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Date: Mon, 24 May 1999 12:15:14 -0500
To: kirvine@sa*.ne*
From: Patricia Disler <pdisler@io*.ne*>
Subject: Re: Redundancy in DIR - the common stroke
Cc: techdiver@aquanaut.com, cavers@ca*.co*
George,

At 06:09 AM 5/22/99 -0400, you wrote:
>Less is best. No we do not carry extra bottom timers , since we
>already have two or three - one on each buddy, and since we are not
>operating in the "mortal fear" mode taught by the training agencies. We
>use our other available tools to determine depth and time - simple
>things like gas consumption, for example.
>
>     The clutter has to be kept down : the less crap on the diver, the
>safer he actually is. The more clutter and crap, the more he is a danger
>to himself and others. Picture some helmet-wearing, butt-mounting,
>tripple computer toting stroke playing the bagpipes on his multiple
>bondage wing inflators sailing up and down on the deco line, kicking you
>in the face and making you seasick from watching his IANBTD stickers
>twirling around.
>
>     For long dives where important things like what restaurant we are
>going to eat dinner at come into play, some of us carry watches. I use
>the 200 meter Iron Man , high rollers like Jablonski use the "G Shock".
>He likes to use its timer feature to signal his deco stops, I carry mine
>to be sure not to get out too late to make it to Lucy Ho's. Our problem
>is that the timer rolls over so many times that we lose track of  how
>many 100 minute intervals have gone by - not a problem for most people.
>Believe it or not, you can lose track. These are small watches, and I
>usually carry mine clipped off in my pocket.
>
>     On the compass thing, I carry one on my wrist ( my non-scooter
>wrist) so I can continuously check the bearing of the cave. 

I was curious as to how compass bearings are effected by the
electromagnetic field that is generated by the scooter motors. 
Even though the compass is located on your non-scooter wrist, it would seem
it would still be within close enough proximity to the electromagnetic wave
that some deviation could occur.
Your surveys seem to come out with accurate loop closures, so I expect
there is negligable effect to the compass readings. 


It is a
>reverse bezel Suunto held on with little bungee straps that reads the
>direction I am heading. Same for ocean diving, I illuminiate it with the
>cave light every so often so that it glows. This is also my "redundant"
>survey compass. The real survey compass is a Sunnto Forestry version,
>and I use a rubber band to hold it on my wrist while surveying.

Where do you put your "redundant" survey compass when you are wearing you
Forestry version? Do you switch it to your other wrist (the scooter driving
wrist)? Do you wear it over or next to the redundant compass? 
If there are two compasses within that close proximity, I think some
deviation is inevitable.

Could you please elaborate as to the technique envolved with dealing with
two compasses?

Do you find two compasses being essentail for all dives? Or just the survey
dives?

 The rest
>of the time it is parked in the survey book. Lanyards are a "no no" here
>since they can get hung up and they especially like the scooter hub. A
>rubber band just breaks. I hold the book, compass, and pencil in the
>left hand with the light while running between stations. 
>
>     Another big trick to dive gear is money management. The less
>bullshit you get suckered into buying, the more money you have for real
>redundancy, like extra reg sets, and the more money you have for the
>really fun toys. For example, for the price of a set of bondage wings
>and a computer, you can own a Mako scooter and a proper set of wings.
>Figure it out. Besides, when you show up with a scooter, people think
>you are a player. When you show up with bondage wings and a computer,
>they know you are not. 
>
>     It is the same in all sports. I was trying to be a nickel rocket
>and use the same shoes for spinning as for my racing bike. My trainer
>told me that I had to get the right shoes, since nobody would have the
>confindence to ride behind me if they saw those shoes.
>
>     When you show up with ten computers and the other crap, you are
>scaring everyone, and basicly saying, " I am a novice who is scared
>shitless, a common stroke".
>
>      "Technical" divng means doing it right, not doing it with more
>"tech" gear".
>
>--
>Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
>Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
>
>


"SILT HAPPENS"JD   JEFF DISLER
  SAFE CAVING       NSS 26000
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