Goodman Handle DIR Question

[mahjong]

My first can light arrives tomorrow so I have been thinking a lot about how they work. I believe it is DIR to carry the Goodman-held light in the left hand. Doesn't this affect compass navigation work? On many dives I make I spend considerable time looking at my compass and aligning my body to it. Each time I do this I would be pointing my Goodman held light directly off to the right of me (not good if my buddy happens to be there). With me, the light would be flying back and forth from pointing straight to pointing right very frequently. I could see this becoming tiring. At the very least, this would be a distraction to a team of divers that might be with me. Is he trying to communicate? Is he point at something of to the right? No, I'm working with my compass trying to make sure we're on track.

And my left hand also dumps air from my inflator when necessary.

On the other hand, as it were, my right hand is generally less busy.

I know DIR has thought things well through. But do people find it inconvenient to navigate with a compass and also work a Goodman-held light in a manner not distracting to a dive team. What are the downsides of carrying the Goodman-held light in the right hand?

Thanks!

 

[TSandM]

Many of us have our lights set up so that it's easy to pass the light to a temporary hold with the right hand. Whether you use a stretch of bungie over the top of the lighthead, or a thumb loop, or just hold the light with your right hand, it keeps it quiet and steady while you are dumping gas or checking your compass.

But I don't usually switch hands for a compass check. My light just sweeps across in front of me to my right, and I check the compass, and then the light sweeps back to the left. Smooth light movements don't disturb my buddies, and in open water they more or less expect them, as I may be looking at a fish that's swimming that way, anyway.

 

[eelnoraa]

Lighthead on left hand by default. When you need to check spg or need to operate rear dump, you temporay put the light on right hand. Both don't happen too often. When you ascent, you clip the light off on right chest d-ring, so you left hand can concentrate on venting. For compass usage, the trick I was taught is to mount the compass alone the line of my thumb, wrist straight, wherever the light is pointing is the heading. So far it has work pretty well.

The issue with light on right hand is when you donate, you will shine the light at your OOA teammate's face. If you have HID with big head, you may even hit his/her mask. Both are not good for a panic OOA person.

 

[fisheater]

Here's a good link that explains how to set up your light to make it easy to shift to your right hand whenever you want.

Deep-Sea Sherpa » DIR Equipment Configuration: Light Head

And here's a good video.

UTD Video Blog: Light Head Configuration - YouTube

 

[stairman]

Ive always worn my light on my right hand. And most people I dive with do th same. Lefthand dumps wing and left wrist holds most instruments. If you are operating a DPV, Then left hand is usually used for light. When reeling in I switch to left so Im not flashing all over the place, or just slide my light up my arm a bit but still on the right. I prefer an elastic goodman handle as well.

 

[mahjong]

Thanks All!

The UTD link is most helpful, Fisheater.

Eelnoraa: Does the compass mounting you describe involve having the lubber line roughly parallel to the arm rather than perpendicular to it? If so, this would require me to rebungie my compass mount, right (so that the bungies run parallel to the viewing window rather than perpendicular to it)? How else could the light point in the direction of the compass heading? I might also guess that the advice to mount the compass along the line of the thumb is so that the back of the light and cable do not interfere with the compass--is this correct?

 

[HenrikBP]

Depending on your can light - it is very possible that the proximity of the light head to the compass will affect the reading (high current electricity and magnetic pull). My LED can light can pull the compass off course by as much as 30 - 40°. Someone I dive with has a similar issue with an HID light. So I have to shift my light to my right hand anyway.