Depth gauge

[Carol]

Hi,
I wonder how other snorkellers find out how deep they have dived?
3 dives to 5m are required for the OW snorkel diver qualification and this is not, I have found, very easy to judge.
I did have an SMB with a weight and knotted line which was *very* low tech.
How do other divers do it? :)
I think I'm right in saying that all usual digital depth gauges (max depth c.30m) are not accurate for <10m dives - that's if they even register the depth in that very short time interval.
Cheers
Carol

[PeteM]

Hi,
I wonder how other snorkellers find out how deep they have dived?
3 dives to 5m are required for the OW snorkel diver qualification and this is not, I have found, very easy to judge.
I did have an SMB with a weight and knotted line which was *very* low tech.
How do other divers do it? :)
I think I'm right in saying that all usual digital depth gauges (max depth c.30m) are not accurate for <10m dives - that's if they even register the depth in that very short time interval.
Cheers
Carol

I would have thought that a free diving watch like the Suunto D3 would have been the perfect individual solution

[Carol]

I would have thought that a free diving watch like the Suunto D3 would have been the perfect individual solution
Doesn't it take a minute or two to react?
Carol

[David Walker]

Doesn't it take a minute or two to react?

If its not turned on before you jump in, it will activate and be functional after maybe 3-5 seconds. If you turn it on before you jump in, it will work straight away, although most do only register below 2m.

Most update their reading every second, so will usually be pretty accurate - just beware that some types which are designed for diving will spend their life beeping at you because of fast ascents! The Suunto's have a gauge mode which won't do that, but not sure about any others.

David

[PeteM]

Doesn't it take a minute or two to react?
Carol

No it is a free diving watch so expects you to be at depth for only a split second, I think the sampling rate in free diving mode is once a second

[Cornholio]

Bump. Sorry, not checked in here for a while.

The D3 does indeed have 1s sampling and (checks logs) will start recording at less than 2m. I've been very pleased with mine.

[adkinsoman]

Carol
The simplest depth gauge for snorkelling is a capillary depth gauge. This consists of a small bore tube closed at one end. When you dive the water is forced into the tube by the ambient pressure so the length of the silvery bubble reduces. At 10m it is half the length of the tube, 20m a third, etc. The nice features are that there are no moving parts to wear out, the scale is most sensitive and most accurate in the shallow range where you are snorkelling and it is cheap. A quick Google shows that Dacor make one that sells at $17 or you could make your own from plastic tubing. There's a little Blue Peter project for you!
Regards
Nevil

[Carol]

Carol
sensitive and most accurate in the shallow range where you are snorkelling and it is cheap. A quick Google shows that Dacor make one that sells at $17 or you could make your own from plastic tubing. There's a little Blue Peter project for you!
Regards
Nevil
Hi Nevil,This is an interesting device that I certainly had not thought or even heard of! :)
Sticky back plastic here I come :D and I will certainly let you all know of the results of my experiments.
Couldn't find the Dacor version in UK at the moment.
Thanks
Cheers
Carol