-=> Quoting Steve Elliot to Achim Lohse <=-
 AL>  I've got an old Dacor pressure gauge that I bought
 AL>  used quite a few years ago. It seems to work ok, but
 AL>  every time it goes into the water, even on the most
 AL>  shallow dives, the face fills up. I've had it worked
 AL>  on by a dive shop recently, but it just keeps leaking.
 SE> Sounds like a cracked housing around the guage.  There's
 SE> really nothing that can be done to the guage except use
 SE> it till it drops and then buy a new one.
 
 AL>  Is this a potentially dangerous situation or not?
 SE> In my opinion, YES!
 
 AL>  I always use a J-valve, so super accuracy and reliability
 AL>  aren't necessary.
 SE> If you're implying that you dive according tto the rules
 SE> of the "old school of diving"... dive till you can't breathe
 SE> anymore, then open up your reserve and surface -- I'd suggest
 SE> that you are an accident just waiting to happen.
  Not at all. So far the gauge appears to work accurately. I could buy 
  another used gauge (or even a new one) and it could fail also. What 
  I meant was could the problem with the gauge (ie. the cracked 
  housing) result in a sudden loss of all remaining air in the tank?  
  Or is the danger strictly in losing the use of the gauge while on a 
  dive?
  Achim
  Achim Lohse...Box2250, Invermere BC, V0A 1KO
  lohse@rockies.net/a.lohse@netcom.ca
  FAX: 604-342-0404
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