Left or Right Wrist for Computer?

[Santa]

I think safety considerations rank higher than what is ideal or practical for a certain activity - unless of course that activity, and the consequent setup might itself causes a safety issue.

For me its all about being able to perform basic gear corrections, rescue or self-rescue operations and still be able to monitor vital dive data.

Consequently I ask myself questions like: Could I perform buddy breathing as donor or receiver and still check for depth, ascent rate, bottom time etc. Would my buddys setup in some circumstances conflict with my configuration and cause added risk because it gets in the way of established procedures? Could I raise an unconscious diver from the sea bed and still monitor and control ascent rate. Could I demonstrate, teach - perform cesa - on a course and still keep up. The list goes on but its stuff like that.

Most of the close calls or unpleasant situations I've witnessed as a diver or guide were caused by some sort of ambition that made the diver put safety or conservatism second. It might be simple stuff as insisting on bringing a new camera, while using unfamiliar (rental or new) equipment. Diving a new environment for the first time. It might be insisting to go through with a dive even though jetlagged because the diver has travelled this far and paid all this money, the desire to see a certain critter, site, wreck or whatever although logistics or conditions are against it - that list goes on as well and so much of it about ambition and consequent task loading.

So - Safety considerations first is my advice

 

[XS-NRG]

This comes down to personal preference too. When I first started diving I was looking at console computers vs wrist computers and to be honest I didn't like the look of wrist computers at all. They are often big, bulky and a bit ugly. I was leaning towards the console version quite heavily. During my OW class I was introduced to a computer and the only one there was a wrist computer. It took all of 30 seconds to fall in love with it because the action of checking it felt so natural to me as I wear it on the same wrist I always wear a regular watch above ground. As a tradesman I'm always looking at my watch during the day for when to be at appointments etc and the natural motion transfers straight to diving. There is no thought process.

Holding onto a buoy line shouldn't be a factor. I sometimes hold onto the line with my right hand and watch my left wrist, sometimes I hold onto the line with my left and can clearly see my computer at the same time too.

As far as transmission is concerned, you'd think the manufacturer would know that with a left hand mount the end user could wear the computer on either wrist and vice versa and would make concessions for that. I don't own a hoseless so I'm not going to pretend to be an expert by any means but I ask the question; is there really that much of a concern with transmission loss when wearing one on one hand vs another? If you're streamlined wouldn't the signal just go over your back and neck/head straight to the unit regardless of the hand. What is the typical range on these things?

 

[Splitlip]

I will move stuff around if the "mission" requires it, but most dives I have all bases covered. I have AI computer with digital compass on the right wrist and a "watch" computer on my left; often with an analog sk 7 compass. Always have a brass and glass spg on a short hose clipped off at the base of my plate.

 

[Santa]

Well - like you I never got into the transmission thing. Its probably stupid but I just don't feel right trusting air monitoring to a digital medium. For regular scuba diving I don't much like consoles, but thats just personal preference. I find them hard to check if you are working in close quarters with students and kind of troublesome to monitor in heavy cold water gear. Especially compass work. Also they tend to snag or get squashed on zodiacs if conditions are rough.

I still think though that when making safety-oriented decisions one should take the whole situation into account - personal preference is only one aspect of that.

 

[XS-NRG]

I still think though that when making safety-oriented decisions one should take the whole situation into account - personal preference is only one aspect of that.

Agreed! If I was helping out a panicked diver and needed to check my computer so maintain depth for a safety stop or maintain ascent rate or whatever else then the natural motion and lack of thought would help me maintain more control and focus of the situation. If I've moved my computer due to a different style of diving it could start to throw me off if I keep looking at the wrist I normally do and keep forgetting that it's not there this time. The less confusion I subject myself to the better I perform.

Here's a test for you to try if you look at your watch as much as I do during the day: leave your watch at home and count how many times you goto look at it and realize it's not there. Another test, put it on your other wrist and again make a mental note of how many times you look at the wrong wrist. Another thing you may notice is how it may slightly throw you off each time you realize it's not there. Obviously it's not the end of the world but you might find it a bit akward/clumsy and you will be slightly out of your comfort zone (not something you want if you suddenly need to attend to an emergency).

My personal philosophy is to pick a wrist and stick to it. There is no right or wrong answer here, you make up your own mind based on your own personal preference (which may change from time to time and dive to dive)

 

[Santa]

Yeah thats exactly my point.

I remember one time I was diving with a friend who'd brought a big new video cam on a deep dive with quite a lot of current. This was an experienced diver - yet we had to separate from the group because working the cam in heavy current on a tank that had been at maybe 170 bars to begin with he very quickly reached something like 80 or 90 bars - hed been hogging allright and most likely not checking gauges because of the work load. Anyway we're in in the blue with the reef some 100 metres away so we make the rather stupid decision to share my tank which was good an full and swim to the reef kinda shallow and just hang out at 5 metres and then rejoin the group. Because he needed help with the cam I held one handle of the cam and he the other. My alternate was on a long hose so I just passed that across to him. Traditional position would not have worked in the current anyway. But that locked my computer hand to the cam, which was the only way I could hold on to him or hed be hanging off just my hose. Stupid arrangement yes, but there you go. As we were in the blue, juggling equipment in changing current - we didnt even notice we were on a runaway until like 5 metres below the surface - and I had no way to check my gauge during Nor could i hear ascent alarms because my hand was half behind me. Anyway we slowed it, did the stop and surfaced nor harm. But it just goes to show how small changes affect procedures and quickly accumulate.

 

[Divedoggie]

Right wrist. Switch transmitter to right HP port if you are concerned about your head interfering with the signal.
Like others, I usually have one on each wrist.

 

[SrLagarto]

There is nothing that precludes holding a buoy line with the hand on which you have your computer. If the computer is aligned the right way, you'll be able to see it while holding the line.

TSandM isn't the only one to have made this point, but I'm of the opinion they're 100% correct.

Personal preferences aside (for example, the OP might be a leftie...) it's actually better to have the computer on the right wrist, angled in to make it easier to read while holding a line/camera/reel, as it leaves your left hand conveniently free... if you're holding the line with your right hand, but looking at the computer on your left wrist, which are you going to stop doing in order to adjust your buoyancy, equalise your ears or signal your buddy?

 

[SrLagarto]

I will move stuff around if the "mission" requires it...

...another valid point, so if you want the facility to be able to switch your computer from one wrist to the other (to deal with an unexpected event, buddy issue or whatever) then consider fitting a bungee-mount to your computer, as these are far easier to deal with than conventional straps.

But, assuming you're right-handed, then I'd still say keep the computer on your right, compass on your left.

 

[Kilili]

One on the right wrist, which holds the camera system, and one on the camera, so it can log it's own dives.