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Who looks out for you when you have diving equipment problems? Diver does. In our quarterly series, John Bantin fields your queries about gear, and calls on the suppliers for help where appropriate. If you have a problem with kit, let him know.
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The Scubapro Uwatec Smart Pro offers five levels of micro-bubble suppression, but it's down to you to work out how many bubbles you should be suppressing |
I have a Uwatec Smart computer. It's not clear to me from the instruction book where I should set the MB (micro-bubble) level. I don't think I have a PFO [hole in the heart], so level 5 seems over the top - but I would like to err on the side of conservatism. Does anyone have any practical experience?
Nikos, Divernet Forum
When we reviewed this computer (www.divernet.com/equipment/
computers2003/comps2.shtml) we observed that if you use it straight from the box on level 0, as many owners will do, you get no benefit from the reduced micro-bubble algorithm.
We also said that there was no clue as to how to choose which of the five settings to use.
Fit but in my 50s, I found myself more comfortable with the information dispensed when the computer was set at level 2, but it's all about personal choice, or guesswork.
However, what we can say is that there is little point in buying this computer and then using it set on level 0, because you are then making no allowances for the possibility of micro-bubble build-up.
My drysuit has no corrugated hose, and now I wonder why I have one on my BC. I keep meeting people with BCs without them - every manufacturer of the latest BCs seems to be doing without them. Why do you need a corrugated hose on your BC?
Melanopterus, Divernet Forum
The corrugated hose was introduced on the first BC (the ABLJ) to enable the diver to both blow air into it during a descent and to position it sensibly to aid the release of that air later.
Actually, with direct-feed hoses and dump valves it has become redundant , but people like to cling to the familiar.
Instructors still teach the use of the corrugated hose, because it is enshrined in so many training manuals. But you're right. Your drysuit does not need a corrugated hose, nor does a suitably designed BC.
My girlfriend and I both purchased off-the-shelf, non-diving wheeled holdalls for a trip to El Hierro, after realising that our current luggage weighed some 7kg apiece! How about including the weight of luggage when you test it? An acquaintance was well over his baggage allowance for a trip to the Red Sea recently, partly due to the all-singing, all-dancing divebag he bought for the trip!
Steve Mclaughlin by email
All bags have a weight of their own, and when they are exceptionally heavy we mention it. When you buy a bag its weight is very apparent - it's just a pity that the IATA rules give such a puny free baggage allowance.
On a snorkelling trip to the Caribbean we took numerous pictures of marine life using those underwater cameras sold by Kodak Express, Jessops, and Boots. All were developed and printed (and scanned onto CD) and have come out bluish-green. We understand that this is normal, but that processing labs can adjust the developing by forcing an extra stop of exposure for red and yellow and losing a stop for blues and greens. We also understand that the processing was automated, but that the printing can be adjusted by enhancing reds and yellows and toning down blues and greens. This service appears not to be available from those who sell these cameras - lab technicians state that they don't offer colour adjustment for films exposed under water. What can I do with all these photos, apart from chucking them away?
C J Brady by email
Underwater photography is less easy than some suggest. I use thousands of pounds' worth of kit to get quite simple results. Results from disposable cameras are not too good on the surface. Under water, not only do they have severe limitations but you need to shoot on colour neg film and have prints interpreted by someone else. Cheap processing is geared to reproducing shots of auntie in a red cardigan in a green field, taken on a sunny day with a blue sky behind.
You could get your pictures printed properly by a professional colour lab but paying a colour technician's hourly rate will outweigh the cost of the cameras you used. Get yourself an inexpensive digital camera in a watertight housing. It might cost £300-£500 (see last month's Buyer's Guide).
Why is the Typhoon Icebreaker heated undergarment for diving suits so expensive, at £500, when it's possible to buy a heated vest for use on a motorbike for only £100?
Brent Hudson by email
Does your bike work under water too? You may think a heated motorcyclist's undervest will do the job almost as well, but mind you don't get any water in your drysuit! David Carr of Typhoon tells us that "while other thermal devices are available for use in other applications, the Icebreaker has been designed specifically for use in the extreme environments associated with UK diving." Read the Diver Tests report and decide whether you want to risk your life with a substitute product not designed for the job.
Bungees are fine to stop wings flapping about - but don't fasten them too tightly |
I am buying new tech equipment and going nuts about finding out whether to buy a wing restricted by a bungee cord or not. DIR says no, but then, people are different and there is a choice - for example, the products of OMS and Custom Divers. What is your preference?
Kristian Flakstad by email
If you do use a wing with a bungee, you need to ensure that it is not rigged so tightly that it constricts the buoyancy-bag and limits inflation. Some people also reckon that it is just something else that could snag, and prefer their wings to flap.
I often find that a billowing wing allows air to become trapped in its folds during an ascent, so you need to be more circumspect about releasing it. Others say that bungees can cause the same problem. I'm afraid it's your choice!
I'm a bit confused. I need a good suit that is warm and that I can use in moderate climates. Also, are zips at wrist cuffs and ankle seals a good idea?
Ronan Markey, Divernet & BSAC Forum.
I noticed that many people on the BSAC Forum rushed to tell you to buy a drysuit, but that isn't always the answer. A good, properly fitting 7mm semi-dry will keep you just as warm in the water (and sometimes warmer) as a drysuit and confers advantages when it comes to swimming long distances. However, you might get very cold when you climb out of it, before getting your dry clothes on, and as for putting on a previously used and wet suit in cold conditions... brrrr!
If you are diving in cold water but with warm surface conditions such as in the Med in summer or northern Red Sea in winter, I recommend a semi-dry suit. If you make only one dive in a day in the UK in summer, a good thick semi-dry will do, too. Seals at the wrists and ankles should restrict water entry.
Zipped cuffs allow the manufacturer to supply a layer of neoprene to cover and protect the soft latex seals without making it a fight to get your hands and feet through.
Wetsuits do not have these seals but they sometimes have zipped cuffs and ankles for ease of dressing.
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