Console or Wrist Mounted

[RichLockyer]

vicky once bubbled...
In case of emergency you *WILL* be holding your inflator with your left arm, and secure your *BUDDY* with your right arm
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Have you tried to make a controlled ascent while dragging a negative buoyancy, bulky scooter?
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Of coure, as some people don't look at their SPGs and know the accurate pressure, one can look at the small bubbles and know their accurate ascent rate, but I prefer to do it while looking at the computer rather than bubbles

I may be securing my buddy with my right arm, but I'm not holding him in a bear hug... I've got my hand firmly around his harness if vertical, or if we need to swim horizontally to get back to the anchor line, I'm holding the back of his arm giving "push-pull-squeeze" guidance information while he leads.
In either case, I can still clearly see my wrist.

My scooter is neutral. If it floods, I have a lift bag and spool... I can shoot it to the surface and tie it off to something if my buddy gets into trouble. To abort a dive with no problems OTHER than the flooded scooter, I can use the lift bag as a BC for the scooter and keep it neutral and with me.

If the crap has really hit the fan, I'm not going to be worried about how much air is in my tank... my buddy and I are both on it and we HAVE to make the surface. If the tank goes dry, we're both going for an ESA, if it's not dry, we're heading up anyways.
I'll check the SGP when we begin sharing and that will tell me how quickly we need to surface.
In an emergency, I don't need to look at the computer to tell if I am ascending too quickly... my ears tell me if I'm ascending faster than 30fpm... but the situation will determine the speed of my ascent, and whether or not a safety stop is possible. If a safety stop IS possible, then my buddy is calm enough for me to let go of him while gauges are checked.
If his weights have been dumped, sorry, but he's going to the surface, and I'll stay with him as long as possible but I'm not going to rocket up with him. I'll blow off the safety stop and get to him as quickly as safe, but if he's hurt from the ascent, I am going to need to be in good enough shape to help drag him into the boat and get him to the chamber. If I get hurt sticking with him on a buoyant ascent, we're both in BIG trouble.



During a vertical ascent, my left hand is still going to be above my head. This requires me to take my eyes off of my buddy to check the computer. With the computer on the right, I'm looking at him AND the computer at the same time.

 

[ZoCrowes255]

metridium once bubbled...
Also, my buddy would be at the end of a 7' hose, so there may be no physical contact.

Ok ok ok ok let me get this straight. In an OOA situation in openwater you would not maintain physical contact with a diver who most likely does not have all their mental faculities in place (would you after running out of air) and who has YOUR air supply in their mouth?

 

[Scuba Scott]

OK, I didn't see that option but that is what I would choose. I started with a console mount and didn't like it. I got a wrist mount and it was better but was always getting in the way, bumping on something or when the neoprene compressed, it would turn on my wrist so I couldn't see it and I would have to stop and readjust it. I loved the computer but the mount was wrong.

I took the straps off of it and placed it on a piece of Lexan a little bigger than the computer, drilled holes near the strap pins and zip tied it to the Lexan. I also put a hole in each corner. I added a matching peice of Lexan on top and bolted it together in the corners with stainless steel bolts and spacers.

I put a sliding gate spring clip in each of the bottom bolts so it will hang upsidedown between my two chest D-rings. When I want to look at it I just reach down and flip it up. It doesn't drag on the bottom and it isn't on my wrist.

 

[RichLockyer]

ZoCrowes255 once bubbled...
Ok ok ok ok let me get this straight. In an OOA situation in openwater you would not maintain physical contact with a diver who most likely does not have all their mental faculities in place (would you after running out of air) and who has YOUR air supply in their mouth?

Depending on the situation.
While swimming horizontally returning to the upline, he would be on my right and slightly ahead, I would have hold of his left tricep providing "horse harness" type direction... two shoves for go forward, two squeezes for stop.
If scootering, he would drive, I would grab his crotch strap and go along for the ride, allowing me to monitor air and him to focus on returning to the upline.
http://www.h2oadventuregear.com/classinfo/video/ooa.htm
If an immediate ascent is required or desireable, we would face each other:
http://www.h2oadventuregear.com/classinfo/video/ooaascent.htm

Here's where "depending on the situation" comes in. If he's completely lost it and will not maintain trim or buoyancy control, then my actions will depend on his actions. Like I said before, if I get hurt trying to save my buddy then BOTH of us are in big trouble.

Don't forget that the purpose of donating air is to turn an emergency situation into a management situation. Once he has air, neither of you are in imminent danger. Calm down, look at the situation, and take action as needed. If OOA remains an emergency situation and a second failure occurs, it will quickly spiral into both of you being in big trouble. Once the OOA becomes a management situation, then you are both able to deal with a second failure on the way up.

 

[Kaos]

I use a console (Suunto Cobra) since they have added that detachable feature. I prior had an Aladin Pro on my wrist, great computer, but I kept getting fed up that the pressure would compress my suit and force me to re-adjust the fit on the wrist with gloves on (I dive in cold water).

I agree that it's easier to check readings on the wrist than on a console, but I dive in low viz and must frequently consult my compass, so over time it has become part of my routine.

If I only did warm-water carribean diving, I would vote for the wrist mount though.

 

[Former FLL Now MSP Diver]

MasterBlaster once bubbled...
I took the straps off of it and placed it on a piece of Lexan a little bigger than the computer, drilled holes near the strap pins and zip tied it to the Lexan. I also put a hole in each corner. I added a matching peice of Lexan on top and bolted it together in the corners with stainless steel bolts and spacers.

I put a sliding gate spring clip in each of the bottom bolts so it will hang upsidedown between my two chest D-rings. When I want to look at it I just reach down and flip it up. It doesn't drag on the bottom and it isn't on my wrist.

That sounds interesting, I'd like to see it. Can you post pictures of it?

Thanks

Marc

 

[DIR Tec Diver]

Kaos - If you have your compass on the left arm, and your bottom timer/computer on the right, then you have your control center right under your eyes.

All the above posts go to show the benefit of a long hose. In an OOA situation, you will not be effective at all holding on to the person, being vertical and then trying to manage an incident. your likelyhood of failure is extremely high.

You need to maintain horizontal trim and proper buoyancy, and escort the person (the OOA diver is in front of you) to safety. All of this done with maintaining a comfortable distance and space to maneuver during the incident. This will help to ensure a comfortable end to an otherwise uncomfortable situation.

 

[Dyno Bill]

I believe that the correct way to deal with a problem or a potential problem is infinately variable. The first is your need to recognize a problem prior to it being life threatening. When someone is just low on air lets say, where I dive its considered a no-no to return to the boat with less than 300 lbs in the bottle. If you do on most boats your done for the day. So lets say you are with your buddy and he is at 400 lbs and you have 1000. You just hand him your aux and kick towards the boat until your close enough for him to hit the step with over 300 lbs. If he comes from no-where and rips your reg out of your mouth you need to establish a liveable breathing situation and surface to chat about what just happened. If you witness a diver loose their weights and start a bolistic run to the surface you need to control their boyancy first and get them to breathe like a human after the fear has left their eyes. Control their boyancy and surface. The surface is the first place I want a scared diver to be so we can chat a bit and delete some anxiety. Eye contact is in my opinion one of the more effective ways to calm a scared diver and get them out of the loop as it were. Its always differant though so the proper way to deal with it will always change a bit. Control the situation, surface the diver, establish boyancy and chat.
Bill.....dive safe

 

[Lurch]

I have owned a gauge mount and a wrist mount and the wrist wins by a mile.
I find it more convient and always easy to find and read. I had my gauge one clipped off so I never had problems finding it but I love having it on my wrist. I have a vytec and love it.

 

[pasley]

I have a Cobra Consol mount and I love it. I put it on a retractable cord to keep it out of the sand etc.

I like a recordabel computer for the data it saves and the information it can provide a medical professional in the event of an emercency.

But yesterday during my second dive I got to thinking about a recent article I read about a rescue at Monestary Beach CA. In most rescue situations, they will remove your BC and Gear to facilitate the rescue. There goes your computer with the informtion the doctor needs on the computer to the bottom. This information would tell the doctors your depth, time of dive and accent rates as well as if you were doing a series of dives or only one. Could be usefull to help them determine if they are looking first for a heart attack or DCI or embolosm. But it may make no difference. But it is somthing to consider.

Another point to consider is the day I was in the dive shop and this guy comes in. He had found a wrist mounted dive computer wiht 1 hr 45 minutes on it for a dive sitting on the bottom of the ocean! Score one for him, but pitty the diver.

Just my 2 cents.