wrist mounted dive computer or attached?

[CT Sean]

Wrist mounted computer(not AI) and a simple "brass and glass" SPG.

This is what I use. I started with a console computer and found very quickly I wanted a wrist computer - but it is pure personal preference.

One plus of the wrist DC is if you find yourself needing to rent a reg set you still have the PC you are familiar with.

 

[eelnoraa]

Definitely wrist mounted instead of console. Then if money allow, go with AI, otherwise non-AI is just fine.

 

[RTee]

I did my ow and few dives after my course with a spg and found it annoying to look down at it everytime.

@Nitro... there will be a point in time in your diving when you will start spending more time admiring your surroundings than looking at your SPG and dive computer and that is once you become more comfortable in the water and developed a good knowledge of your SAC/RMV under different situation. If your SPG is too far down for your liking either hook it up to your chest area from under your arm or get a shorter HP hose and bring it up over your left shoulder.

@Oldbear...I respect your logic and if it works for you, great. However, the fun factor you are refering to is usually short-lived when bugs are experienced with those expensive systems in far far away land and no back-ups to fall upon. I just returned from a week of diving in Coz. While I was there I ran into three folks who experienced problems with their AI systems. For one individual, he busted the seal of his transmitter and forgot to bring a spare. He finished the week using a rental (reg assembly). Second individual thought she developed a leak in the battery compartment of her counsole mounted computer. Her display was now displaying ERR and she was stil there for a week and a half. Third individual...sometime during his 19th dive in location with a brand new counsole mounted computer, its computer developed a itch and randomly brought down its O2 content to 0 hence giving him a 789 mins deco stop at 10 ft. I think in his case he was still able to get the non computerized data (PSI) and finish the week due to the fact he was also using a wrist mounted DC. (To put you in context, this individual wore nothing else but a wetsuit during the day, religiously doing four dives a day on Nitrox).

Technology is great but simplicity does have its advantages in the type of diving (including location) that I do because if I do develop minor problems with some parts of my equipment, it will have the least amount of effect on my fun-factor as I will still be able to continue diving and do so safely.

 

[endurodog]

I have a wrist mount AI computer and love it. I don't run a hosed spg at all but I do have one on the surface just in case, never had to attach it and it still looks shiny and new. As a back up I keep a simple older computer in my BC but again have never had to use it.

 

[mathauck0814]

I have a wrist mount AI computer and love it. I don't run a hosed spg at all but I do have one on the surface just in case, never had to attach it and it still looks shiny and new. As a back up I keep a simple older computer in my BC but again have never had to use it.

Sorry, but you've got two AI computers and no SPG? Or you've got one AI computer, one non-AI computer and no SPG?

What happens when you're 30 minutes into the dive and the AI component goes - how exactly do you know what's left in your tank?

 

[TSandM]

Well, I think you need to analyze what information you need to dive, and under what circumstances and how often you need it.

You need to know your depth, and I'd be willing to say that you need to know that essentially all the time during a dive. You need to know how long you have been where you are, and you need to know that pretty frequently. And you need to know how much gas you have remaining to you, and you need to be AWARE of that all the time, but I would posit that you only need to know the precise number at intervals of something like five minutes (or more, as you gain experience).

So, if you need to know depth and time fairly constantly, it would make sense to me to put the gauges that tell you that information where they can be seen all the time. On the wrists makes it very easy; depth gauge on the right wrist, and you can use your inflator hose or rear dump with the left hand, while still watching your depth. Gauges which are attached to high pressure hoses are more difficult to arrange so that you can see them all the time. Yes, you can clip them to a D-ring on your BC, but if you are horizontal in the water, as you ought to be through much of the bottom time of the dive (and on ascent, too, if you ask me, although people differ on this) it's hard to look down at your chest.

So that leaves us with tank pressure. You don't need it constantly, so it would seem fine to put it somewhere where you actually have to pull out the gauge to look at it. A simple pressure gauge on the end of the high pressure hose, clipped to your BC with a snap or even a retractor, will really give you all the information you need, and is a pretty reliable and inexpensive way of obtaining that information. On the other hand, what that WON'T do is give you your tank pressures to put in your dive log when you download your computer. You would have to remember your starting and ending pressures, which isn't that hard to do.

I use a wrist gauge that is not air-integrated, and a simple pressure gauge. My husband uses an air-integrated computer on his hip, but also uses a wrist gauge WITH a transmitter. I would say, from watching him over the last few years, that if you do opt for a wrist gauge with a transmitter, you do need another, more reliable method of measuring pressure, unless you want to abort dives when the thing won't or loses sync.

 

[endurodog]

Sorry, but you've got two AI computers and no SPG? Or you've got one AI computer, one non-AI computer and no SPG?

What happens when you're 30 minutes into the dive and the AI component goes - how exactly do you know what's left in your tank?

I never stated I had 2 AI computers, I thought it was clear when I said an older computer that it was non AI, sorry you misundersood.

My other computer in my BC is a standard dive computer (non-AI).

So if I'm 30 minutes into my dive and AI computer craps out or I loose my link I do a standard ascent because I know how much air I had in my tank just before my computer crapped out because I have a wrist mount I look at it more often than a hose mount (yes I use to dive with a hose mounted and my back up reg set is a hose mount) and I know I have way more than enough air to surface. Now when I get to the surface I can quickly attach my back up SPG and use my back up computer that has been with me on all my dives so it has been keeping track of my dives and SIs and I go back out on the next dive.

Now with all that in mind, I have never had to thumb a dive because of my AI computer crapping out on me. It has been solid for me, but I do plan the just in case so I can continue my dives.

Yes I could keep the SPG attached and continue the dive in your scenrio. I don't like having the extra hose dangling (having it attached and stowed properly you will still have some hose protruding if even at the 1st stage) so I chose not to have it attached. I am very happy with my choice and heard all the arguments the other way.

 

[electrix]

Check out a DataMask I dont have to do anything but glance at the display inside the mask to see my depth and pressure, and even though I need glasses to read I have no problem reading the display in the DataMask at all daytime, night dives, blackouts does not matter. They have come way down in price too.

 

[DevonDiver]

Wrist vs. console computer comes down to personal preference.

I don't see many people forego a wrist-watch in preference to strapping a 1/4kg time-piece to their belt, with a rubber hose-pipe.

Preferences tend to be shaped by familiarity. I think that console gauges only perpetuate because most divers tend to learn in rental gear that includes basic instruments on the console (as this is easier logistically and cheaper financially for dive operators/instructors).

 

[Splitlip]

I have a wrist mount AI computer and love it. I don't run a hosed spg at all but I do have one on the surface just in case, never had to attach it and it still looks shiny and new. As a back up I keep a simple older computer in my BC but again have never had to use it.

The back up computer in your bc won't do much good without your spg unless you plan to immediately abort the dive. Why not just keep the spg hooked up and keep diving. I use AI wrist and back up wrist. Also have spg on a super short clipped to my plate, but still usable.
Computers do fail. I've had 3 failures in ~10 years. All 3 times I had back up depth and time device and continued the dives using tables. The last 2 times I made repetitive dives as well.