Computer: Right/Left

[Zef]

Had a discussion yesterday with a shop owner/instructor about which wrist/forearm to wear dive computer. I was trained to wear it on my right wrist/forearm so that if one needs to vent using the corrugated hose with the left hand while ascending one can still pay attention to their ascent rate indicator on their computer on their right wrist/arm.

The shop owner/instructor was explaining to me that the computer on the left wrist/forearm puts it above the head while ascending and venting via the corrugated hose which helps contribute to keeping the airway open. He stated that with the computer on the right wrist the tendency is to look down which could lead to blocking the airway which can lead to pulmonary injury.

When I asked him where he learned/read that having the computer on the right arm increase risk of pulmonary injury, he pointed to one of his former students coming out of the water wearing a suit with a velcro tab on the left wrist to help hold a computer in place and tried to use that to further rationalize his statement.

My thoughts are that one should wear their computer however one finds it comfortable and convenient but it was interesting that this guy seemed to site what comes across as bs pseudo-medicine/pseudo-physiology reasons for teaching this to all his students.

In 24 years of diving I have never heard of this, I am interested to know what others are teaching or have been taught.

-Z

 

[tbone1004]

@Zef not a doctor, but that rationale doesn't make sense at all. Several other reasons to keep it on the right including easier to see at night with lights in the left hand, easier to read while scootering since that's usually your right hand, etc etc.

 

[caruso]

Sounds to me like the whole "keep the airway open by looking up" is derived and twisted in that DM's head from the correct procedure to bring an unconscious victim to the surface. Never heard it applied to an awake and fully functioning diver and unless someone says otherwise I suggest you dismiss it as nothing more than unsubstantiated conjecture.

As far as the whole computer on the right because you will be venting the BCD with the left- well yeah that makes some sense and it's mentioned a lot but in reality when you've gained some scuba diving skill you aren't holding the dump valve for any length of time. It's a quick tug on your valve of choice then it's back to business as usual.

Wear it wherever you want to. Even on your ankle next to that useless foot long James Bond dive knife that some divers insist on carrying, if that works for you.

 

[mafi]

I dive Razor sidemount and as I dump with my right hand, I keep computers on the right forearm (inflator - only used for INflating is on the chest so easy to see the computers as well). I do not scooter like Tbone, though.

The reasoning from your instructor sounds flawed at best also considering that as long as you stay horizontal with normal BCD, the computer on the right hand is basically right in front of you so no blocking of airways by looking at it.

 

[Glenn Williams]

Well, I wear it on my left wrist. I also have a console computer as a backup which is on my left side. Now if you have a suunto eon core or steel you can have the display flip so if you wear it on your right side the display is correct. Bottom line it is ok to wear on either side.

Glenn

 

[outofofficebrb]

Sounds to me like the whole "keep the airway open by looking up" is derived and twisted in that DM's head from the correct procedure to bring an unconscious victim to the surface. Never heard it applied to an awake and fully functioning diver and unless someone says otherwise I suggest you dismiss it as nothing more than unsubstantiated conjecture.

As far as the whole computer on the right because you will be venting the BCD with the left- well yeah that makes some sense and it's mentioned a lot but in reality when you've gained some scuba diving skill you aren't holding the dump valve for any length of time. It's a quick tug on your valve of choice then it's back to business as usual.

Wear it wherever you want to. Even on your ankle next to that useless foot long James Bond dive knife that some divers insist on carrying, if that works for you.

Agree that it unsubstantiated conjecture. I can imagine one situation in which you would be holding the dump valve for an extended period of time - if the BC fills without stopping and you are trying to offset it by dumping as much air as possible while keeping tabs on how fast you are possibly ascending.

After taking rescue, I realized it was more convenient to also have it on the right wrist when assisting an unconscious diver at depth while heading to the surface and holding their reg in at the same time. I suppose that doesn't happen very often, but another +1 where I could quickly glance at depth/time, etc.

 

[Griffo]

Keep it on your right and find a new instructor. Your rationale about keeping it visible during ascents makes far more sense than that weird airway theory he was promoting. Also stops you accidentally "signalling" when using a light on a goodman handle every time you want to check your computer.

 

[caruso]

I can imagine one situation in which you would be holding the dump valve for an extended period of time - if the BC fills without stopping and you are trying to offset it by dumping as much air as possible while keeping tabs on how fast you are possibly ascending..

In that case it doesn't matter if you know how fast you are ascending 'cause there's nothing you can do to slow it down anymore than you already are.

 

[dberry]

I doubt there's much to the "medical" claim about wearing it on your left. IF you wear a wrist slate, it would make sense to wear the slate on the wrist opposite your dominant (writing) hand. In that case, a computer would more easily go on the dominant wrist.

 

[outofofficebrb]

In that case it doesn't MATTER if you know how fast you are ascending 'cause there's nothing you can do to slow it down anymore than you already are.

I think it matters because awareness and knowledge matters. If this were happening to me, I'd want to know at what depth this started at, how fast I was going up, and at what depth I am currently at, or at what depth was I able to stop it, etc. At a particular depth, am I in a vulnerable position for boat traffic or is there a feature or something that the DM told me to be careful of at that particular site/depth? It's also relevant if it ended up as DCS/medical issue...The more information you can provide on an incident, the better. If I'm still going up faster than what I deem as comfortable, splaying up, kicking down, etc., can also be done. All this information that I can digest later will also let me reflect on the incident/dive, etc., better.