"Wade Norton" wrote in message
. net...
Suds,
Like you, my wife and I enjoy scuba and kayaking. We live in the Pacific
Northwest so we envy your "warm" climate. We get to Hawaii about once a
year in addition to other warm water dive travel. We're relatively new to
paddling so we haven't done any kayak travel, yet.
Yikes, drysuit diving off a kayak! Did you read the August issue of
"Rodales's Scuba Diving?" Or have you seen this website?
http://www.whidbeydive.com/page2.html You couldn't do drysuit diving out
here. There is no way you can paddel any distance w/o getting completely
soaked so you'd have to keep the suit on the entire time. We just have too
much wind, swells, and current. It makes for a lot of fun in the kayak but
I'm glad I just have to deal with a wet suit.
Oh, and please don't try paddling out to Hawai'i. I know airfares have been
going up but we need all the tourist dollars we can get so we don't want to
lose you. ;^)
I've never used a GPS for diving other than finding my dive sites (shore
dives). I have a friend that takes his GPS on dive boats, but I just
don't
take that risk. I do put the GPS in a protective bag for my kayak trips.
I use Voyageur bags for the GPS ( http://www.voyageur-gear.com/index.php )
..
Out here you might get your regulator hose cut and extra weight on your belt
if you try bringing a GPS onboard. Local dive ops don't want others to
learn the location of their "dive spots."
Here's the "water proof" criteria for GPS units. I snatched this from the
Garmin website
Most GarminŽ GPS units are waterproof in accordance with IEC 529 IPX7. IEC
529 is a European system of test specification standards for classifying
the
degrees of protection provided by the enclosures of electrical equipment.
An
IPX7 designation means the GPS case can withstand accidental immersion in
one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. An IPX8 designation is for
continuous underwater use.
Like you, I've tried to find a "truly waterproof GPS" (IPX8) and haven't
found one. I would tend to agree with your kayak expert. Until someone
builds a IPX8 GPS I would continue to bag the GPS.
If the market existed, they'd do it. I've got camera's and lights that are
good down to 150' or more. It's just a question of money. Right now the
number of kayakers that need a waterproof gps isn't attracting the
manufactures attention.
Well, I should let you go. You need to go outside and look at the sun.
You've only got a couple days left to do so. ;^)
suds