Capillary gauges never worked reliably for me. The bubble would always get separated between droplets and give odd readings. Maybe I was just too rough with them.
Depth gauge for snorkeling
- Thread starter Formaxim
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Don't know if this would fit your needs or not. I am sure it is available in a metric version. Plus when not freediving you have a darn fine looking watch. Citizens Aqualand Dive Watch, model BJ2004-08E
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Formaxim
Registered
Hello Doppler,
I'm quite new here and even new to the diving equipment on the whole, that's why my question may sound a bit stupid to you, but isn't this Bourdon-tube gauge thing something for showing pressure (not depth, even though I understand that depth is pressure) and it is not designed to be carried on one's wrist? Or, maybe there are other varieties that I havn't heard about yet?
---------- Post added October 5th, 2013 at 12:29 AM ----------
---------- Post added October 5th, 2013 at 12:33 AM ----------
Wow! Nice! I've seen those on e-bay. I just wonder how accurate it is... These things were quite popular here in Europe (Sweden) in the mid-90th. I don't even know if they are made anymore, but it's sure possible to still find it on e-bay. Thanks for the hint to look for the metric model, once I was very close to end up with the one with the dail in Imperial (feet) instead of in meters....
But, the most important question here is: how accurate are the Citizen's Aqualand series, does any body around here know it?
---------- Post added October 5th, 2013 at 01:07 AM ----------
Hello Akimbo,
The acceptable precision would've been like half a meter at the very least... You see, when I looked at all the digital equipment, I really thought that accuracy and digital readouts are the same thing... Now I'm very confused. So, you mean that if I dive and I see something like 3,52 meters on the display of such freediving/Scuba computer, it is not accurate? In reality it might be like 2,8 or 3,9 meters instead? Well, what's the solution to the problem then? Are there accurate...(for me it doesn't matter what it's called, gauge or a computer
), let's say accurate equipment to measure the depth where I'm diving to. Of course, the greater precision the better, but not at any cost. I was thinking like spending $200-300 on its most. In the future, I'm planning to move on from snorkeling and freediving to Scuba, but I'm afraid it might take for me a year or two till I really do it, so it's probably not a good idea to buy an advanced thing right now. But on the other hand, maybe I'll be scuba-diving already this winter (taking PADI) and I'd be enjoying a more advanced (and hopefully precise) computer that shows not only the depth, but even all the other things that you guys need to know when you're scuba diving
---------- Post added October 5th, 2013 at 01:21 AM ----------
Hello Akimbo,
wow, I like this one, and the price however, I guess the price will be whe double when I'll order it from Europe (however I have a good friend in the US). Can I ask you for a favor to send to me a link with a wrist boot (boot?) or whatever it is (and called) to hold it on my wrist, or wherever it might be comfortable to have it otherwise?
---------- Post added October 5th, 2013 at 01:38 AM ----------
Hello KD8NPB,
Thank you for the suggestion. The only problem is that I could only find this one (Rakuten.com - Capillary Depth Gauge) but it's not available any more. If you find any, please, send to me a link (please, remember, I'll need it in metric system, that is in meters)
Thank a lot in advance!
---------- Post added October 5th, 2013 at 01:45 AM ----------
Akimbo, can you please describe it a bit more, what bubble and what droplets? Do you mean, the small drops (of water, I guess) get into the dail and hinder the needle of the gauge to show the right number of meters?
I'm quite new here and even new to the diving equipment on the whole, that's why my question may sound a bit stupid to you, but isn't this Bourdon-tube gauge thing something for showing pressure (not depth, even though I understand that depth is pressure) and it is not designed to be carried on one's wrist? Or, maybe there are other varieties that I havn't heard about yet?
---------- Post added October 5th, 2013 at 12:29 AM ----------
---------- Post added October 5th, 2013 at 12:33 AM ----------
Hello dmoore19,Don't know if this would fit your needs or not. I am sure it is available in a metric version. Plus when not freediving you have a darn fine looking watch. Citizens Aqualand Dive Watch, model BJ2004-08E
Wow! Nice! I've seen those on e-bay. I just wonder how accurate it is... These things were quite popular here in Europe (Sweden) in the mid-90th. I don't even know if they are made anymore, but it's sure possible to still find it on e-bay. Thanks for the hint to look for the metric model, once I was very close to end up with the one with the dail in Imperial (feet) instead of in meters....
But, the most important question here is: how accurate are the Citizen's Aqualand series, does any body around here know it?
---------- Post added October 5th, 2013 at 01:07 AM ----------
Hello Akimbo,
The acceptable precision would've been like half a meter at the very least... You see, when I looked at all the digital equipment, I really thought that accuracy and digital readouts are the same thing... Now I'm very confused. So, you mean that if I dive and I see something like 3,52 meters on the display of such freediving/Scuba computer, it is not accurate? In reality it might be like 2,8 or 3,9 meters instead? Well, what's the solution to the problem then? Are there accurate...(for me it doesn't matter what it's called, gauge or a computer
), let's say accurate equipment to measure the depth where I'm diving to. Of course, the greater precision the better, but not at any cost. I was thinking like spending $200-300 on its most. In the future, I'm planning to move on from snorkeling and freediving to Scuba, but I'm afraid it might take for me a year or two till I really do it, so it's probably not a good idea to buy an advanced thing right now. But on the other hand, maybe I'll be scuba-diving already this winter (taking PADI) and I'd be enjoying a more advanced (and hopefully precise) computer that shows not only the depth, but even all the other things that you guys need to know when you're scuba diving ---------- Post added October 5th, 2013 at 01:21 AM ----------
Hello Akimbo,
wow, I like this one, and the price
however, I guess the price will be whe double when I'll order it from Europe (however I have a good friend in the US). Can I ask you for a favor to send to me a link with a wrist boot (boot?) or whatever it is (and called) to hold it on my wrist, or wherever it might be comfortable to have it otherwise?---------- Post added October 5th, 2013 at 01:38 AM ----------
Hello KD8NPB,
Thank you for the suggestion. The only problem is that I could only find this one (Rakuten.com - Capillary Depth Gauge) but it's not available any more. If you find any, please, send to me a link (please, remember, I'll need it in metric system, that is in meters)
Thank a lot in advance!
---------- Post added October 5th, 2013 at 01:45 AM ----------
Akimbo, can you please describe it a bit more, what bubble and what droplets? Do you mean, the small drops (of water, I guess) get into the dail and hinder the needle of the gauge to show the right number of meters?
Last edited:
mmadiver
Contributor
What is with all the expensive recommendations??- he is free diving.
Just get a basic wrist mounted depth gauge
XS Scuba Wrist Depth Gauge, Metric | LeisurePro
and if you want more precision or electronic pick up a used uwatec bottom timer on ebay for $50.
Just get a basic wrist mounted depth gauge
XS Scuba Wrist Depth Gauge, Metric | LeisurePro
and if you want more precision or electronic pick up a used uwatec bottom timer on ebay for $50.
The display rounds the value read from the pressure sensor. A sensor might be +/- 2% or greater over the full range, which is often much greater than the range of the computer. However the display will lead you to assume it is accurate to within one foot/half a meter whatever it rounds to.
Hello Akimbo,
wow, I like this one, and the price
Here is a link to the depth gauge module in the boot:
Oceanic SWIV Max-Depth Wrist Gauge "Metric" | LeisurePro
You might check for oceanic dealers in your part of the world:
Dealer Locator
They have been making this gauge for around 30 years. You want the air-filled instead of the oil filled because that is how you get the non-linear scale that is wider at the shallow end of the scale.
MaxBottomtimes post #5 above shows an image of a capillary depth gauge. It is nothing more than a small clear plastic tube that is plugged at one end. Air in the tube compresses and the water enters the tube. The different density at the air-water interface can be seen through the tube and corresponds to the scale inside. It works great until several cycles and a few bumps causes air bubbles to mix in with the water column. At that point it is no longer even close to accurate. You have to remove the tube and blow the water out to fix it. There is a reason they havent been made since the 1960s.
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