English or metric?

[spacemanspiff1974]

I'm a former scientist and as a result I prefer the metric system. However most divers here in the US use english system on guages and tables, etc.

Is a switch to metric guages a bad idea from a safety issue when diving with english system divers?

 

[Meng_Tze]

I'm a former scientist and as a result I prefer the metric system. However most divers here in the US use english system on guages and tables, etc.

Is a switch to metric guages a bad idea from a safety issue when diving with english system divers?

Nope no issues as long as you can do conversions. I work on metric and have both metric and imperial buddies/guages

 

[jeckyll]

I've dove with both. We typically agree on the profile we want to dive and then work out the conversions. Doesn't really seem to be a big deal, but then our dives are not very complex (no deco, well away from NDL for safety etc )

 

[WPBdiver]

I was recently diving in Brazil and found it necessary to brush up in my metric conversions which I haven't needed since sixth grade. Since I was diving with two computers, one of them air integrated, I switched one of them to metric and left the other on imperial. The metric one allowed me to follow along with the dive briefing and communicate with the dive master. The imperial one kept me comfortable using the measurements that I am accustomed to. No need for conversions.

The only safety issue I can think of would be in communication between you and your dive buddy or the dive master who would be using different measurements.

 

[vondo]

I'm a former scientist and as a result I prefer the metric system. However most divers here in the US use english system on guages and tables, etc.

Is a switch to metric guages a bad idea from a safety issue when diving with english system divers?

I'm comfortable in both (scientist by trade also) and I switch over the computer when diving with other metric folks. I still have the PSI gauge, though, but that's less important. The red zone is the red zone.

 

[Ed Marshall]

Each individual unit on my computer can be switched back and forth, so it's no big deal. Plus, my buddy dives metric so I have to know the meter/foot and bar/psi coversions anyway.

Ed

 

[Walter]

Use whichever you prefer.

 

[jonnythan]

You can use whichever you prefer, but it may make pre-dive planning and post-dive briefing difficult if all of your buddies and the DM (if there is one) are using english units. I'd say stick with what the majority of your buddies will be using.

One of the biggest hurdles is gas. If your buddy asks how much air you have left, and you signal "100," most divers in the US will have no idea what that means.

 

[redacted]

We can usuallyu work our way thru meters but you might want to spend a little time on the bars before you jump in.

 

[Diver0001]

I'm a former scientist and as a result I prefer the metric system. However most divers here in the US use english system on guages and tables, etc.

Is a switch to metric guages a bad idea from a safety issue when diving with english system divers?

In my experience everyone in the water needs to be on the same scale. What's 27 meters in feet....right now....no conversions.....no calculators....what's your NDL?

how much air to I have? Answer.... 65.... what's that in PSI.....right now....no coversions....no calculators.....

"acend, 6, level out" ..... 6 what? ..... "turn at 132" .... is that 3rds or 1/4's...?

Get the picture? If you're not on the same scale It's a massive PITA at best and if you don't have a gut feeling for these numbers then it can lead to mistakes that you don't want to make.

R..