Wrist or console

[eelnoraa]

I just tooke GUE fundie, and we went through what is where and because most of us in the class was not DIR, instructors also went through the why. Here is what I get from the class:

1. light on goodman handle on left hand. Because right hand is needed to donate the primary in OOA situation. If light is on right hand, the receiver may get punched on the face by the light head.

2. depth gauge and timer on right wrist. Because left hand is needed to vent wing and drysuit. While venting, once can continously monitor depth and time (especially ascent time). If you have a console, on say 24" HP hose, the console can only be hold by left hand. How would you vent while monitoring the gauge. Now let's say the HP hose is long enough to be hold by right hand. Venting with left hand while light is still on left hand will generate a very eratic movement of light beam. Eratic light beam means OOA. In the case where gauge is on right wrist, the diver should palm the light with right hand while keeping the beam stable, use left hand for venting.

3. compass on left wrist.

#1 and #2 are pretty good argument to me for lift hand light, right wrist gauge. #3 isn't as strong, but I don't find a reason to object it either.

 

[scubajo007]

I use wrist mounted computer for several reasons. A console is heavy compared to a single SPG, a wrist mounted computer do not dangle, when mounting it on the right wrist then I can easily read it during ascent and descent, and I often use my computer when snorkelling.

 

[SCUBA482]

To be perfectly honest, this is one of those debates - like long (5-7') hose vs short (standard) hose, and to a lesser extent, BPW vs Jacket - that I just don't get

Like most divers, I started out with rental jacket, short hose and console. Since changing, I've never looked back, and in my experience at least you won't meet many divers who have

couldn't agree more...wrist

 

[scubaops]

Wrist here

 

[idive2]

Left forearm, behind the light Seriously, when I dive wet I have my gauges basically at my elbow. I don't find bending my elbows that far comfortable dry, so I have them about halfway down my arm.

Aquaregia, do you have any difficulty navigating with compass at this location. Do you orient the lubber line forward based
on your normal arm position ? I currently just clip off my compass which I have a bungee cord wrapped around and tied
to a bolt snap. I can put it into my right palm with my wrist turned up and watch my inward facing wrist mount computer at the
same time. It works well for navigating longer straight line headings back to shore. Making sure you do not drop the compass is
the only thing you need to watch for with this method. I would like to try the forearm mount sometime and see how it works
although you don't see that a lot around these parts, seems more console compasses or retractor mounted compasses.

 

[DiveNav]

wrist type (with big numbers) on right arm

 

[aquaregia]

Aquaregia, do you have any difficulty navigating with compass at this location.

When I had it on my wrist proper it was no problem. On my forearm, I tend to pretty regularly be 15 degrees out if I'm not really careful about moving my arm so that it's square to my body. Most of my dives don't require absolute heading through, so I just sight* my ranges on the surface with my arm in the same position it will be in diving. It'll be my final joke to whoever inherits my dive log.

* what's funny is that if you use the wrong homonym and site the ranges this way, it still works, it's just a lot more effort.

 

[ajtoady]

Well I tried the console last week and got to say I didn't care for it. I looked for a wrist, bungee mount and couldn't find one. I have since machined one out of PVC and used some 1" webbing for a band and gotta say I love it on my wrist-forearm. Part of the problem in the SPG mount was ease of use. Just thought I'd update the thread as to what I prefer.

 

[seaducer]

I came late to computers, and when I bought one it was a wrist mount. I find it very convenient and check it often, so much so that if it floods I can easily finish up with a watch, table and analog depth guage without losing to much BT. Not that I am worried, my computer has been 100% reliable since the day I bought it.

More than likely I would replace it with another wrist mount. Perhaps for no other reason than I believe I have a better chance of noticing it fell off my wrist should it break, I have a friend who found a console mounted computer that popped out of a boot, and I once lost a console mounted compass.

As for which is better, I don't know and I don't care. I have what I like, and I like what I have. It is too subjective to worry over. If I might offer...if you can rent or demo both configurations, see which one you like before you buy. If not, just pick one, I am sure you will be happy with whatever you get.

 

[Onewolf]

I have one of both. An Oceanic VT3 on my left wrist and an Atomic Cobalt on my right hip. The VT3 is my primary and the Cobalt is for backup purposes simply because the wrist mount is so much more convenient to use.