Bottom Timers ?

[donooo]

OK, I can't make up my mind on a computer. I'am gona spend the winter traveling and trying to learn to be a better diver. ( maybe shoot for DM ) Using a bottom timer and depth gauge will be good for me. ( No 18 dives in 5 days stuff.) So which Bottom Timer ?

I've only found two out there and nobody has them in stock.

Does anyone know anything about the Uwatec Digital Gauge or an OMS Bottom Timer ? Are there some other choices ?

Tell me all ,,,,,,, the facts, the rumors, the favorites.

thanks don O

 

[blacknet]

Hello,

Yes I have the OMS version. Mine serves me very well. OMS remarkets them from uwatec and yes they are identical units cept the color and the logo. They do make good backups to your depth gauge.

I bought mine from leisure pro (the oms) and it was like $120 or $150 (something in that region).

Ed

 

[Green_Manelishi]

I use an Uwatec and Dacor.

Advantage to the Uwatec is it is automatic on. Disadvantage
is that it will come on if it gets wet and you are not
quite (or no where near) ready to start the dive. I test
mine by spitting on it.

Dacor advantage is it comes on when you want it to. Disadvantage is that if you forget and you are now under
water it will not allow you to turn it on.

 

[blacknet]

Hello,

The uwatec/oms timer ONLY comes on when pressure is applied something like 4'.

Ed

 

[Green_Manelishi]

Blacknet,

With all due respect, hear this and hear it well:

The UWATEC that I am using comes on when WET. I cannot
spit with sufficient force to even come close to the
pressure exerted by 4 feet of water. Believe me, when I
spit on it (saliva only) it begins to count down from "9"
to "0" and then gives me 'x' amount of time to begin the
dive or it will shut down.

Once "on" I can exert pressure on the housing, with my
hands, and fool it into thinking there is a descent but
there is no point in that so I do not do so.

Thank-you-very-much

 

[large_diver]

Come on GM -- I thought you could spit hard enough to make the thing think it was experiencing 2 atms worth of pressure ;-)

 

[blacknet]

hello,

OK my bad I read it wrong, I made a goof.

It comes on when wet and the timer is started once you reach 4'.

Ed

 

[OKI_GI]

help out an old guy--why bother with a bottom timer? of what use are they in anything other than a square profile dive?

 

[Green_Manelishi]

Because for me it works best.

For "multi-profile" beach dives I cannot carry enough
gas to get close to NDLs so it is useful.

For square profile boat dives it is useful because I carry
my deco plans on slate(s). I can also *make adjustments*
based on actual dive time, known NDLs at depth, etc.

The times I've compared my calculations against a friend's
'puter the time difference allowed for a repetitive dive
was only a minute or two.

 

[donooo]

I'am the "new guy", might be the "old guy" and am the "buyer" so,,,,,,

1)There are so many computers out there and I could easily buy the "wrong" one.

2) The computer out there I want is $500, and I don't have that to spend right now.

3)I put together and new reg and SPG without a depth gauge. So I need depth.(also need time)

4)The dive computers out there gather imformation and do the arithmetic for you.

5)Something like the OMS bottom timer/depth gathers the imformation for you and I do the arithmetic.

My theory, this week is that the more I work with the imformation myself the more "aware" I will be of the "facts" as I'am learning. No doubt later, when the goal is to cram as many dives as possible into one day, I might be tired of dealing with the "facts", and a computer might be easier. But I'd like to be a good diver before I get lazy. No I don't believe a computer might not give you better data or that if you use a computer you are lazy. But all computers aren't perfect and some divers use a computer and haven't got a clue.

Thanks folks, looks like the OMS bottom timer

adios don O