Using New Gear Questions

[freewillie]

For a number of different reasons I have been unable to get a practice dive in before my dive vacation. I will be using a new air integrated dive computer for the first time on vacation. I will still be using the SPG as back up until I'm used to and know the transmitter works.

I'm also going to have a GoPro as well. I've never used a camera before and it's going to be interesting. I'm not such a fanatic however I'm going to be focused on taking photo or video. Mostly just a fun thing to take along and get a record of the dive. If it gets to be too much I'll forget the video and just enjoy the dive.

I understand in a perfect world I would have been able to make a few practice dives with each piece of gear and not wait for vacation. This ain't a perfect world. Anybody else have similar experience and found themselves testing new gear on a vacation?

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Practice operating the Go pro on land. That is the best advice I can give you. Film the dog, the cat, the inside of the car, under the bushes, see how it works with different lighting scenarios and learn how terribly shaky you are without a ton of concentration.

As for an air integrated computer.. that shouldn't present much if any task loading underwater.

 

[uncfnp]

For a number of different reasons I have been unable to get a practice dive in before my dive vacation. I will be using a new air integrated dive computer for the first time on vacation. I will still be using the SPG as back up until I'm used to and know the transmitter works.

I'm also going to have a GoPro as well. I've never used a camera before and it's going to be interesting. I'm not such a fanatic however I'm going to be focused on taking photo or video. Mostly just a fun thing to take along and get a record of the dive. If it gets to be too much I'll forget the video and just enjoy the dive.

I understand in a perfect world I would have been able to make a few practice dives with each piece of gear and not wait for vacation. This ain't a perfect world. Anybody else have similar experience and found themselves testing new gear on a vacation?

Absolutely. I only dive on vacation so any new gear is tested on actual dives. In fact, it would be an odd trip that didn't have a new piece of gear or two.

But like dumpsterDiver said, I get as familiar as possible on land before I travel.

 

[scubafanatic]

While some A I dive computers are VERY easy to use ( ie Atomic Cobalt ) , others are a bit more challenging but doable (Cochran Gemini), while yet others seem to require the hacking abilities of the NSA or Chinese to figure out ( Sunnto !!!)

 

[RJP]

The only thing I would want to know for sure is that the transmitter and computer sync. Will you have a chance to at least hook your regs up to a tank and turn everything on before your trip? Maybe pop into your LDS if you don't own your own tanks.

 

[LowDrag]

One thing I found out about using my GoPro in Cozumel is to get those drying strips to put inside the case to help with condensation. I learned also that I should have opened the case between dives and to dry it out. Keeping it in the camera tank didn't work very good for me.

 

[Nasser]

How many dives do you have planned for the vacation?

I would suggest that you do a checkout dive on your first dive to tweak your weighting, buoyancy, and trim... as well as get to know your new computer and just get into the groove again. Leave the GoPro out of this first dive so you can just focus on the diving and make any fine adjustments needed. Once you're comfortable and have everything dialed in... then take your camera with you for the following dives.

 

[Malpaso]

Put the GoPro on a headband. Turn it on and forget it. Just make sure you have it angled so that it sees what your eyes see or else things will be out of frame. Ask me how I know...

 

[DogDiver]

Is task-loading hyphenated?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[yle]

If you're new at using a GoPro while diving, be sure to check your air twice as often as you normally do. You will go through your air faster while using your GoPro, simply because your rate of air consumption increases with your rate of brain use. You won't even notice it because you'll be focused on what your GoPro is pointing at... which is why you have to make a point of checking your air more often.