Depth gauge/computer

[khearn]

Can anyone make a recommendation for a depth gauge or computer? I'm looking for something a bit less expensive than the Mares Apneist (around $350!).

I guess the minimum I want is current and maximum depth indication. Extra features like a timer or depth profile info would be nice, but I don't want to pay hundreds of dollars, at least not yet.

Most stuff I've seen is for SCUBA usage, and I really don't want to pay for a decompression computer just to be able to track how deep I go and how long I'm down when freediving.

Thanks,

Keith

 

[Mako]

Check out any of the Citizen Promaster dive watches with depth gauges. The digital Hyper-Aqualand tracks time as well as depth, but it's got a rapid ascent alarm that might become annoying while freediving. It can be disabled, but only by sending it to the factory. The analog watches display current depth, max depth, and time; but I don't think they track 99 dives or whatever like the Hyper-Aqualand. Best of all, they look nice on land and most are about $250 from www.princetonwatches.com

Casio has a digital dive watch similar to the Hyper-Aqualand, but without computer uplink capability. It's a little cheaper, too.

Hope that helps!

 

[Cliff Etzel]

Suunto Mosquito

I am looking at this instrument, as well as the Beuchat MCD.

Have a look here for the Suunto Mosquito and here for the MCD Sport

Hope this helps

Safe Diving...

 

[Pekka]

computer or guage?

Guage is good for just recriational diveing, when you are not pushing your limits, but computer comes handy when you do spearfishing or go to deep as they have time alarm, that can help you noticeing when it is time to start surfacing.
I only have a guage, but computer would be great because it also can give you some sense how long have you been out and how long your surface interwals should be.
rofl

 

[cjborgert]

But does it glow in the dark?

I currently use a depth gauge and separate dive watch for freediving caverns. The depth gauge is large and luminous, so it works fine, but the sweep second hand on my watch is difficult to see in low light, and using a dive light produces too much glare on the face to help much.

I need to be able to see my elapsed time at various points during the dive. An alarm would not really fill the bill because just knowing that my "time is up" is not enough . . . . I need to be able to tell how long it took me to get from one point to another so that I allow time to get back out of the cavern with sufficient time left to ascend.

I've checked out the websites for the Suunto Mosquito, the Beuchat MCD Sport, and the Citizen Hyper Aqualand, but cannot tell from the descriptions and pictures whether elapsed time would be highly visible in the dark on any of them? Does anyone have sufficient experience with these to answer my question, or can someone provide another recommendation for a dive watch or computer that has minute AND second readings that are highly visible in the dark?

Thanks in advance for replies - your help is much appreciated.

 

[Sickboy]

I have the Suunto Mosquito, and it has a back-light which you turn on by holding down the top right button for a couple of seconds. The display lights up with that green indi-glow type illumination for about 4-5 secs.

In freediving mode, the display will show your current depth, deepest depth and the length of that dive, in mins and secs. You can set a max depth alarm as well as a max dive-time alarm.

Hope that helps!

Terry

 

[cjborgert]

Thanks Terry,

Is the illumination button large enough that you could press it while wearing gloves?

 

[Sickboy]

Yep, the buttons are nice and large and easy to press. I haven't tried pressing them with gloves on, but all the reviews I've read say it's no problem.

If you're looking for good prices, check out www.scubastore.com I got mine there for US$229. It's now $244, but that's still the cheapest price I've seen by 30-50%.

I have no commercial involvement with Scubastore.com, but I can't help praising them for consistently having the lowest price for the majority of their products. I would not be as interested in freediving now if I hadn't stumbled onto their site and seen 'proper' freediving fins (Sporasub H Dessaults) selling for cheaper than regular scuba fins which I was looking for. I just hope they can get enough business to keep the prices low!

Anyway, enough rambling.

Terry