Do you wear a dive watch?

[Stoo]

Computers can ail.

Yes they can. It has never happened to me, but it can happen.

On the other hand, as my previous post indicated, I have had dive watches fail three times, and I rarely use them.

They can all fail... I have had at least 4 "puck" computers die mid dive (I wear a Shearwater now, but still wear a backup). I have also had both Timex and Casio digital watched implode or at least leak.

Whether you wear a watch or a computer, you really need to have a backup of some sort.

 

[Captain Swoop]

Get a good steel watch with an automatic movement, a screw back and crown and get it pressure tested.
Don't get a chronograph with extra push buttons, they are weak points. It needs a sweep second hand so you can see it is working.
Get a NATO strap, if a spring bar fails the watch is still held by the other bar. On a steel or rubber strap one spring bar failing loses the whole watch.

 

[dmaziuk]

I refer none watch wearers to this thread
Computer Panic!

Pray tell, Mr. Wizard, will my mechanical watch with a screw-up wind-cap show me the correct NDL and GTR when my computer pressure sensor fails?

 

[Captain Swoop]

You have your SPG and pressure gauge, you keep a track of your gas consumption?
You have the time.Whst do you think we used before computers?

 

[boulderjohn]

You have your SPG and pressure gauge, you keep a track of your gas consumption?
You have the time.Whst do you think we used before computers?

And before cars we used horses and buggies, and we liked it!

The fact that something used to be done in past ages does not make it the best thing to do now.

 

[oldschoolto]

Well, A lot of us old farts can do multi level dives and stay safe with tables and deco times in our head.. A watch and depth gauge is all I need...

Jim...

 

[boulderjohn]

Well, A lot of us old farts can do multi level dives and stay safe with tables and deco times in our head.. A watch and depth gauge is all I need....

The reality is that for a lot of diving you don't need either.

I did a lot of shallow diving in the Philippines in which the maximum depth was such that I could not possibly exceed NDLs before running out of gas. I did take a computer, but I really didn't NEED anything except a pressure gauge so I would know when to ascend.

 

[Captain Swoop]

And before cars we used horses and buggies, and we liked it!

The fact that something used to be done in past ages does not make it the best thing to do now.

No it doesn’t but it's good to know how to do it without a computer. Like flying, it's surprising how many pilots (private) I know that don't know how to work out fuel, flight planning etc without an App. I use them as well but I can still do it on paper.

 

[Captain Swoop]

The reality is that for a lot of diving you don't need either.

I did a lot of shallow diving in the Philippines in which the maximum depth was such that I could not possibly exceed NDLs before running out of gas. I did take a computer, but I really didn't NEED anything except a pressure gauge so I would know when to ascend.

Very true, most of my diving is the same.

 

[dmaziuk]

The reality is that for a lot of diving you don't need either.

Aside from that, the linked thread was about how two computers failed at once. I completely fail to understand the thought process by which having a dive watch in that scenario could make any difference whatsoever: you either thumb the dive or continue on your buddy's computer. On top of which, a brief look at that thread shows it was the pressure sensors that failed on two zoops -- I strongly suspect their timer parts kept working just fine and the diver in question had a functioning watch. Two of them.