Dive Computer with GPS

[jessecurry]

I've googled a little bit and it seems that I get way too many results showing shops that sell both dive computers and GPS units.

What I wanted to know was if there was a dive computer with a built in GPS unit. I know that GPS would not work well at any significant depth, but knowing where I was when I descended and where I was when I surfaced would be nice.

Has anyone seen such a unit, or could does anyone at least make a GPS that I could take under with me?

 

[Jai Bar]

I don't think you'll find such a device, at least nothing available for sport divers.

However, you can house a GPS device in a waterproof case (such as Otterbox, Pelikan etc.) and tow the GPS along with you during the dive with a spool, or dive reel. Whenever you want to know your position just drag it down, get your position from the screen and send it back to surface. Or, if you want to use a small spool with only 6-10 meter chord, you can keep the boxed-GPS underwater most of the time and send it up when you are in relatively shallow water at the beginning and at the end of the dive.

 

[Web Monkey]

GPS doesn't work underwater.

The signal from the satellites can't penetrate deep enough (at the freq. and power level they use, I'd be surprised if they went more than a couple of inches underwater)

Terry

I've googled a little bit and it seems that I get way too many results showing shops that sell both dive computers and GPS units.

What I wanted to know was if there was a dive computer with a built in GPS unit. I know that GPS would not work well at any significant depth, but knowing where I was when I descended and where I was when I surfaced would be nice.

Has anyone seen such a unit, or could does anyone at least make a GPS that I could take under with me?

 

[DA Aquamaster]

If you are in an area where you need to tow a dive flag, you can attach a waterpoof GPS or one in a waterproof box to your flag.

I have a Sport Track GPS with WAAS, map and track functions and have found that if I do a 90 degree deviation out and back from my general course for 20-30 feet and back the "spike" in the track will show on the map at the location of the object I want to mark.

Of course, this requires that you maintain a tight flag line to keep the float directly over you, which in turn requires a float with a fair amount of floatation

 

[dirt diver]

The GPS signals will go around a foot, two if you're really lucky. Check out http://www.geodiving.com for an amusing thread, and more on the method mentioned by Jai Bar.

The US Navy uses some sort of UW GPS, but they run a surface-towed receiver with a sonic link to their dive computers. Dunno the URL for it.

 

[Jai Bar]

I took the idea from this site: http://www.wadespage.com/D800DS07RF00.shtml

Since I don't mind small inacuracies of a few meters, I don't bother on compensating for the offset caused by the line's angle.

 

[jessecurry]

I guess that the dive flag would probably be the best option. I really just wanted to know where I entered and exited at. I'll have to go looking for a good water proof case that I can still get a signal through.

Thanks for the input.