DIR Fashion statement - grey is the new red...

[Garf]

Originally Posted by MattS

Is that a toy compass on the strap of his dive computer

What flippin use is that then

no good whatsoever if you need to take a bearing of 182 degrees. However, very useful indeed if the skipper says "head roughly south". I can't ever remember taking a specific bearing in the sea, but I've headed in a general direction plenty of times.

[Woz]

1. how many shiny ally 80's are still shiny after being in seawater? None.
2. if you want to look and talk like a proper diver, get an old Northern Diver neoprene drysuit, blob Aquasure all over it, dive with a cylinder and backpack and ABLJ and talk to everyone about getting your fills in "ats".

[Skiverdiver]

Originally Posted by MattS

Is that a toy compass on the strap of his dive computer

What flippin use is that then

Matt,

It is not a computer - it is a timer! - deco is done on the "fly"

Compass is for show - he uses the force for navigation - or just swims in the opposite direction out of the cave!

Roy

[MattS]

Originally Posted by Garf

no good whatsoever if you need to take a bearing of 182 degrees. However, very useful indeed if the skipper says "head roughly south". I can't ever remember taking a specific bearing in the sea, but I've headed in a general direction plenty of times.

Hi Garf
I find it highly amusing that someone like JJ who, by association with GUE, has had so much to say about optimal equipment and holistic configurations, is willing to be seen less than dead with a Christmas cracker toy on his arm

Now if you are going to try to defend it I will have to play Devil's advocate

Roughly South would be bloody useless for getting you back to an entry point. Roughly South would be laughed at written on a survey report. Roughly square is not going to produce a decent search pattern. Whether you could swim roughly South at all using such a POS is rather arguable.

When wreck diving I have always found pilotage, relative to currents, sunlight and the line in the sand left by a dragging shot to be more useful than a skippers rough bearing.

As far as I am concerned doing it right, as opposed to DIR, means taking a compass that works or not at all. A gimmicky toy masquerading as a compass should be left hanging on the wall of the dive shop with all the other bits of superfluous plastic tat.

[Garf]

Originally Posted by MattS

Hi Garf
I find it highly amusing that someone like JJ who, by association with GUE, has had so much to say about optimal equipment and holistic configurations, is willing to be seen less than dead with a Christmas cracker toy on his arm

Now if you are going to try to defend it I will have to play Devil's advocate

cool, we're in the DIR forum so I hope we can do this without it ending up as an emotional rant from someone, but time will tell. It's anot a christmas cracker toy, its a perfectly functioning compass rated for use underwater.

Roughly South would be bloody useless for getting you back to an entry point. Roughly South would be laughed at written on a survey report. Roughly square is not going to produce a decent search pattern. Whether you could swim roughly South at all using such a POS is rather arguable.

If we absolutely have to get to an entry point, then we use a line anyway. We wouldn't use a tool like this for surveying - it's not the right piece of kit. There are means other than using a compass for search patterns. Whenever I've had to do it I've used a line again. It might be arguable to say you could even go roughly south with one, but I've done it a couple of times with no dramas. As I stated, I wouldn't want to go to 182 degrees, but "thataway is the reef" is just fine.

When wreck diving I have always found pilotage, relative to currents, sunlight and the line in the sand left by a dragging shot to be more useful than a skippers rough bearing.

Personally, I've always found compasses a complete waste of time when wreck diving except as a "wreck detector" , but I bow to your wisdom and experience on this one as you talk of concepts I have only had very basic training in. A compass is not my first priority on a wreck dive as if I hit the wreck I don't need one and if I miss the wreck I will try to use the environmental clues before giving up and heading back up.

As far as I am concerned doing it right, as opposed to DIR, means taking a compass that works or not at all. A gimmicky toy masquerading as a compass should be left hanging on the wall of the dive shop with all the other bits of superfluous plastic tat.

Fair enough, everyone's entitled to their opinion. I actually use a larger suunto compass most of the time and only take the smaller one when I know direction finding is not going to be an issue other than a very vague requirement.

We use the tool we believe are fit for purpose. Most of us carry larger compasses most of the time, but there are plenty of scenarios where a compass just isn't needed. Swimming your way out of a wreck or cave, I would far rather follow a line than a compass, and it's one less thing to have sticking up from your arm to catch on line.

anyway, it's all a matter of choice, innit

[Bardo]

Originally Posted by Garf

Swimming your way out of a wreck or cave, I would far rather follow a line than a compass

Hehe. That's what I'd call the understatement of there year there, Garf...

Anyway, this thread has now officially gone to sh*te - what was meant as a bit of light hearted banter has now gone the same way as sadly far too many DIR-themed threads on YD these days... I'm outta here!

[Skiverdiver]

Originally Posted by Bardo

Hehe. That's what I'd call the understatement of there year there, Garf...

Anyway, this thread has now officially gone to sh*te - what was meant as a bit of light hearted banter has now gone the same way as sadly far too many DIR-themed threads on YD these days... I'm outta here!

Bardo...

Do you think so? - IMHO someone took the piss out of a bit of a poor excuse for a compass (think it was meant to be light hearted as you put it).....then someone tried to kinda say that it was a rough guide...then blah blah blah.....it is a poor compass (full stop)

Just goes to show that even Jedi J***** or whatever his name is (I mean no disrespect with that comment) buys tat from time to time - we all have!

So back to the suit - do you really think he pays for them???......TBH if I was him I would have a bit of fun - get a pink one (or one with a go faster stripe) and see if the masses go for the bait??....

ATB

Roy

[DIVE BUDDHA]

Originally Posted by nigelH

SLAP
You mustn't say things like that.
You'll break the hearts of all those lads carefully selecting just the right make and just the right colour and all the angst of getting US sized tanks and filling them to US pressures in psi just so they can talk like their heros.

i think i will stick with black lol!!! grey is so last season lol!!!

[nigelH]

Originally Posted by MattS

Roughly South would be bloody useless for getting you back to an entry point.

I don't know...
In a long, reasonably straight cave, running roughly north/south it could be just the ticket.

[JasonP]

Originally Posted by nigelH

I don't know...
In a long, reasonably straight cave, running roughly north/south it could be just the ticket.

Or at least help you find the line again.

Jason