do i really need my compass for a few cruise dives?

[The Kraken]

Personally I think an SMB would be more important than a compass.
If you get lost, a compass won't help you when you get low on gas.
The most important compass points up - to the surface.

Should you take your compass, yes . . . if you're going to be following a directional dive plan, otherwise, you're mostly meandering about the bottom or drift diving.

Get an SMB . . . a BIG one.

 

[divad]

Even when wreck diving, often I want to see something just off the wreck and vis can change quickly. So automatically I set my compass to give me a course back to the wreck, or run a line.

How do you set a compass on a wreck without the wreck screwing up the reading?
Do you set it when you're far enough away?

 

[wcl]

How do you set a compass on a wreck without the wreck screwing up the reading?
Do you set it when you're far enough away?

Just so.

Part of wreck training was making one aware that it is common for the steel in a wreck to mess up the compass function, so one should orient with landmarks (the wreck is good!) as much as possible using the compass before the wreck could interfere.

Cheers,

Walter

 

[Charlie99]

How do you set a compass on a wreck without the wreck screwing up the reading?
Do you set it when you're far enough away?

I use my compass for general orientation, even while on a wreck (in addition to keeping track of which is the pointy end of the wreck, etc, of course).

Even if the wreck is throwing off the compass reading by 10 or even 30 degrees, it sure helps when you swim 50' away from a wreck in 10' viz, then get momentarily turned around.

 

[caymaniac]

No one has asked the question........"do you even know how to use a compass?"
If you knew how to use one and if you've ever been lost or left with a challenge to find your way back to a known point in low viz or unknown area, you would never have asked the question!


p.s.....I love the part about tying a string to your tank and breathing directly off the tank and using a air bubble instead of a mask ;>)

Dive Safe,
Caymanaic

 

[divad]

I use my compass for general orientation, even while on a wreck (in addition to keeping track of which is the pointy end of the wreck, etc, of course).

Even if the wreck is throwing off the compass reading by 10 or even 30 degrees, it sure helps when you swim 50' away from a wreck in 10' viz, then get momentarily turned around.

I set it on the boat for the reasons stated above, but Miketsp says he sets it on the wreck. So I guess you could try to calculate in the variation, but assuming you've drifted in the current, what is the benefit (other than knowing which way land is) of the compass? Oh yeah, I bought one of those little round ones from Walmart. I like it.

 

[Charlie99]

I set it on the boat for the reasons stated above, but Miketsp says he sets it on the wreck. So I guess you could try to calculate in the variation, but assuming you've drifted in the current, what is the benefit (other than knowing which way land is) of the compass? Oh yeah, I bought one of those little round ones from Walmart. I like it.

It looks like my post was a bit unclear.

The compass use near a wreck that I was referring to was simply to get you back on the wreck after swimming off into the sand a ways ..... to hunt for a debris trail, to chase a grouper or jewfish, etc. For that sort of out-and-back sort of thing you just need repeatability. It doesn't matter what the variation is; as long as it's more or less constant, the reciprocal course will get you back on the wreck.

As in other types of navigation, it's best to use all the tools available, while never blindly trusting any one method.

Charlie

 

[r37691]

Just leave a trail of fish food back to your exit point.

 

[Charlie99]

Just leave a trail of fish food back to your exit point.

I tried that this morning, but the trail was all eaten up when I came back an hour later

OTOH, if that bait is attached to a hook, it might still be there. Here's some guys that were thinking about taking the bait the morning at Ulua, Maui.

Another good reason to have a knife handy while diving.

 

[SteveDiver]

I only take my compass if I am without a guide...