I do use à 6in hose to to my Ai

Totally agree. They teach redundancy in the military and gov. I don't want to be caught with a broken computer. It only takes one time to send you to the grave. Air integrated is awesome but it's never going to be the only thing I have.I love these guys but I can't help but feel this may give people a green light for complacency. Gear is reliable until that one time and then the narrative changes just like with anything else. Keep up the good work, I'm in the process of watching from day 1.

@@HippocrabBut a broken computer or transmitter isn't an emergency. It doesn't reduce the amount of gas I have. I'm a cave diver and I check how much gas I have regularly. If a computer fails that's a gear malfunction and I call the dive, same as a broken light or mask strap. I've done my gas planning so I know I can make it out with the gas I had left even when I can't see it. On the other hand, I've had a broken SPG hose connection that was leaking gas. Meaning I either have to close the valve (in backmount) or feather it (in sidemount) to preserve that gas. I much prefer the first situation.

What is the edd Sorenson method?

@@Yggdrasil42 I agree. Air integration (without the HP short extension hose) has less o-ring potential leak points, one static o-ring and no dynamic o-rings for transmitter. I'm not concerned about not having flexible HP hose if the HP port is oriented on my first stage such that my transmitter is protected under my arm in Sidemount or pointed down and inward tucked in towards tanks for back mount. In my experience working around industrial machines with analog gauges and electronic pressure transducers, like what's used in air integrated transmitters, I've developed a few views on accuracy advantages for pressure transducers. In short I prefer the failure modes in digital gauges over analog gauges. My opinion is that digital gauges usually tell you I don't know the pressure when they fail, and analog gauges will lie to you and tell you a false pressure when they fail (and that false pressure is generally more pressure than you actually have as the gauge ages from my experience). Over years of use I've seen analog gauges lose accuracy and read falsely high from stretching bourdon tubes or springs. If over pressurized briefly, I've seen analog gauges always read high there after. Over the sensor range and sensor's life I've seen pressure transducers to be more accurate when new and old (industrial versions but same technology as SCUBA SPGs and transmitters). Final thought, in my factory experience, we get more consistent daily reports on machine checks from digital pressure transducer sensor values from operators since the digital display removes variables like gauge parallax, different operators reading value at left, center, or right of needle, people miscounting the gauge tick marks between numbered main ticks, etc.

@@Yggdrasil42 A broken computer/transmitter would then make it so you can't view the O2 percentage in your loop and therefore your loop may get in theory too much or too little oxygen, depending on your depth and how o2 gets added. I suppose you are supposed to feel how much o2 is in the air you are breathing and adjust based off of that. But if you're on open circuit then I could see why a broken computer/transmitter wouldn't necessarily constitute an emergency for the reasons you shared, as long as the dive is shallow enough or you have a buddy with you. Still, you would want to know your depth at any given moment or at least have memorized the locations for where stops are supposed to take place and for how long. Then you have to operate by an approximate sense of time, where leaving or overextending a deep stop could be hazardous. I'm actually not following your logic on why it would be safe to have all computers in the cave shut down at once at the deepest part of the dive. Certainly if you brought a stop watch with you, or depth gauge with you, you are doing much better, but I guess without all of that is still fine as long as you are diving a very safe profile maybe one you've done many times before and so you know where the stops are and for how long and all that. And of course being with a buddy whose computer isn't broken would also be fine since you can follow their navigation. So in that case losing your buddy would constitute an emergency, or not? But still the computers are redundant systems so overall if you are diving with a buddy or group then somebody's computer will be working almost surely - though their stops would be affected by their specific dive profile, not yours, so it still wouldn't really be as safe, though still not necessarily an emergency.

Thanks for your comment! I've bought a G2 w/ transmitter from my local dive shop on clearance and haven't decided yet if I want to remove my SPG or keep both. I think doing a few local lake dives or pool dives with both may help me become familiar with its behavior first.

Hello Steve, I tell you, my G2 is wonderful and coincidentally today, Sunday, December 3, my transmitter's battery ran out, after having made 500 dives. He is happy with my computer. Now I'm going to change the battery. Happy bubbles.

I always keep an SPG in my gear bag for this reason!

I wish this was pinned!!! Humans can't build gear that doesn't fail and especially electronics!

On the other hand, I’m on my 3rd SPG while I never had a problem with my transmitter. In fact, in my last trip my SPG failed and I manage to keep diving due to my transmitter.

Why do you eliminate it for side mount?

The reason why I eliminated the air integration for sidemount is that I had my spgs to where I can look at them. Also I wanted to reduce failure points when I am doing deep dives.

✌🏼🤗🤣😂

seems like the best answer to me, esp for tech & overhead. If you had to shut down a post or isolate you could still see the gas you had left.

But with this statement if a diver don't have air integration should the diver then dive with 2 spgs ?🤔

Glad you said this! Exactly what was going through my mind...24 years and I've never seen an explosive SPG failure. My training is to be sure to aim the SPG face away when you turn on the air in case of a failure, but never seen that happen ever...not saying it couldn't, and I do turn it away towards the ground...but I also hold the LP inflator on when I open the tank valve too...

I think the biggest difference for me is: a. Air Integration is SUPER RELIABLE...like fin straps. Nobody dives with an extra fin just in case a strap breaks...could it happen? Yeah, but the chances of it happening to a good pair of fins is so remote that no one dives with extra fins. That's how I see Air Integration, the chance of it failing is so remote that if or when they do, I just end the dive. b. If a transmitter runs out of battery for example (it shouldn't because battery lasts for most people around 2 years and it should be changed every year to make sure it never goes low), nothing happens, your air is still in the tank, you just can't see how much you have left but if you were diving thirds you should be able to ascend at a normal speed and do your stop and everything, literally zero issues (other than ending the dive early). But when an SPG fails, well, you have an air leak, the last one I used failed on a boat while we were still at the dock waiting to leave, no foul play or dropping the tank or damage of anyway, it just imploded all of the sudden. Had to rush and close the tank. Luckily the captain of the boat had a backup and I could do the dives that day. So I don't see a need for SPGs.

@@DIVETALK Thank you very much for the detailed response! As a new diver, this will assist me greatly! I just bought the Garmin AI, and have been wondering deeply about this topic. Another Q: I've been advised to buy a 6' high pressure hose to attach the AI to. I think I will also need a Metric Allen Wrench. What are you opinions here? Great content as always, and thanks again!

Plus when a transmitter fails? You just don’t get the number on the computer. When an SPG fail you have a leak!

@@DIVETALK Swift transmitters will leak on certain failures as well-I've had two such failures. Have a look at the little black rubber OP plug on the bottom of your Swift. When that fails they leak. Also, some SPG failures leak some don't. I've had an SPG failure where it just read off by 20 bar.

Since I dive with more than 1 computer - all Air Integrated - my fear is more about the transmitter failing than the actual computer, but like I said before, the transmitter fails and you just end your dive.

SPG = Submersible Pressure Gauge, it an analog dial gauge connected via a hose that tells you the pressure in your cylinder. AI = Air Integration, it is a wireless pressure transmitter that communicates with your dive computer and displays your cylinder pressure on the computer screen.

Let's hope the Descent Mk3i transmitter won't make the same annoying high pitch chirping sounds as the current one.

to Shearwater’s credit they replaced the transmitter free of charge.