I
idocsteve
Guest
I've been diving with my VT Pro air integrated dive computer for more than 10 years/300 dives and I think it's fantastic. One look at my wrist tells me everything I need to know, mainly the number at the bottom, which is dive time remaining, based on the most limiting factor: either NDL, O2, or gas remaining. It's almost always the last one but it doesn't really matter which one it is because, well it's right there on my wrist. There's no looking down and grabbing for my heavy, coral busting, unstreamlined gauge cluster because I don't have one.
On a recent trip to Cozumel, both mine and my girlfriend's computers gave us problems. Hers flooded and was ruined, even though it had at least a dozen dives on it since the last battery change. In other words, it wasn't from improper seating of the battery compartment O-ring, because if so it would have failed the first dive after the battery change. Mine kept going through supposedly brand new batteries which died before the dive was even over, and I think I've traced that issue to very small cracks in the battery compartment cover which allowed a minute amount of water into the battery compartment and slightly short out the battery. I've replaced the cover and I'll test it during a future dive but it works fine in a bucket of water so here's hoping.
Anyway I found several old threads on Scuba Board which ask a variant of this question: "Should I install a backup pressure gauge on my regulator if I use an air integrated wrist mounted dive computer?", or a similar question "how can I install a backup analog pressure gauge on a regulator with only one HP port?".
Invariably I see many posts by "seasoned divers" who say "It's pointless to have an air integrated dive computer if you're going to carry a backup analog pressure gauge, it defeats the purpose!".
I disagree, completely, and that's why I started this thread.
Here's why- as I said, the AI wrist computer puts all the data right there on your wrist, and these computers are very reliable, but they can fail, and unless you are willing to face the possibility of an aborted dive while you're in the midst of a great dive while on an expensive dive trip, you need an alternative. It's sort of like saying, why drive a car on 4 air filled tires that can go flat, when you can drive it on 4 donuts that don't need air because they're solid rubber, since you carry a spare tire anyway, doesn't that defeat the purpose of having air filled tires in the first place?
I personally feel that I can complete a dive without a computer monitoring my Nitrogen or O2 exposure, but I cannot continue to dive safely if I have no way of knowing the amount of gas in my tank. Since I dive Nitrox whenever appropriate, the gas remaining in my tank is what limits my dive, not NDL or O2 exposure levels. In the event of a failure of my computer and backup, I will simply keep my dive shallow and extend my safety stop as long as possible to blow off the extra Nitrogen.
I have purchased a mini single analog pressure gauge which will tuck neatly on the side of my BCD, which is not nearly as bulky as a regular gauge or set of gauges, and will save my ass in the event of a failure of my AI dive computer.
Although I said I think I can safely continue and complete a dive without a computer, I will be carrying a spare computer anyway, attached to my BCD via a retractor mounted boot.
On a recent trip to Cozumel, both mine and my girlfriend's computers gave us problems. Hers flooded and was ruined, even though it had at least a dozen dives on it since the last battery change. In other words, it wasn't from improper seating of the battery compartment O-ring, because if so it would have failed the first dive after the battery change. Mine kept going through supposedly brand new batteries which died before the dive was even over, and I think I've traced that issue to very small cracks in the battery compartment cover which allowed a minute amount of water into the battery compartment and slightly short out the battery. I've replaced the cover and I'll test it during a future dive but it works fine in a bucket of water so here's hoping.
Anyway I found several old threads on Scuba Board which ask a variant of this question: "Should I install a backup pressure gauge on my regulator if I use an air integrated wrist mounted dive computer?", or a similar question "how can I install a backup analog pressure gauge on a regulator with only one HP port?".
Invariably I see many posts by "seasoned divers" who say "It's pointless to have an air integrated dive computer if you're going to carry a backup analog pressure gauge, it defeats the purpose!".
I disagree, completely, and that's why I started this thread.
Here's why- as I said, the AI wrist computer puts all the data right there on your wrist, and these computers are very reliable, but they can fail, and unless you are willing to face the possibility of an aborted dive while you're in the midst of a great dive while on an expensive dive trip, you need an alternative. It's sort of like saying, why drive a car on 4 air filled tires that can go flat, when you can drive it on 4 donuts that don't need air because they're solid rubber, since you carry a spare tire anyway, doesn't that defeat the purpose of having air filled tires in the first place?
I personally feel that I can complete a dive without a computer monitoring my Nitrogen or O2 exposure, but I cannot continue to dive safely if I have no way of knowing the amount of gas in my tank. Since I dive Nitrox whenever appropriate, the gas remaining in my tank is what limits my dive, not NDL or O2 exposure levels. In the event of a failure of my computer and backup, I will simply keep my dive shallow and extend my safety stop as long as possible to blow off the extra Nitrogen.
I have purchased a mini single analog pressure gauge which will tuck neatly on the side of my BCD, which is not nearly as bulky as a regular gauge or set of gauges, and will save my ass in the event of a failure of my AI dive computer.
Although I said I think I can safely continue and complete a dive without a computer, I will be carrying a spare computer anyway, attached to my BCD via a retractor mounted boot.
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