What gauge???

[Tuffty31]

My other half (an Ocean Diver) has just bought a set of Aqualung regs (Legend Supreme DIN ACD and Legend Octopus). They were recommended by our club chairman (who is about to finish his SADS qualification) and was able to get them 1/2 price.

To complete the set-up she needs a gauge.

My question is: which gauge?

Common sense would indicate that a gauge by Aqualung would be a good idea because it all matches. Obviously personal choice will play a large part. But what factors should she consider i.e. luminescence, gauge markings, a double with a depth gauge, a triple, a modular inline triple (i.e. like the Suunto), etc ?

What should we consider?

[AndyA]

Depends on what kit you carry already and how content you are with the size of the console.
I use a single Suunto pressure guage, which is neat but readable and clips out of the way to a d ring to my left side. I have no need for a depth guage as I have a computer for that and also a watch with a depth guage as a back up.
I dislike the 2 and 3 guage consoles as they are generally far to bulky.

[PeteM]

My other half (an Ocean Diver) has just bought a set of Aqualung regs (Legend Supreme DIN ACD and Legend Octopus). They were recommended by our club chairman (who is about to finish his SADS qualification) and was able to get them 1/2 price.

To complete the set-up she needs a gauge.

My question is: which gauge?

Common sense would indicate that a gauge by Aqualung would be a good idea because it all matches. Obviously personal choice will play a large part. But what factors should she consider i.e. luminescence, gauge markings, a double with a depth gauge, a triple, a modular inline triple (i.e. like the Suunto), etc ?

What should we consider?

Triple gauges are a waste of time, putting a compass on the end of an inflexible hose is almost useless as it is very difficult to hold and maintain the correct position.

Personally I am not keen in depth gauges on the end of a hose either. I prefer them on my wrists where I can easily see them to control ascent rates and stop depths. However if I did not carry two computers I would consider a uwatec DTimer in a double console as a good backup that self sets. One problem with this (or a traditional depth gauge there) is the added bulk and weight means the gauges are not as easy to stow, are more likely to come unstowed and can get in the way.

My preference is a single pressure gauge, I use Suuntos as they are small, reasonably robust and relatively cheap.

Don't worry about the make all gauges work on all regs. I would not worry about things luminescence either, if it is dark enough for you to need it then you are going to have a torch anyway and as you are not looking at the gauge continuously using the torch is not a problem.

[Roz]

I'd take her shopping to a LDS and show her lots of different gauges. This way she gets to feel, touch and look at them for real. Ask her which one she finds very easy to read and understand and buy that one, so that when she is diving and under pressure (in both senses of the word) she still can find her gauge simple and easy to understand.

This is one piece of kit that doesn't have to match your regulator, so you can have a Scubapro gauge on a Poseidon regulator for instance.

PeteM made a valid point made on the compass. The good thing about having a compass on a gauge is you don't forget it when packing your kit. The bad thing about having a compass on a gauge is that it's not the easiest thing to use, wrist mounting makes for easier navigation.

I prefer to have a double console, ie a depth and pressure gauge, because there will be that one dive where your computer goes pearshaped and stops working underwater, or you jump in without it. And yes both have happened to me.

I tend to run the dive watching my computer, but when I check my air, I will glance at the depth to see that it is reading what it should (ie matches my computer). On ascents I will watch my computer.

There are some really beautiful dinky double combo gauges out there now. I know that Poseidon does a particularly small and gorgeous one.

[ChristianG]

Are you two using computers?

I'd consider a Uwatec BT (http://www.scubapro.com/europe/uk/uwatec-products/instruments/instruments/digital-log-330m). Bullet proof, completely automatic (therefore idiot proof and we all are sometimes) and it will "get you out of jail" if your computer carks it. Yes, if you so desire you can put it into a console instead of a conventional depth gauge but I'd personally prefer to have it on one wrist with the computer on the other. It's arguably the best bit of electronic gear yet made for diving, cheap too.

Regardless, it's streets ahead of a conventional depth gauge.

[Woz]

£69 from Decathlon at the moment.

[MattS]

Common sense would indicate that a gauge by Aqualung would be a good idea because it all matches.A matching gauge looks neater. Common sense says that should be the least of your concerns :)

Obviously personal choice will play a large part. But what factors should she consider i.e. luminescence, gauge markings, a double with a depth gauge, a triple, a modular inline triple (i.e. like the Suunto), etc ?I would think being able to read it easily would be the top priority. Some sort of attachment point can be useful, but check it is no so weedy that it's likely to break. Best to avoid anything oil filled these days. Keep in mind you may need to get the gauge out of the rubber boot on a dive boat to save a dive one day. When you buy the gauge, also buy a swivel and a few o'rings to go with it for your spares kit.

Personally I prefer a contents gauge which is just a contents gauge. A contents gauge will last virtually for ever but the same can not be said of compasses and depth gauges in my experience. With a console you are tied into trying to find replacements that fit it.

[Tuffty31]

MattS,

Cheers for your comments. I think you have misunderstood me regarding matching components. Nothing to do with looking neater! I am aware that there is a school of thought within the diving world regarding mixing and matching of 1st and 2nd stages. My comments were intended to indicate my interest in any similar factors that might exist with 1st stages and gauges by different manufacturers.

Good point regarding the swivel - I was under the impression they all came with one as standard. Do some gauges come with spare o rings when you buy them?

Cheers!

[Gareth]

MattS,

Cheers for your comments. I think you have misunderstood me regarding matching components. Nothing to do with looking neater! I am aware that there is a school of thought within the diving world regarding mixing and matching of 1st and 2nd stages. My comments were intended to indicate my interest in any similar factors that might exist with 1st stages and gauges by different manufacturers.

Good point regarding the swivel - I was under the impression they all came with one as standard. Do some gauges come with spare o rings when you buy them?

Cheers!

Tuffty

You are correct in that there is an issue with second stages. i.e. there is a variation in specifications for first & second stages both within a manufacturers range & between manufactures. This means fitting the 'wrong' [1] one will have an impact on the overal performance of the regulator. Which could mean it fails to match its quoted performance or even that ther is a failure of the second stage [2].

However with contents gauges they have no impact on the performance of the regulator. The only issues are that the contents gauge itself. i.e can you safely conect it to 250bar (or 300 bar). The other issue is it suitable for Nitrox or O2 (if you are using O2 or Nitrox).

I think this was the point Matt & theothers where making.

Gareth

[1] There is often little if any impact if you have different second stages. HOWEVER, this is not always the case.
[2] As a case in point Posieden seecond stages run at a much higher interstage pressure than most other second stages, thus fitting a non-posiden second stage may well result in the second stage failing (open).

[MattS]

Cheers for your comments. I think you have misunderstood me regarding matching components. Nothing to do with looking neater! I am aware that there is a school of thought within the diving world regarding mixing and matching of 1st and 2nd stages. My comments were intended to indicate my interest in any similar factors that might exist with 1st stages and gauges by different manufacturers.Sorry about that, my tongue was poking in my cheek a bit.

1st and 2nd stages work together and need to have compatible interstage pressures. Pressure gauges are very simple devices. Provided the threads physically fit together, and I have not found one that does not, it should work just fine.

Good point regarding the swivel - I was under the impression they all came with one as standard. Do some gauges come with spare o rings when you buy them?There are still a few places you can buy non-swivel contents gauges but you are right, most do come with a swivel as standard these days.

The swivel O'Rings are the weak point of the gauge. After a year or two they start to wear out and cause a small stream of bubbles from the gauge connection or further up the hose. The sight of divers adjusting gauges to find the one position where the leak seals is not uncommon.

The O'Rings cost a few pence and are simple enough to change. Unfortunately they are so small that when you only have enough spare, inevitably one get's lost and you're scuppered. It's a great deal easier on a boat to just change the whole swivel and fit two new O'Rings back ashore.

So that's one spare swivel, 2 spare O'Rings, another 2 spare O'Rings to lose, another 4 spare O'Rings to help out a buddy - cos they did not think to buy spares :D

[Richard Whitcombe]

Any gauge will work. I have a particular loathing for consoles these days though. Started off with one, found it bulky and annoying, also found the compass worked far better on my wrist and depth far better on my wrist.

Result now is i now only use a single contents gauge.

Any brand will fit and work- if you're worried about matching scuba gear then you have too much time on your hands!

You can mix pretty much any first and second stage other than some poseidon regs that use a higher IP.

[Woz]

I use a cheap plastic SPG Made in 1992. It works perfectly. I've also got a new brass solid one that always leaks and is really not what I was expecting in terms of quality.