Questions about DIR pressure gauges.

[a4lod]

I currently have a Uwatec pressure gauge, but its housing is plastic. DIR states that the pressure gauge should not have a plastic casing, but rather an all metal casing. My question is, who makes such a gauge? I know Scubapro used to make them, but cannot find any on their website catalog. My other question is regards to a pressure gauge boot. Again DIR states that a boot should not be used, but I wonder how susceptable the gauge is to being broken - plastic or metal? Without the boot, there is less absorption should the gauge be dropped - in my opinion anyway. So my final question is should I buy a metal gauge or buy a boot for my existing gauge? Please help. Thanks.

 

[Scubaroo]

Unless you're doing penetrative dives (eg wrecks) where there's a good chance you'll bang your SPG into something, I'd save some $$$ and keep the plastic one for now.

OMS and Halcyon (amongst others) make brass and glass gauges. The OMS ones can be had reasonably cheaply through LeisurePro.

 

[pipedope]

Damage to the SPG is the least of your worries if you smash into something hard enough to break it during a dive.
Remember where the SPG lives.

On land your second stage is far easier to damage than the SPG.

I think that boot or no boot is not really much different but the boot is not really needed so DIR standards say leave it off.

 

[Soggy]

The boot does nothing but hide problems. It really serves no other purpose. Just this weekend, I discovered that my SPG was unscrewing from the HP hose. Wouldn't have seen that with the boot on. That would've sucked if it had blown in the water, wouldn't it?

 

[Soggy]

I just realized you asked who makes such a gauge....

Here is what many of us have:
OMS Small Brass SPG

It is brass and glass, small, and has 100psi increments.

 

[detroit diver]

The answer to your question is that brass is the requirement of DIR, period. Plastic is not an option. I've got an Uwatec metric SPG (well, it's borrowed!).

As Soggy said, the boot just hides problems, or potential problems. It really serves no purpose if you think about it.

 

[bcsean]

well, my guage isn't brass, but I took the boot off right away, and honestly, have nor regrets doing so. You can have corrosion happening on the gauge itself inside the boot, because it has no chance to get rinsed or dry properly.

And as pipedope says, if you manage to crack your spg, you might want to look at what you're doing to accomplish that. The glass is the most sensetive part of the gauge, and it's not covered to begin with.

 

[large_diver]

I have the old UWatec SPG (no longer avail.) on my main rig, Dive Rite brass SPG on my sling bottle. Here is a picture of the Dive Rite -- it has a nice readable face with 100psi increments(luminous at night), but it is kind of big....the boot is easily removable.

http://www.diveriteexpress.com/regs/img/rg2759lg.jpg

-Chris