Why use a watch?

[stanw]

I am seeing many dive watches that have various features ranging from timers to being able to measure depth and offload info to a computer.

Why would you want a watch that only has a timer? Don't you still need a separate device to measure depth? Are these used in case something happens to the SPG? You still need some sort of separate SPG to measure how much you have left in your tank, so why not just go with that? Just curious. Thanks.

 

[SteveAD]

Divers need to keep track of air supply (spg), depth (depth guage), and time (watch). Computers combine 2 or 3 of these functions, and therefore can replace 2 or 3 of the devices, but all 3 need to be tracked. This is very basic info you should learn in any introductory level course.

 

[eponym]

Hi, Stan

An SPG tells you how much gas you have left.
A Depth Gauge tells you how deep you are.
A Watch tells you how long you've been there.
If you plan dives using tables these are the three instruments you need.

If you use a dive computer it will track depth and time. You still need an SPG to monitor your gas, unless your dive computer also tracks your gas.

That's known as an Air Integrated dive computer. It replaces all three basic instruments.

-Bryan

 

[RonFrank]

I dove with a Citizens Aqualand for many years. It had most things on it a computer does, but no calculation for NDL. I used it as a backup for my computer. It displayed BT, water temp, dive time. depth, and average depth.

I sold that, and now dive two computers. A watch generally will not replace a computer. I guess you could say my Aeris Epic is a watch, but it's more of a dive computer based on the advanced functionality and ability to monitor tank pressure, and calculate NDL on multiple gas mixes.

A watch is not a replacement for a computer, more of a backup set of gauges. I think a watch becomes a dive computer if it calculated NDL.

 

[fisheater]

Not to sound flippant, but I use my dive watch to tell what time it is.

Sure I use the rotating bezel to give me a quick view of the elapsed time of the dive, but I also often need to know what time it is. (Real world obligations and such.)

 

[stanw]

Hi SteveAD,

I understand that divers need to keep track of air supply, depth, and time. The device I am using during my course does this -- I thought the whole device was referred to as a SPG, though apparently I am wrong and the SPG is only for air supply. I was wondering if you still need a SPG to measure air, why not get one integrated device that also measures depth and time, rather than having two devices. I was just wondering if there was some advantage to having a separate watch.

Does anyone know of a watch that can track time and depth that is not huge and can also be worn as a daily watch?

Thanks!

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Fish eater is on the money.

I have a very nice trimix computer for multilevel cave diver with a uwatec bottom timer and tables for back up.

I reverse the roles in an offshore dive doing the primary deco management with the bottom timer and custom cut tables on a slate, with the computer being used forbailout/back up.

In both cases however, a watch is handy to simply tell me what time it is and comes in handy, for example, when deciding if maybe I beed to turn the dive now to ensure I can be out of the water by 5pm at Peacock.

 

[Diver0001]

Divers need to keep track of air supply (spg), depth (depth guage), and time (watch). Computers combine 2 or 3 of these functions, and therefore can replace 2 or 3 of the devices, but all 3 need to be tracked. This is very basic info you should learn in any introductory level course.

Steve has hit the nail on the head but I'll add to this:

-- do you understand *why* you need to track all three of these things?

I hope it's obvious but given your question I think a double check is in order.

R..

 

[Nemrod]

I use my watch to tell what time it is. N

 

[din7]

I use my watch to meet ladies.