Compass zones??!!!?
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vjanelle
Contributor
Yup. But only if you want to follow compass directions someone else made.
Having used my home compass side by side with one from (I think) zone 5, in the western Pacific; all I saw as a difference was the tilt. My home compass was very close to locking up from excess tilt, but was still usable with some care. The two different compasses seemed to generate identical bearings.
I've used my North American SK-7 around the world without issue - just be careful to keep the compass housing on the same tilt as the card. If you forget, and hold the housing level, it can lock up without you noticing it.
All the best, James
I've used my North American SK-7 around the world without issue - just be careful to keep the compass housing on the same tilt as the card. If you forget, and hold the housing level, it can lock up without you noticing it.
All the best, James
fnfalman
Contributor
You're navigating at most several hundred yards and not several miles or dozens of miles. The offset is negligible.
fnfalman is correct. If you were going for miles on a compass bearing, you might have some issues. Short distances we use in scuba would be no issues.
Ed Palma
Contributor
The way I understood compass zones was the positioning of the counterweight for balancing on the compass dial that affected the tilt, as fdog stated. For those closer to the equator, if you got a compass set for a more northern latitude, the tendency of the compass north to tilt toward the pole would probably lock it up against the compass casing. This is especially true for small compasses (like wristwatch compasses). You can compensate for this by adjusting the tilt, but at the risk of moving the compass away from a readable angle.
Sas
Contributor
Ed Palma
Contributor
If anyone can probably attest to this, its probably Sas, who is from zone 5. If she brought a zone 1 compass down under, the needle would definitely stick to the capsule.
Sas
Contributor
Yea it's one of the few things I could not attain for half price overseas
I had to buy one locally. I am in a club with a lot of UK divers who've moved over, they tend to get new ones This is from a local Australian forum that people might find interesting: Dive-Oz Discussion Forums - We've Gone Virtual!! - Northern Hemisphere compasses
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