Scuba Gauges

Giving Scuba Divers Critical Dive Information

Scuba Gauges in a console

Scuba gauges give a diver three very important pieces of information:

Time

Depth

Air Consumption

This information enables a diver to stay within safe time and depth limits and avoid running out of air. There are many different devices on the market to help with this, from simple gauges to complex digital consoles.

Time

If a diver is not using a dive computer to monitor their nitrogen, they dive according to approved dive tables. To use dive tables properly, a diver needs to track their downtime. This can be done with a good dive watch. Two things make a good dive watch: water resistance and a rotating bezel.

Water Resistance. Good dive watches are rated to a depth in meters or feet (e.g. 200 feet) or a pressure rating in atmospheres (e.g. 4atm). Even though most divers probably will not dive below 130 feet (the recreational dive limit), a good dive watch should be rated to 200 feet. Note: There is a difference between "water resistance" and "waterproof". A "waterproof" watch is what you would wear in the shower, but would probably start leaking at 15-20 feet.

Rotating Bezel. A bezel is an adjustable ring on the face of the dive watch with a pointer indicator. At the beginning of a dive, the pointer on the bezel is aligned with the minute hand where it stays though out the dive. At the end of the dive, you compare the difference between the bezel and the minute hand to find out the length of the dive. The bezel should only move "counterclockwise". It is possible to accidently move the bezel during a dive. Because of this, watchmakers make sure any accidental movement will turn the time in a conservative direction, making the dive longer rather than shorter.

Depth

Another important part of scuba gauges is a depth gauge. A depth gauge enables a diver to keep track of their depth even if they cannot see the waterâ€™s surface. Gauges can be either an analog (needle-and-dial) device or a digital device. Both work in the same way. They measure the surrounding water pressure and convert this into an accurate reading of your depth. Another feature of a good depth gauge is a maximum depth indicator. This tells a diver their maximum during a dive and must be reset after each dive.

Air Consumption

Another equally important part of scuba gauges is a submersible pressure gauge (SPG). This is connected to the first stage with a high-pressure hose and measures the pressure of the air in the tank. The SPG is much like the gas gauge on a car. At the beginning of a dive, a diver starts with a full tank. This should be about 3000 psi or 200 bars. As the diver breathes during the dive, the gauge will move slowly downwards. This allows the diver to have enough air left in the tank to:

Make a slow, safe ascent

Make any necessary decompression stops

Inflate their BCD once at the surface

Breath from the regulator if the surface conditions are rough

A submersible pressure gauge also allows a diver to stop diving with air still in the tank. This keeps contaminants from entering the tank due to no air pressure.

Wrist Depth Gauge

Scuba gauges come in two basic styles. Stand alone gauges or gauge consoles. Stand alone gauges such as a wrist mounted depth gauge or a submersible pressure gauge attached to the first stage of a regulator are great backups when using digital gauges. Gauge consoles allow divers to have all their gauges in one place.

Although less easy to read, analog gauges sometimes give slightly more accurate readings than digital gauges, particularly at shallow depth.

Submersible Pressure Gauge

Choosing Scuba Gauges

When choosing scuba gauges, remember to look for:

Easy-to-read numbers

Luminescent dial or back lighting options

Rotating/swivel mounting

Easy disassembly for cleaning or replacing parts

Good warranty

Dive Safe

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