the whole navigational accuracy idea to be a bit absurd. For one you probably aren't gonna swim a perfectly straight line as you enjoy the environment. Second it is fairly rare that you must hit the exact target using nothing but a compass. It is much more common to use the compass to get you over a featureless patch or take you in a general direction and then use landmarks to navigate you the actual spot. And lets not forget that a 5 degree error is only 87' off over a course of a 1000' (ok well you would have actually swam more than 1000' [1003'] but I wanted to keep the math simpler by doing right triangles).

Now if you need to be exact then I hope you are using more than just a compass.

 

[Thalassamania]

I have my SK-7 on my wrist (and another on my scooter). What I do is to grab my right arm and align myself with where I want to go. I then go into my natural position and look at how much it changed. Most of the time it is 30 degrees. I then swim and glance at it and make sure it is in the right spot.

I find the wrist to be convenient and out of the way.

I use an SK-6 that I have taken apart and screwed back together over the wrist of glove. It is rotated about 20 degrees clockwise so that the lubber line is straight with my line of travel while my arm is held in the most comfortable possible position (I couldn't do this back when I had to use a dry suit).

IMO the whole navigational accuracy idea to be a bit absurd. For one you probably aren't gonna swim a perfectly straight line as you enjoy the environment.

If you are sight-seeing, probably not. If you are trying to return to someplace you've been before, you'd better be able to swim a pretty straight line and navigate accurately.

Second it is fairly rare that you must hit the exact target using nothing but a compass. It is much more common to use the compass to get you over a featureless patch or take you in a general direction and then use landmarks to navigate you the actual spot.

If that's what you use a compass for, that's fine, especially if that's all that you need. My needs are different than yours.

And lets not forget that a 5 degree error is only 87' off over a course of a 1000' (ok well you would have actually swam more than 1000' [1003'] but I wanted to keep the math simpler by doing right triangles).

Now if you need to be exact then I hope you are using more than just a compass.

No, I can usually hit that sort of target with just my compass. It might not be possible in low visibility on a featureless bottom, but in decent vis with some waypoints and a knowledge of what lies to the left and right of may target, it's quite doable.

 

[galvanni]

I've read on some threads that the DSS mount is adjustable angle but I don't see such information on the DSS site. Can anyone verify HOW it is adjustable and what angles you CAN adjust to. I'm assuming you could avoid having the 90 degree elbow if that's the case? Or is it adjustable in relation to the rotation of your forearm on axis?

 

[Thalassamania]

Now I'd like to know that too.

 

[Rainer]

If you thread the DSS mount on the "off" holes, it will sit twisted inward. This will shoot the lubber line straight ahead without you having to move your arm completely perpendicular to your body (so it's in a more natural position).

Yes, I'm sure a photo would help, but I don't have one.

 

[textilet]

There are two sets of holes you can run the bungee through. The entire mount can be secured at an angle to your arm or perpendicular depending on the holes you use.

EDIT: I just looked and there are actually 3 sets of holes.

 

[galvanni]

Ahhhh....geeeze they couldn't put a rotating bezel on the receive plate? I mean that works, and you have to thread the thing with bungee anyway, but that's a little cheesy I think. Then again, I'm sure it's possible they were thinking about keeping the cost reasonable.

Disclaimer - I complain about everything.

 

[wrybosome]

If you thread the DSS mount on the "off" holes, it will sit twisted inward. This will shoot the lubber line straight ahead without you having to move your arm completely perpendicular to your body (so it's in a more natural position).

Yes, I'm sure a photo would help, but I don't have one.

Just tried that on my my compass, works nicely & thank you very much Rainer.

 

[galvanni]

Settled - the new guy in on my wrist right now. Northeast had them already set up on DSS and bungeed pretty close to what I need.