[w ripley]

This post is for the new DIVA owners (Optima, excluded) who, like me, think they’re the only ones having trouble seeing their DIVAs anywhere except in a cave or dark room.

With my HH Meg I used the Meg HUD which had lights that were easy to see in any lighting condition, for both me and my buddy. Not so with the HH DIVA in daylight.

So, let me start the ball rolling with several solutions that seem to help.

Some people put black electrical tape around their DIVAs, leaving a small opening -- facing their masks, of course -- to better see all the flashings. Some put a small black hose over their DIVAs leaving the top end open facing their masks. Some people cut the top end of the hose on a diagonal, so as to have an alternative black background against which to view the DIVA lights. Some people actually paint their DIVAs with black paint, leaving a slit to view the light of course, but it's hard getting the paint to stay on and is a more "permanent" solution, limiting your options in a cave.

A great solution, IMHO, has been made by DiveRite for its Optima. For $2.00 you can get the DiveRite black DRT-18-CAP “DIVA-HUD Sun Cover.” It is a black end cap, much like a soft rubber/plastic cap you would find protecting the threads of a new DIN valve, only smaller, with a slit cut in it that you install facing your mask (just like the electrical tape solution above.) I now carry several of them with me for backups and to pass out to DIVA users I meet having the same problem. I was given one after a dive and figure it's the least I can do to to repay the favor. I’ll post a photograph of that clever device if anyone wants one.

That’s 5. Anyone want to add to the list?

Now an alternative reason for this post: Anyone figured out how to "really" keep the GOLEM HUD-DIVA holder in place during a working dive?

Regards,

Bill

[Terry]

This might become a tradition, Ritchie gave me one on the last SCRUB trip (Key Largo last week).

Thanks Richie!

Terry

[ScubaDadMiami]

Quote: (Originally Posted by w ripley)

Some put a small black hose over their DIVAs leaving the top end open facing their masks.

I use a hose protector. I cut it longer than the HUD so that it completely shadows it. I also cut out the front portion (similar to the slit of the DR DIVE-HUD Sun Cover you mention). I tilt the HUD so that it mostly points directly into my mask, and is very close to the mask. Works pretty well for me.

Quote: (Originally Posted by w ripley)

Anyone figured out how to "really" keep the GOLEM HUD-DIVA holder in place during a working dive?

The only time mine spins out of place is from bumping into things out of the water such as when placing on the boat bench seat. It just takes a second to click it around into position. I am very happy with mine.

[w ripley]

Quote: (Originally Posted by ScubaDadMiami)

I use a hose protector. I cut it longer than the HUD so that it completely shadows it. I also cut out the front portion (similar to the slit of the DR DIVE-HUD Sun Cover you mention). I tilt the HUD so that it mostly points directly into my mask, and is very close to the mask. Works pretty well for me.



The only time mine spins out of place is from bumping into things out of the water such as when placing on the boat bench seat. It just takes a second to click it around into position. I am very happy with mine.

Nice solution with the hose protector. Thanks!

My concern about the DIVA mount is that mine is coming off at exactly the wrong places when, like you, I nudge or rub up against something.

Imagine squeezing thru a cave tunnel or inside a wreck and hitting something and having your DIVA mount become dislodged. To my way of thinking, that's when your DIVA is needed most, so you can keep an eye on what's going on. Having to stop and fool with it -- imagine with drygloves in very cold water inside a wreck -- just seems counter productive to me and an unnecessary increase in task loading.

It's probably just me. But, if someone can think of a way of locking that sucker in place at least this one person would be grateful.

Regards,

Bill

[ScubaDadMiami]

You do have the knob with the notch in it for connecting the BOV to the hose, right? I have not had a problem with it moving in the water, and I never bump into anything that close to my face . . . yet.

[w ripley]

Yes, it's a standard one.

Here's the thing: I've got a "expedition" grade Rebreather (and it really is), but the DIVA mount appears to me to be the only thing that isn't fully bulletproof.

I've got some ideas but have found that someone on this list always has come up with something "that works," so thought I would ask first.

I've gone through everything in my shop and have settled -- so far -- on the idea of using a small nylon cable tie to lock both sides of the plastic mount together. It seems to me that if I were to make a small notch to catch the cable tie on the plastic side of the mount's opening, and loop the cable tie around the SS on the other side of the opening (not the light, but the SS that screws onto the mount) that I could snug the mount down in place. Wouldn't have to worry about losing my DIVA in the confusion of any type of emergency or knocking it loose some other way. Would have to replace the cable tie every time I mounted it, of course. But, that's not really a big deal to me.

Just hoping someone else had a better solution. Hope that makes a little more sense.

Thanks for the interest.

Bill

[smokey]

Here's a couple of ideas much cheepness.

http://www.rebreatherworld.com/rebre...tml#post169898

[kevin stone]

Here is the mount I use
http://www.divenet.com/divematics/di...divamout12.jpg
the oring is facing me so it wont get knocked off or hung up on anything
Thanks
Kevin

[w ripley]

Quote: (Originally Posted by kevin stone)

Here is the mount I use
http://www.divenet.com/divematics/di...divamout12.jpg
the oring is facing me so it wont get knocked off or hung up on anything
Thanks
Kevin

Smokey, thanks. That would be a great backup.

Kevin, you got me to thinking.

I really like the way GOLEM has set everything up, so as to minimize movement, but don't like the fact that you can't "lock" the mount in place. Your mount address the "locking" feature with the rubber/elastic band. I think if GOLEM could adopt a similar feature to its mount it would be greatly improved.

So, I've come up with something that I'm going to use, at least until someone comes up with something better. I suggest that if you go this route you use a drill press, as the tolerances are very tight. I'm using a very small nylon cable tie. I've used the black one to show one way of doing it and the clear/white one for another (and if you need to connect 2 ties to get enough purchase). I've also left some tails on the ties so as to more easily see how they work. I've tried it out and it really does "lock" the mount the way I had hoped.

We're getting there. Thanks for the imput

Bill

[ScubaDadMiami]

Nice job. I don't have enough guts to try drilling because I would end out cracking on breaking it.

Jakub, any thoughts on making an improvment to lock and unlock in place?